The Chains Money Has Created:

The gates of opportunity is gilded in gold and silver, its roads are paved by hard work, and it guarded over by Lady Liberty. However it is not all as it seems, underneath the veil of perfection there is a dark truth. Money controls everything. It has been the running force for the working man, for the greed of our nation, and for those impoverished and in need. In the US today, more than 15% of the population live below the poverty line. This number is attained through accounting many issues, and it “is currently calculated to be an annual income of $23,050 for a family of four”(https://diigo.com/0757t2). The number of people falling underneath the poverty line contains to grow as employment rates drop. Yet our nation still has people who are living in ridiculous luxury, people wasting wealth and the opportunity of others for simple leisure. The gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow, and it becomes clear that the US lives under a single monetary standard. Money is a chain that keeps people from being humane, money is the fuel of immoral actions, and it is because of that greed does the values of all go astray. Through research is has been proven that while the association with rich and poor show a dichotomous split in morality, it is false and rather it is the nation's' philosophy that fails to teach a proper moral system having no correlation between the rich and the poor.

In a world where cynicism is valued as wisdom, those who buy into the “dog eats dog world” often find themselves more successful than others. Yet as Americans, there is a call for morality and justice. Yet it almost seems as if money alone is enough to completely bypass this concept, and rather look for the ideal of success above of all else. It will be proven that the rich lack the morality that ought to be seen in all Americans. Rich being defined as those “who make more than $150,000 annually…or households that earn more than $250,000 annually” (https://diigo.com/0757t2). With this Census pull from 2010, it is obvious that the rich make up only a small number in the population of people ranging from 1% to 5% of US’s national population, however they carry the most influence. Though many of these people are born into their money, many more of them pursue to line their pocket books with the money of the less fortunate. One way that they achieve this is with the most notorious crime of the rich. Commonly known as “white collar crimes”, these range from anywhere to tax evasion to embezzlement. A prime example of this is seen in the Enron collapse, in which Jeffrey Skilling, CEO at the time, embezzled billions of dollars through poor financing reports and shady dealings with their then financial firm Andrew Anderson. Not only did this heavily effect the business and take money from the investors, but also the people who had worked tirelessly with this corporation only to have their futures taken out from underneath them ( https://diigo.com/075a4s). It appears through the research conducted that findings show that greed takes precedence above all else. As shown in a study done at the prestigious research centers of Harvard University and University of Utah, it was founded that the mere idea of profit changes people’s thought patterns and weakens the usual social bonds that people associate with humanity.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” is the motto written upon the stone of the Lady Liberty whose watchful eye stares over the New York Harbor. (https://diigo.com/075ac4) That is the aspiration of the impoverished, the mentality that a man can start with not a penny in his pocket and bulid himself into a wealthy American, that is the dream. However, the truth of the matter is that poor people are just as immoral and ruthless when it comes to money. Though not in the same ways as the rich, they too do anything for a rich quick plan. These crimes range anywhere from stealing from convenience stores to murder. This idea is fact as stated in Jefferson Press (https://diigolat.com/075ahu) in which the correlation between crime and poverty are closely linked. Further, due to the increase crime rates in low income neighborhoods, the likelihood of receiving a well paying job is compromised due to the criminal records thus becoming a cyclical pattern in which desperation causes a need to steal yet again.The immorality does not necessarily stem from need as evident in crime statistics, burglary and other such crimes are more often related to greed than hunger. This not only proves that greed is a shared human emotion but has no necessary link between the socio-economic morals of the people. This links into the idea that is whether or not socioeconomic status is correlated with morality.

The American Dream, a term coined by James Truslow Adams states that the dream is of a country in which life is “better and richer and fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement”(https://diigo.com/075ajr0). This dream has long been pursued by both rich and poor, immigrants and native-borns, however it seems to be often up in the air for debate on whether or not it has been achieved or if it is even worth pursuing. However, that will not be decided in this argument, but rather it will be discussed whether Americans face corruption as a result of money and as a direct result cannot receive the path to the American Dream. As proven in previous paragraphs, greed does not discriminate against whom it victimizes. Not only do the rich desire to increase their money so they can continue to live their carefree lives in leisure and bliss. The poor, feed upon themselves until they are grasping at a chance to climb above the rest. This is the war money creates, and its never ending. When concerning the American Dream people are restrained in pursuing it because they are so caught up in the web money creates that people no longer look for a brighter tomorrow but rather to a bigger bank account.

Tied down to financial burdens, Americans are forced to pursue money relentlessly. Without it, no one can make it in this world where everything has a price and no one gives charity out without a hidden agenda. With the evidence provided the conclusion reached is that rich or poor, no one can neither progress nor achieve further dreams when money is weighing on their minds. This is not only at the fault of the people who support this, but also because of the American ideal, which supports success over all else. All the Americans miss out on this bigger dream because they are so self centered in on their small worlds, gaining money, and living life. When in reality they will never achieve what they desire, because they are missing their freedom. We as Americans are being tied down in this endless pursuit of material wealth. Everything in this world has a price, and nothing comes free with no strings attached. The evidence provided prove how morality is not a question that can be answered with the schism between socioeconomic classes, rather a consistent human flaw when money comes on the line. Idle materialism in our little egocentric worlds only hold us back from our actual desires, leaving us with a false sense of freedom.