Worsening income gaps and a sustainable future

To resolve the wide and growing disparity of incomes within the USA and between highly and poorly developed countries, self‐empowerment of the poor – while devoutly to be encouraged and wished for – will not suffice without continued and enhanced global commitments of assistance from private, public domestic and international governments and institutions in the tasks of educating and training of the poor for better jobs, improved health practices and viable democracies. The effort will require the transfer of billions of dollars to development from the estimated $1.5 trillion currently spent on military arms worldwide and more equitable land distribution without political and social upheaval. Human nature must be pressed to eschew selfish materialism, indifference and political opportunism, for the common good of current and future generations.