Thomas Paine's Utopian Society

In a world where CEOs of corporations get paid 20 times larger annual compensations, taxes are ever increasing, and the people demand what they want when they want, it is hardly a utopian society. The wealthy are indeed continuing to live a "privileged" lifestyle. The poorer citizens are not oppressed by the government, but by the situation that the government refuses to remedy.Thomas Paine wrote in his book, The Rights of Man, his beliefs that the United States could be an orderly society; taxes could be few and the government would be fair to its citizens. However, his belief has not held up in recent years. He states that "the poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged," yet the wage gap contradicts his statements. The wage situations …show more content…
For example, during the hurricane Katrina, thousands of people lost their homes. Some were killed and thousands more were evacuated. In the period thereafter, communities across the country sent aid and money to those in need. However touching, this is an isolated example, and unfortunately, the society only bands together like this in desperate …show more content…
In Maya Angelou’s: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, she experiences blatant discrimination. Many if not all minorities and even women, in general, experienced racism in America. This is in spite of Paine’s opinion that our melting pot culture strengthens our society.In the time of unequal rights, it divided us. The fact our country was made of different cultures and races. Politics in government have not been held to Paine’s standards either. The recent budget standoff presents a clear example of discord, not concord, caused by our form of government. When the President and the Congress fail to agree, serious problems might occur. The arguments surrounding what the government can and should do eludes Paine’s characterization of