>America is a more balanced and equitable society today than it was in 1970.
The inflation adjusted minimum wage peaked in 1968. An American worker in 1970 could graduate high school and get a job that would allow them to support a family of four, buy a home, and take the occasional vacation. To say that we've progressed in terms of equitability since then is a cruel joke. The area under the curve of material wealth may be greater, but we've become a winner-take-all society.