Income Inequality: Why No Outcry?

This past week in American Studies, we watched the film "Inequality For All," a documentary about income inequality in the United States. The statistics this film provided were astounding. (For example, that the top 400 people in the U.S. have more wealth than the bottom 150 million). Income inequality is growing at an alarming rate; the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing rapidly. In 1978, the average male worker made $48,302, while they average male in the top 1% made $393,682. In 2010, however, the average male worker made only $33, 751, while the average male in the top 1% made $1,101,089.   It is clear that income inequality is becoming an increasingly prevalent and pressing issue in today's society. So why isn't the income/wealth gap causing an outcry?

We talked about possible answers to this question in American Studies class. Some answers we came up with as a class are listed below. (From anamericanstudies.posthaven.com)

1. Negative perception of the protesters
2. Aspiration to become upper class as opposed to resent those citizens
3. A disproportionate influence (by the upper class) in the political arena (lobbying) and in the media
4. Ever-increasing amounts of consumer and household debt helping to finance an American consumer lifestyle.

Personally, I think that #2 is a major reason why there is no real outcry against the income/wealth gap in the United States.

People want to fulfill the "American Dream." They want to be successful and rich and happy and comfortable. Sure, people of lower class will resent people of upper class, people who have apparently fulfilled the American Dream, to some extent. However, I believe that people of lower class will never create a full-blown outcry against the upper class because to a large extent, they strive to be them.

Another reason I think there has been no full-blown outcry is because the people that are on the "losing end" of this gap, the lower and lower-middle class, do not have the time, resources, or influence to protest. These are the people who are working long, tiring hours, and have potentially very long commutes home. There is simply not enough time or energy for the lower class to start an outcry.

Why do you think there has been no full-blown outcry against the (increasing) income/wealth gap in the United States?