Alva Review-Courier -

According to Fortune magazine, 15 years ago the ultra-rich were admired by the American public. Headlines detailing their influence, abuse of power and agendas have weakened the opinion to the point of disgust.

Why do so many suddenly hate them? The Washington Post says, “Because they have made it easy.” Social media has allowed us to share ideas and has led to the discovery of sin and corruption at all levels. The more you do, the more you expose yourself to criticism, and with one billionaire commander-in-chief and two or more vying to oppose, it looks like the wheels are in motion to elect another one.

Unlike the simple campaign of Abraham Lincoln, candidates today are poised to “buy” an election with a torrent of ads and, some believe, a background of campaign meddling. Partisanship has no clear distinction with polling, according to Fortune, showing Republicans billionaire-friendly with Democrats not-so-much. Then the field becomes muddled with Oprah, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett opinions among the most respected.

Most Americans view income disparity as a threat to our democracy with repeated examples of have-not leading to a life of repeated incarceration in the cradle-to-prison pipeline. Education has long been touted as the great equalizer, allowing anyone to “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” but the age of robotics, including self-checking at Walmart, is eliminating jobs instead of creating them.

Technology should be a boon, not a bust. Billionaires should set an example, not of self-promotion and greed, but of opportunity.