John,
Back in 1994, I warned that we were on the way to becoming a two-tiered society. McDonalds had just lost a lawsuit over scalding hot coffee — and I had way more hair.
But now, the CEO of McDonalds is telling us fast food chains saw a double-digit dip in visits from lower and middle income customers in the first quarter of 2025.
Why? Customers can’t afford it.
Check out our video this week to take a look at our two-tiered society — and why it’s getting worse. Then I hope you’ll share it with your friends on social media.
Frankly, it’s a little galling to hear the CEO of McDonalds complaining about income inequality — especially when big companies like McDonalds, Walmart, and others are famous for underpaying workers, forcing them to rely on government programs to make ends meet.
Around 70% of the U.S. economy depends on consumer spending. As wealth concentrates in the richest 10% of Americans, the rest of the country can’t afford to buy enough to keep the economy running.
It’s a two-tier economy — and the bottom tier is collapsing.
Thank you for watching,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media
