The United States is a very unequal society, of which, there isn't a shadow of a doubt, that for some people as well some corporations, the United States offers nothing but the best of the best. These superrich people and these superrich corporations have not only incredible monetary assets, but along with that money, there is often an incredible amount of power. It would be one thing, if the superrich were simply just superrich, and enjoy all the benefits and accouterments of it, for their personal or corporate enjoyment; but alas, that isn't good enough, for those that are superrich, in order to add to their wealth, game the system in a manner in which recent history has demonstrated that the United States is becoming more and more unequal, with the bulk of its productivity and money accruing to a very small elite of people and corporations.
The Gini index which is an index that measures income inequality, in which the higher the number tabulated represents greater income inequality, tells us, as reported by americashealthrankings.org, that the United States Gini index is at .482, in which not a single nation in Europe is even at .400; and further we are told that just three people own more wealth in the United States, than the bottom 50% of its population, which is proof positive, that this country's progressive taxation system, as implemented, clearly does not effectively work as it should.
Additionally, as reported by povertyusa.org, "38.1 million people…" live in poverty, in this, the richest nation in the entire world. Further, as reported by cnn.com, "… nearly 2.2 million adults were held in America's prisons and jails at the end of 2016." When it comes to functional literacy, it is estimated, as reported by gentwenty.com, "… that 32 million American adults are functionally illiterate." Basically, whether it is health, education, housing, crime, or the overall quality of life, those that are impoverished in America, suffer from the lack of good quality in their life, whereas, those with money do not.
In point of fact, despite minimum wage laws, social security, and governmental programs involving welfare as well as social safety nets, there is a huge underclass of Americans that aren't making meaningful progress, and further that suffer unduly for essentially being birthed into an environment of little or low opportunity, and hopelessness. In preference to this country stepping up and bringing forth a great society for all, it instead has decided to treat those that essentially have nothing, as people to be oppressed and exploited, without end. So that, the end result is that this country willingly tolerates poverty, and would rather spend billions upon billions on war armaments and killing, then to actually deal constructively with the poverty and hopelessness within its own homeland -- that need not be occurring as part of this very wealthy nation.
For the elite, this is indeed the best of times, and for the middle class of America that carries so much of the weight of America's misadventures and missteps onto it shoulders, it isn't all that it could be, but it is tolerable; whereas, for all those that are discriminately cordoned into sectors of poverty, crime, disease, and defeat, America is a great lie; that does not represent life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness, but rather represents a new deal, taken away; a lamp that is unlit at its golden door, and a promissory note, forever unpaid.