Doug Lowe, outdated lighting consultant, lives in Concord.

Ten years ago, in a monograph, I expressed my worries concerning wealth distribution in the U.S. My basic concern was that a concentration of wealth was threatening the survival of American democracy. It did not receive much attention.

Shortly after, I found a convenient metaphor that I hoped would better communicate my concerns. That vehicle was an interpretation of the U.S. Civil War in the 1860s. It was apparent to me that the shooting phase of the Civil War was merely an interruption. The damaging process had begun at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

In his recent book “Minority Rule,” Ari Berman points out that the representatives from the South were persistent in defending slavery. Their demands forced participants from the North to accept conditions that eventually led to the armed conflict.

The nation then proceeded to prosper and experienced economic growth that was unprecedented in all of history. However, the South retained its practice of white supremacy through organizations such as the KKK and Jim Crow laws (in effect, continuing the war). I suggest that the goal was to orchestrate an eventual takeover.

President Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act was significant. At that time, Johnson said, “I have just given the South to the Republican Party.” That “gift” proved to be dramatic. It allowed the start of a long, slow process. The Southern forces initiated a patient, highly skilled, and persistent campaign. Using clever techniques, they were able to infuse the Southern value system into the Republican Party. That value system can be described as embracing white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and the concentration of wealth. It predicts an oligarchic form of government.

Yale professor Robert Shiller, speaking to a class he conducted, said, “Nobody needs a billion dollars.” Today, we have over 600 billionaires in the U.S. What has driven this accumulation of wealth? I feel that the underlying motivation can be labeled greed. Just as the pernicious impact of rust has constantly threatened steel, greed has continuously threatened mankind. Although history demonstrates many attempts to monitor and control greed, the ultimate answer has not been found.

A massive transfer of wealth in the U.S. has been accomplished primarily through tax policy. That wealth has been concentrated in the hands of the few. Rather than the 80/20 wealth ratio proposed by Noble Laureate in Economics Vilfredo Pareto, we have moved beyond what he deemed appropriate. We now have more than 90% of the wealth in the hands of less than 10% of the population. In a sense, the lower and middle classes have been deprived of billions of dollars. Is it not fair to say that this loss of purchasing power has been at the core of the anguish plaguing the nation?

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I suspect there have always been concerns about this nature of man. The ancients typically developed a panoply of “gods” to identify and portray various behavioral characteristics. In more modern times, formerly organized religions have attempted (with varying degrees of success) to instruct and guide us in habits, beliefs, and customs that will allow us to lead meaningful lives.

I believe that the government was created to serve the needs of the people, all the people. I also see a certain irony: many of the citizens who supported the election of the incoming administration will suffer the most.