&gt; The problem you&#x27;re describing is poverty, not inequality.<p>Poverty and income inequality are more strongly linked than a lot of people seem to accept. In most economies, when the average income goes up, you also get increases in living costs. Poverty is struggling to pay housing costs, medical costs, food costs, utility costs, and so on, and all of these depend to one extent or another on changes in income in the rest of the population. If your income goes up by 3% over a decade, but living costs go up by 10%, there&#x27;s no use in saying &#x27;a rising tide lifts all boats&#x27;.