In the article "Wealth and Poverty," author Richard E. Johnson brought into fore the issue of social inequality in relation to the decline in morals among people. He specifically delved on the fact that the escalation of socioeconomic inequality-that is, the widening gap between the haves and have nots-is a manifestation of how society has become not only self-centered, but also highly materialistic and possessive, bordering on greediness. .

             This argument and belief was the result of Johnson's observation of social dynamics nowadays. People are now focused on "the sins of materialism, consumerism, worldly vanity or pride, and socioeconomic inequality," characteristics that are actually effects of people's continuous need to acquire material wealth. Motivated to become economically prosperous through materialism, contemporary society has forgotten to take into consideration individuals and groups who may be experiencing less affluence, and in fact, scarcity in life. While one individual thinks of spending thousands of dollars on a luxury item alone, another individual may be facing the problem of not being able to look for food or resourced to survive the day. .

             For Johnson, these kinds of realities are immoral, since it mirrors utter disregard for other people, when in fact, people should be practicing 'community responsibility' as part of the individual's personal responsibility. The author warned that if individualistic materialism will not cease, there will come a point in human society where the have nots will protest, and it is possible that the affluent may find themselves in danger and under threat by the have nots. A revolution among have nots is plausible, since, as Johnson had rationalized in the article, 'they have nothing to lose, after all.'.