Inequality had already been rising sharply since the late 1970s, accelerating through the 1990s under both parties. Measures like the Gini coefficient and top 1% income share show that by 2000, inequality was already close to modern levels. So 9/11 is not a meaningful turning point for distribution; the trend predates it by decades.

What matters is not the absolute size but sustainability—things like debt-to-GDP ratio, interest burden, and the country’s ability to service it. The U.S. borrows in its own currency, has deep capital markets, and maintains high global demand for Treasury bonds. That puts it in a very different position from countries that actually collapse under debt pressure.

Recent inflation spikes were largely driven by pandemic disruptions, supply chains, and monetary policy—not inequality per se. Inequality can contribute to social tension and long-term instability, but it doesn’t mechanically “tear apart” an economy in the short term.

High inequality or debt alone has never been sufficient to cause collapse in a large, diversified modern economy.

U.S. GDP per capita, productivity, and real consumption have continued to grow over time.