Some Nigerians, including me, prior to my arrival in yankee, had this notion that class had little relevance in America. Nothing could be further from the truth. The gap between the rich and the poor is the widest in the USA, when you factor in the presence of the richest man on the planet ,  Bill Gates, worth over 50 billion dollars, and the less privileged person in the society, with no dollar to their name. Some Americans, in their desire to 'keep up with the Joneses' have lived beyond their means. Shopping is now a favorite pasttime in the society, with credit cards used to leverage payment accrued from the purchase of Gucci wears, Armani suits, Louis Vutton bags, fine dining, etc. Public schools, reviled for contributing to the social malaise in the country is now snubbed by even the middle class, with private catholic schools as an alternative.

Bragging rights on one's social status at a party is now common place in the society. Believe me, I have witnessed that at a party out here. Class divisions, among the ethnic groups and the lack of diversity in shopping arenas in certain neighborhoods has probably given concern that MLK's dream of equality is yet to be achieved in the society. But do we have a say?

Same concept applies in Nigeria. In lieu of credit card payments, Oga and Madam would willingly embark on belt tightening measures to save money, to purchase the latest lace for a party in Lagos. Those brave enough to save enough money from their self-imposed hunger strike, may be the first to line up to spray money at an Owambe party. Those hightly placed in prominent positions erroneously believe that it is God's given mandate for them to strike the gold mine. As such, accountability of public funds isnt that of a priority because an elephant project, embarked by a previous administration had gulped a large share of public funds. In the same vein, these public funds are directly routed to private accounts, stashed in foreign countries and earning interest, to quench their penchant for material goods. Included on their priority lists are the building of mansions, hidden from public view, world travels, parties, cars, designer wears.

With the two aforementioned instances that I have mentioned in America and Nigeria, and for some of us, fortunate to live on both sides of the continent, which citizens do you think are more materialistic? Americans usually were subtle with their spendings, unlike us. Or perhaps, the difference was not conspicuous, because the average American wore the same cloth from j.c.penny, or dined out at the same restaurant. Not anymore, the differences have become wider and more noticeable.

Is this about materialism or about corruption? Because those are two different topics. Pick just one!

They are interrelated. Corruption is not that common (it happens though) in the USA. But credit cards and corruption have been linked. Back home, corrupt officials in public offices would use public money to statisfy their avarice. In America, credit cards come in handy for personal shopping, just for the 'fun of it'. In Nigeria, if you are middle class, you would perhaps think twice, before going out shopping, in America, you are liberty to do so, because of credit cards.

@ seun. their materialistic nature probably drives them to corruption.

Just as the materialistic nature in lives of some Americans drives them to use credit cards for shopping. A quick search on google would reveal the staggering amount of money owed to credit card companies by Americans. Some of its uses are genuine though.