In 1903 I wrote that the problem of the twentieth century was the color line; here in the twenty-first, it might well be the wealth line dividing rich and poor. Miss Eilish’s outburst, crude as it is, arises from a deep well of social frustration. One cannot amass unimaginable riches in a world of want and expect no criticism: by what right does one man hold so much while others have so little? Her language was impolite, but inequality is far uglier; I cannot fault her for demanding the powerful do more for those in need. History shows progress often begins with uncomfortable truths spoken aloud.