Inequality

Why Those Praising Income Inequality Are Wrong

Timothy Noah | Posted 05.29.2012

Read More: Wealth Inequality, Bain Capital, Income Inequality, Mitt Romney, Timothy Noah, Edward Conard, Economic Inequality, Inequality, Books News
Timothy Noah

Edward Conard has gotten a lot of press lately for writing a book that praises income inequality. Indeed, it is hard to ignore the hasty and ill-informed arguments he makes.

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My Lesson From College: Hard Work and Privilege Aren't Mutually Exclusive

Josh A. Goodman | Posted 05.23.2012

Read More: Graduation, One Percent, Fast Food Nation, Commencement, College, Inequality, White Privilege, College News
Josh A. Goodman

I feel a responsibility to use my privilege to address privilege. This comes through my awareness of privilege and prejudices, and my efforts to critically address my own prejudices and call others out on theirs, too.

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Looking Over the Cliff

Jared Bernstein | Posted 05.23.2012

Read More: Taxes, Unemployment, Income Inequality, Cbo Report, Economy, Fiscal Crisis, Economic Growth, Inequality, Fiscal Policy, Fiscal Responsibility, Politics News
Jared Bernstein

Let's talk about the fiscal cliff -- you know, the one everyone's all wound up about? Well, the Congressional Budget Office just released their analysis of its potential impact on the economy and it ain't pretty. Add up all the stuff that's scheduled to turn into fiscal pumpkins at midnight on December 31, and you could get a serious impact on the economy. Unemployment would reverse course and start rising if that fiscal scenario remained in place -- but that's a big, important "if." All of the estimates assume we go off the cliff and don't climb back. But if, as Gail Collins imagines it, there's a bungee jump instead of a cliff dive, we can avoid the worst of this. One hopes that Congress can hammer the kind of compromise that has eluded them thus far -- the one that adds tax revenues to any agreement -- before the end of the year, or early next.

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The Audacity of WTF

Marty Kaplan | Posted 05.22.2012

Read More: Wealth Inequality, Economic Inequality, Income Inequality, Inequality, Politics News
Marty Kaplan

We may be on the way to the triumph of money, power and fundamentalism -- a development that should seem shocking, yet instead has become the new normal. We have outrage fatigue. Fury has slid into a persistent low-grade fever, a "what fresh hell is this?" jadedness.

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Progressives Do NOT Hate Wealth -- a #PPSA

Sally Kohn | Posted 05.18.2012

Read More: Humor, Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Economy, Jobs, Facebook IPO, Big Banks, Wall St, Income, Ows, Shareholder Protests, Politics, Video, Wealth, Eduardo Saverin, Tarp, Occupy Wall St, Inequality, Economic Justice, Politics News
Sally Kohn

In the first in a series of POLITICAL Public Service Announcements (#PPSA), I take on the conservative myth that liberals hate wealth and success. Not...

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Facebook IPO: The Rich Get Even Richer and More Powerful

David Callahan | Posted 05.18.2012

Read More: Eduardo Saverin, Facebook Tax Avoidance, Tax Avoidance, Facebook IPO, Mark Zuckerberg, Stock Option Loophole, Facebook, Inequality, Mark Zuckerberg Facebook, Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, Business News
David Callahan

Facebook has transformed how people interact with each other and demonstrated yet again the dominance of American ingenuity. Yet its success also dramatically illustrates problems with the U.S. economy. Six troubling features of the Facebook IPO stand out.

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50 Percent of the 99 Percent

Laura Carlsen | Posted 05.16.2012

Read More: Women's Rights, Women, Income Inequality, Occupy Movement, Inequality, Lolita Chavez Ixcaquic, Srilatha Batliwala, World News
Laura Carlsen

Where are women in the global economic crisis?

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Poverty and Unemployment: The Unfinished Business of the Obama Administration

David Coates | Posted 05.11.2012

Read More: Unemployment, Poverty, New Deal, Wages, Stimulus, Job Creation, War on Poverty, Inequality, Austerity, Politics News
David Coates

Back in the 1930s, it took FDR two goes to get his New Deal up and running. It is time for the Obama Administration to take heart from that, and have a second go itself.

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Income Inequality Literally Kills

The Huffington Post | Bonnie Kavoussi | Posted 05.09.2012

Read More: Deaths Inequality, Video, Inequality Deaths, Income Inequality, u.s. Deaths Income Inequality, Deaths u.s. Income Inequality, U.S. Income Inequality Deaths, Deaths Income Inequality, U.S. Income Inequality, Income Inequality Deaths u.s., Deaths Income Inequality u.s., Inequality, Business News

The pain of inequity appears to have a tangible effect on a country's health. That's because rising income inequality has caused some people to di...

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Romney's Big Lie

Robert L. Borosage | Posted 04.25.2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, 1%, Inequality, New Hampshire Primary, Pennsylvania Primary, Income Inequality, 2012 Election, Mitt Romney 2012, Middle Class, Elections 2012, Politics News
Robert L. Borosage

Mitt Romney opened the general election campaign last night in Manchester, New Hampshire, using his acceptance speech to unleash a fierce attack on Barack Obama's "false promises and failed leadership." He said little about his own policies, preferring to contrast his free enterprise vision with what he called Obama's government-centered vision. After the absurd charge that under Obama, we will have "effectively ceased to be a free enterprise economy," Romney made his defense of privilege: "Those who promise to spread the wealth around only ever succeed in spreading poverty." What world is he living in?

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What Money Can't Buy: The Skyboxification of American Life

Michael Sandel | Posted 04.20.2012

Read More: Greed, Michael Sandel, Markets, Income Inequality, Commerce, American Greed, Commercialism, Consumption, Inequality, Politics News
Michael Sandel

At a time of rising inequality, the marketization of everything means that people of affluence and people of modest means lead increasingly separate lives. You might call it the skyboxification of American life. It's not good for democracy, nor is it a satisfying way to live.

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The Equality of Inequity

Daniel P. Malito | Posted 04.20.2012

Read More: Welfare, Wealth Inequality, Social Security, Inequality, Politics News
Daniel P. Malito

What we need to do is to stop telling everyone they are equal, and instead tell everyone that while every single citizen is as important as the next, there will always be inequalities in a consumer-driven society such as ours.

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Draft Hillary for 2016 Bid

Brent Budowsky | Posted 04.19.2012

Read More: Crony Capitalism, Reform, Bruce Springsteen, Working Class, 2016 Election, 2012 Election, Heartland America, Protest, Robert Kennedy, Arab Spring, Populist Century, Israeli Protests, Populist Movement, Equal Pay, Female Century, Protest Music, Barack Obama, Syrian Freedom Fighters, Inequality, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2016, Politics News
Brent Budowsky

Re-elect Barack Obama in 2012 and draft Hillary Clinton for 2016 to achieve an era of reform and realignment that will powerfully change history.

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A Debate on Inequality, Opportunity, and Politics

Jared Bernstein | Posted 04.13.2012

Read More: U.S. Economy, Wealth Inequality, Economic Inequality, Income Inequality, Economy, Inequality, Economic Crisis, Business News
Jared Bernstein

Had a rousing debate on inequality last night with Scott Winship from Brookings, moderated by Reihan Salam, both of whom lean conservative, and both of whom brought generally interesting and provocative views to the discussion.

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Trayvon Martin's Death Must Spur Racial Healing to Break Down Historic Barriers

Dr. Gail Christopher | Posted 04.12.2012

Read More: Racial Inequality, Bv-Politics, Inequality, Trayvon Martin, Black Voices News
Dr. Gail Christopher

Public discourse is focused on allegations of bias regarding the initial police investigation of the Trayvon Martin case and Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law, but the emphasis should be on the level of racial resentment that existed.

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The Republican Path to National Failure

Hoyt Hilsman | Posted 04.12.2012

Read More: Super Pac, Social Security, Global Economy, Wealthy, Middle Class, Presidential Election, Romney, Mitt Romney, Immigration, Obama, Rich, Citizens United, Tax Reform, Democrats, Santorum, Barack Obama, Gingrich, Education, Tax Cuts, Financial Crisis, Poor, Medicare, Republicans, Health Care, Income Inequality, Inequality, Campaign Contributions, Wealth Inequality, Politics News
Hoyt Hilsman

From immigration to health care and education reform, the Republicans are arguing for restricting access not only to the poor, but chiefly to the middle class. At the same time, they are arguing for a greater concentration of wealth among the elites.

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Chris Christie: The Heartless, Smug, Bullying Embodiment of Today's Republican Party

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 04.12.2012

Read More: Gop, Chris Christie, George W. Bush, Unemployment Figures, Jobs, Inequality, Wealth Disparity, Politics News
Richard (RJ) Eskow

Chris Christie isn't the Republican Party's "bad boy." He's its Id. He expresses the emotions they all feel but which most of them are too judicious to say out loud. That's clear by the way the party has embraced him.

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Reducing Income Inequality Is the Key to Economic Growth -- Time to Pass the Buffett Rule

Robert Creamer | Posted 04.10.2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Buffett Rule, Economic Inequality, Obama Buffett Rule, Tax Fairness, Dilma Rousseff Barack Obama, Buffett Rule Vote, Warren Buffet, Brazil, Wealth Disparity, Elections 2012, Brazil Economy, Tax Reform, Inequality, Business News
Robert Creamer

We must mobilize Americans to reject economic inequality -- to vote for a society where we all stand together, where we have each other's backs -- and where we return the goal of reducing inequality to center stage where it belongs.

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In America, A Rising Tide Lifts Only Some Boats

The Huffington Post | Alexander Eichler | Posted 04.10.2012

Read More: 1 Percent, Income Gap, U.S. Economy, Poverty, Consumer Debt, Income Inequality, Spending Inequality, Consumer Spending, Wealth Gap, Consumption Inequality, Video, Great Recession, Spending, Inequality, Business News

It doesn't just seem like America is dividing into two nations -- one where luxury spending is going strong, the other where more and more people can'...

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America's Public Schools: Still Unequal And Unjust

Marian Wright Edelman | Posted 04.08.2012

Read More: Public Schools, Resources, Latino, Low-Minority, Arne Duncan, Expulsion Rate, Teacher Salaries, Funding, High-Minority, Teacher Salary, Out-of-School Suspensions, African American, Civil Rights, Low-Performing Schools, Grade Retention, Racism, Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection Survey, Discrimination, Black, Dropout, Public Education, African-Americans, African Americans, Tracking, The Great Equalizer, Department of Education, Zero Tolerance, Office for Civil Rights, Ineffective Teachers, Education, Secretary of Education, Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Teachers, Inequality, Home News
Marian Wright Edelman

The struggle to make sure a quality education is available to every child -- and not just a privilege for a few -- is the unfinished and critical business before the nation for it will determine America's future place on the global stage in a rapidly changing competitive world.

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Grab the Land

Josh Tetrick | Posted 04.03.2012

Read More: Foreign Aid, Poverty, Disease, Water, Africa, Genocide, Land, Impact, Development, Inequity, Inequality, Culture, Impact News
Josh Tetrick

For millions of indigenous villagers and pastoralists it means forced relocation, loss of livelihoods, and a death blow to their ancient cultures. Ethiopia is a sad example of the worst of these outcomes.

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Beltway Influencers Still Mad Men

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 03.29.2012

Read More: Women, Gender Gap, Income Gap, Pay, Male, Women CEOs, Salary, Men, Paycheck, Female, Inequality, Income, Money News

If the worst-kept secret on Capitol Hill is that top lobbying groups actually control the show, then the best-kept secret is that the whizzes behind t...

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The 1% Strike Back

Robert L. Borosage | Posted 05.29.2012

Read More: Inequality, Pay for Performance, CEO Pay, Worker Rights, Worker Empowerment, Wealth Inequality, Executive Pay, Recession, Occupy Movement, Business News
Robert L. Borosage

The Great Recession exposed deep systemic weaknesses in our economy. The test is not whether we can reflate another bubble, but whether we can build a new foundation for sustained growth and shared prosperity.

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Admissions Policies That Embrace All Children

Donna Nevel | Posted 05.27.2012

Read More: Parent Organizing, Controlled Choice, Education, Access, Equity, Segregation, Inequality, Education News
Donna Nevel

Dismantling what is, in effect, a two-tiered, inequitable education system requires (among other things) opening up access to our public schools so that they truly serve all children.

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Bringing Florida to Justice, Not Just George Zimmerman

Michael Shank | Posted 05.25.2012

Read More: Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, Florida, Institute for Economics and Peace, Louisiana, Violent Crime, Trayvon Martin, Inequality, US Peace Index, George Zimmerman, Nevada, Michael Shank, Incarceration, Racism, Policing, Homicide, George Mason University, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Tennessee, Crime News
Michael Shank

A bigger question that must also be asked is "Who is Florida?" We could ask a question about the direction America is headed on race and violence but let's stick to Florida for a moment.

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