I was looking up this article I read at the beginning of the year that talked a lot about economic disparity. I thought it might be interesting considering what we were talking about in class. The story covered a man named Thomas Piketty who wrote the book "Capital in The Twenty-First Century". I kind of had a hard time reading some of it, but this is a philosophy class so everyone is probably used to that. Just to give you an Idea of what's in this article.
"...the income from wealth usually grows faster than wages. As returns from capital are reinvested, inherited wealth will grow faster than the economy, concentrating more and more into the hands of few...
During the Gilded Age — a period of enormous concentration of income and wealth — the stock of the world’s privately held capital amounted to some five years’ worth of global income, by Professor Piketty’s estimate. By 1950, it had fallen to below three, but by 2010, it was back at four. And by the end of this century, Mr. Piketty projects, it will amount to almost seven.
Is there a politically feasible antidote? Professor Piketty notes that the standard recipe — education for all — is no match against the powerful forces driving inherited wealth ever higher." - Porter 18,21, 26
So like we learned in class having money makes more money. If I'm interpreting this correctly it makes more money than actually having a job and working for it. Not only that, it is concentrating in the hands of a few, who by the end of this year (2014) will have made more than you could in seven years. The worse part is getting a better education probably won't change your situation. That's something to think about. If all of this is true, then just how far do you think we are from a revolution?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/business/economy/a-relentless-rise-in-unequal-wealth.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A12%22%7D
I think a revolution is inevitable, but it will come later rather than sooner. However, until we reach the tipping point, everything will remain the same. As long as people are fed and entertained, then they will not consider any type of resistance. The closest I think we have been were the Occupy protests.
ReplyDeleteI think a revolution of soon kind is not that far away. As the people of the United States get smarter they are starting to realize many of the problems in our government, plus the ideas on which our culture was built on is starting to crumble, so pretty soon I think we will end up like the Roman empire.
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