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"the problem with wealth inequality is wealth inequality" Just one nit - the problem with wealth inequality is that it perpetuates wealth inequality (and Piket

"the problem with wealth inequality is wealth inequality" Just one nit - the problem with wealth inequality is that it perpetuates wealth inequality (and Piketty has detailed evidence for that). We have had a lot of back and forth in multiple threads for this post. It is helping me clarify my thoughts, which for now can be summarized as: 1. Today, rich people have much better life than poor people. 2. Rich have higher chance of being rich tomorrow than poor folks. So that means they and their heirs have a higher chance of having a better life perpetually than ordinary folks and their heirs. 3. I don't begrudge better lifestyle for those who earned it (Gates, Zuck, Buffet...), but I do think its grossly unfair to enjoy better lifestyle just because you were born to rich parents (Walton heirs, Koch heirs, Paris Hilton...). 4. If you think capitalism has improved things so much that differences in wealth hardly matter (or such will be the case in future), kindly provide me evidence. I don't see it anywhere in my observations - eg. first class vs economy class experience in air travel, public schools vs private schools in the USA, job prospects for ivy league vs third tier univs, or even longevity[1] - rich people's life is better in almost all aspects (some of those aspects might frivolous but some are very meaningful). [1] : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/us/23health.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/us/23health.html?_r=0

joeclark77 13y ago
> differences in wealth hardly matter This is obvious from any comparison between the United States and any genuinely poor or developing country. In the United States, the "poor" own cars and televisions (with cable!), enjoy smartphone service, live in air-conditioned houses, and eat lavish meals. The standard of living they enjoy is fantastically better than the poor or even middle class in any developing nation. Not only that, but their standard of living is far superior to the standard of living of the "poor" in this country 10, 20, or 50 years ago. Economic growth has lifted all boats. What's more, no one in this nation has a valid justification for envy. If your neighbors are eating well while your children are starving, okay, be envious. It might be justified. That's not the case here. As Maggie Thatcher once responded to an accuser, "you would prefer that the poor be poorer, in order that the rich would be less rich". Greed and envy are not to be confused with justice, and should be rejected.
- judk 13y ago
  Perhaps if the wealthiest among us suffered more equally the pain of fighting wars and of medical care insecurity, they would invest more heavily in world peace and healthcare, and less on Angry Birds and luxury taxi services. This is why equality of quality of life matters -- to keep us focused on each others' wellbeing.
  - dllthomas 13y ago
    Disparity of wealth also erodes our democratic process, when money buys speech.
    - dllthomas 13y ago
      I'm confused about what people object to, about the parent comment.
  - joeclark77 13y ago
    We do have virtually equal quality of life in the US. A rich person can have ten cars, but he can't drive ten at the same time. It is a left-wing cliche that the burden of fighting wars falls upon the poor. In the real world we live in, the military is all volunteers and mostly middle-class, not from the poorest demographics. And pretty much everyone in the USA has access to state of the art care. You cannot buy your way to the top of an organ donor list or something. Certainly there is a difference between rich and poor, but you have not shown that it is an unjust difference or that it is harmful to the poor person.
judk 13y ago
Gates and Zuck were born rich, FYI.
midas007 13y ago
It's hard to get off the streets and back to "normalcy" (or dignity) if people pretend you don't exist. West is becoming more like semi-urban India as the vice-versa... flattening.

joeclark77 13y ago

> differences in wealth hardly matter This is obvious from any comparison between the United States and any genuinely poor or developing country. In the United States, the "poor" own cars and televisions (with cable!), enjoy smartphone service, live in air-conditioned houses, and eat lavish meals. The standard of living they enjoy is fantastically better than the poor or even middle class in any developing nation. Not only that, but their standard of living is far superior to the standard of living of the "poor" in this country 10, 20, or 50 years ago. Economic growth has lifted all boats. What's more, no one in this nation has a valid justification for envy. If your neighbors are eating well while your children are starving, okay, be envious. It might be justified. That's not the case here. As Maggie Thatcher once responded to an accuser, "you would prefer that the poor be poorer, in order that the rich would be less rich". Greed and envy are not to be confused with justice, and should be rejected.

judk 13y ago
Perhaps if the wealthiest among us suffered more equally the pain of fighting wars and of medical care insecurity, they would invest more heavily in world peace and healthcare, and less on Angry Birds and luxury taxi services. This is why equality of quality of life matters -- to keep us focused on each others' wellbeing.
- dllthomas 13y ago
  Disparity of wealth also erodes our democratic process, when money buys speech.
  - dllthomas 13y ago
    I'm confused about what people object to, about the parent comment.
- joeclark77 13y ago
  We do have virtually equal quality of life in the US. A rich person can have ten cars, but he can't drive ten at the same time. It is a left-wing cliche that the burden of fighting wars falls upon the poor. In the real world we live in, the military is all volunteers and mostly middle-class, not from the poorest demographics. And pretty much everyone in the USA has access to state of the art care. You cannot buy your way to the top of an organ donor list or something. Certainly there is a difference between rich and poor, but you have not shown that it is an unjust difference or that it is harmful to the poor person.

judk 13y ago

Gates and Zuck were born rich, FYI.

midas007 13y ago

It's hard to get off the streets and back to "normalcy" (or dignity) if people pretend you don't exist. West is becoming more like semi-urban India as the vice-versa... flattening.