income inequality and nobody cares
Quick, think of what you want from the country you live in.
Things rattle into your head, probably remarkably similar for left or right politics.
Environmental security, a large middle class, good inexpensive health care for all that need it, equal opportunity for all races and sexes, and a shiny donkey for every family.
One thing that does not pop into your head, safe to say is: a gini-coefficient under .35. And this is a problem.
Well, it's not really a problem. But it is a problem for Paul Krugman and anyone who likes to bang on-and-on about income inequality.
Herbert Gintis makes this point in his rather testy review of Krugman's latest (thank you, Marginal Revolution).
Ginits touches on something that has always bugged me. There's nothing directly bad about inequality itself. What I truly care about is poverty, and poverty as a result of denial of opportunity more than anything. I always get weirded out by dragging inequality into it. As if taking money away from rich people all on its own was going to do something about poverty and its attendent horrors and nuisances.
Personally, I think the Democratic party should concentrate on more immediate problems, such as Health care, (something else Professor Krugman cares about, at least). The only people who care about income inequality are economists and we don't think it's rational to vote, anyway.
Things rattle into your head, probably remarkably similar for left or right politics.
Environmental security, a large middle class, good inexpensive health care for all that need it, equal opportunity for all races and sexes, and a shiny donkey for every family.
One thing that does not pop into your head, safe to say is: a gini-coefficient under .35. And this is a problem.
Well, it's not really a problem. But it is a problem for Paul Krugman and anyone who likes to bang on-and-on about income inequality.
Herbert Gintis makes this point in his rather testy review of Krugman's latest (thank you, Marginal Revolution).
Ginits touches on something that has always bugged me. There's nothing directly bad about inequality itself. What I truly care about is poverty, and poverty as a result of denial of opportunity more than anything. I always get weirded out by dragging inequality into it. As if taking money away from rich people all on its own was going to do something about poverty and its attendent horrors and nuisances.
Personally, I think the Democratic party should concentrate on more immediate problems, such as Health care, (something else Professor Krugman cares about, at least). The only people who care about income inequality are economists and we don't think it's rational to vote, anyway.
posted by otis @ 10:25 PM
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