Throughout this election season I've seen a lot of snark from the McCain campaign, but very little substance on solving the economic woes of this country. In general, the conservative mantra harps on things like "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" through the wonders of trickle-down economics. You're poor? Then it's your fault, do something about it!
I try to think of ways to combat this ideology, to make people realize that equality in society is a good thing. It disappoints me to see people of modest means attack those less fortunate than them, rather than strive for a society that would place everyone on more even footing.
I'm sure that there are others out there that feel the same way as me. That's why I wanted to share this great article on the causes and consequences of an unequal society...
Here is a small sample from this article:
Ezzati’s results are one example. There is also evidence that living in a society with wide disparities—in health, in wealth, in education—is worse for all the society’s members, even the well off. Life-expectancy statistics hint at this. People at the top of the U.S. income spectrum "live a very long time," says Cabot professor of public policy and epidemiology Lisa Berkman, "but people at the top in some other countries live a lot longer."
I find this to be a great bit of ammunition in arguments with the "trickle-down" folks. Everyone suffers in an unequal society, even those at the top.
Here is a link to the full article, entitled Unequal America. There are tons of issues addressed in this rather long article, but the author also takes time to compare the United States with other countries (mainly European nations). For example, Americans work an average of 200 more hours a year than the British and 400 more hours per year than the Swedes. Why is that? One theory is the individualism present in American society. Basically deep down you know it's an unequal society, and you really need to bust your butt to get ahead. This also goes back to a quality of life issue - you're now working rather than relaxing or spending time with loved ones. What's going to happen to your health because of the stress and exhaustion?
We're at a dangerous place in our country right now as the United States has not seen this kind of inequality since the Gilded Age. It's more important than ever to make people realize that inequality has no benefits - not for the poor, the middle class, or the wealthy. I hope to use this article to change at least a few minds on this subject!
On a side note, I would just like to say that this is my first diary. I've been a long-time reader/fan of this site, but just recently registered. I honestly had no interest in writing a diary, but when I heard about this article I just had to share!