Inequality

( Yes! Magazine) – Economic power is—and always has been—the foundation of political power. Those who control the peoples’ means of living rule. In a democracy, however, each person must have a voice in the control and management of the means of their living. That requires more than a vote expressing a preference for which […]

Climate Crisis

Democracy and the Green New Deal Demand higher Taxes on Rich

Sam Pizzigati

( Inequality.org ) – Innovative proposals like tying income tax rates for America’s riches to the minimum wage for America’s poorest could help high tax rates survive over the long haul. Jan Schakowsky doesn’t need to apologize for anything. This veteran member of Congress from Illinois has a record second to none on issues that […]

Featured

Why Martin Luther King, Jr., would Support Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Juan Cole

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, at 29, has become a lightning rod. She was recruited to run against a corporate Democrat by activists of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which has become a significant caucus within the Democratic Party. Her advocacy of a higher marginal tax rate (no, she […]

Inequality

World’s 26 Richest Own Same as Poorest Half of Humanity: Oxfam

AFP

Davos, Switzerland (AFP) – The world’s 26 richest people own the same wealth as the poorest half of humanity, Oxfam said Monday, urging governments to hike taxes on the wealthy to fight soaring inequality. A new report from the charity, published ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, also found that billionaires around the […]

Employment

80% of Workers live Paycheck to Paycheck, and Federal ones are no Different

Chuck Collins

(Otherwords.org) – Unemployment is low, but federal employees are lining up at food banks. They aren’t alone. As the government shutdown drags on, the image of federal workers lining up at food pantries has dramatized just how many workers live financially close to the edge. By one estimate, almost 80 percent of U.S. workers live […]

Inequality

Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Right that Tax Justice is Key to our Democratic Prospect?

John Buell

There is surprisingly widespread support for higher taxes on the rich. Americans have typically felt that one should keep what one earns. Many are also convinced that they will one day become rich, hence the popularity of lotteries, which reflect and help sustain that belief. Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic Policy and […]

Inequality

How Corporate Monopolies and High Prices are Making you Poor and Rich Richer

Sam Pizzigati

(Inequality.org) – Andrew Leigh, a member of the Australian parliament, has a side gig. He just happens to be a working economist. Other lawmakers may spend their spare hours making cold calls for campaign cash. Leigh spends his doing research — on why our modern economies are leaving their populations ever more unequal. Leigh’s latest […]

Banking

Wall Street, Inequality and the Anger of the People

Nomi Prins

( Tomdispatch.com ) – As we head into 2019, leaving the chaos of this year behind, a major question remains unanswered when it comes to the state of Main Street, not just here but across the planet. If the global economy really is booming, as many politicians claim, why are leaders and their parties around […]

Inequality

What Does Inequality Cost the Average American? About $150,000

Sam Pizzigati

(Otherwords.org) – Belgian waffles. Belgian beers. Americans love ’em. But what Americans really need from Belgium has nothing to do with beer or breakfast treats. We need Belgium’s much more egalitarian distribution of wealth. The English philosopher Francis Bacon once long ago compared wealth to manure. Both only do good, Bacon quipped, if you spread […]