How economic inequality harms societies

[dearmisterecho]

from TED.com

Best quote: "If Americans want the American dream, they should move to Denmark."

With the Occupy Movement going on I felt this really got to the heart of what all the protests are about.

Plus I love me a good TED talk.

Comments

[the_glow_worm]

Despite the fact that inequality is bad for the rich as well as the poor, I doubt any of the rich will care. I sincerely think that it's not the wealth they enjoy, it's the extreme disparity of wealth that they hold.

[wemblee]

I sincerely think that it's not the wealth they enjoy, it's the extreme disparity of wealth that they hold.

Yep. Wasn't there a post here about some experiment about economics and class and inequality that used school children? Where it distributed some resource to them, and the kids were happier when they knew someone was a rung below them even if they weren't on the top rung? Human nature is fuuuuucked uuuuup.

[dearmisterecho]

did they only use American school children? I would imagine if they did, it's not so much human nature as kids being raised in a society with that mindset :(

[wemblee]

I don't remember... I think I saw the article here in _p. I hope you're right, just because if it's cultural rather than a human nature thing, you can actually change it.

[roseofjuly]

I'm pretty sure it was done with American school children.

[angelus7988]

Is this the article you were thinking of?

http://ontd-political.livejournal.com/8588974.html#comments