The 1% Doth Protest Too Much

The 99% in the U.S. happen to be the ones that go to work everyday and actually do everything: design and engineer the products; manufacture, sell, distribute, repair and maintain the products; and provide all the services we rely on that make companies successful and grow, share valuation grow, and hence, shareholders wealthy. So when some CEOs (the 1%) earn more than 1,000 times the median salary of their employees, maybe the 1% shouldn’t be surprised when workers say respectfully, “What’s up with that?”

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Big Questions

The more unequal a society, the more upheaval.

Is it income inequality we are unhappy about? Or is it more about fairness, justice, and opportunity inequality when money tips the scale for the wealthy?

Is inequality in America irreversible?

Should the Federal Minimum Wage be increased to $15/hour?

• end all subminimum wages: One Fair Wage
• stop the harassment of service workers wearing masks

What happens when you give basic income to the poor?

• The War on Normal People by Andrew Yang
• city experiments: Should Californians Get Guaranteed Income?
• Our Future by Steven Shafarman

Should the mega-wealthy commit to reducing the destructive effects of economic inequality?

• the big picture: Unequal Scenes

Is eviction an epidemic in the U.S.?

• advocacy: Eviction Lab
• all-volunteer: Daily Bread Soup Kitchen: Interview with Miss Ellen sp
• help where it is needed: warm socks
• homeless shelter, food, clothes:
  • clothes: coat that converts to sleeping bag
  • Volunteers of America
• working poor:
  • Hillbilly Elegy Vance
  • Living in Bootstrap America Tirado

Why are so many Americans afraid/against socialism?

What is the lesser of evils?

• Socialism‘s potential to narrow our staggering worldwide economic inequality?
• Capitalism‘s potential to create jobs and lift people out of poverty? or,
• A Hybrid’s potential to balance and blend the best features of both economic systems?

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Big Picture

Big Picture / Human Society / Social Organization & Change / Poverty

Income inequality

• plutocracy: Is Inequality in America Irreversible? by Chuck Collins
• debt: I Don’t Want To Die Poor by Michael Arceneaux
• Economics for Inclusive Prosperity
• Tailspin by Brill
• Inequality Media
• Saving Capitalism by Reich
• Piketty:
  • Capital and Ideology
  • Capital in the Twenty First Century
• podcast: Pitchfork Economics by Nick Hanauer

One Percent

• change: 99 to 1 by Chuck Collins
• wealthy cut in line: The Velvet Rope Economy by Nelson Schwartz
• The Meritocracy Trap by Daniel Markovits
• The 1% (sp)
• I’m in the 1 Percent. Please, Raise My Taxes by Broad

Supreme Court

• Supreme Inequality by Adam Cohen