h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Finally got round to reading "The Spirit Level: Why more equal societies almost always do better" by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett.

It's not the most thrilling or exciting read, but the arguments are certainly compelling. Time and again the statistics show that inequality is at the root of much of society's problems, and while the arguments for causation (rather that correlation) between inequality and various social problems is inevitably a little weaker, to quote a phrase often used by the authors "it cannot be coincidence"...

I've had to adjust my thinking based on it... I used to rather dismissive of 'broken Britain' arguments and claims that society is worse now than it used to be. But now I think I might have to concede that in some ways, it is "broken" and has the potential to become more "broken" if inequality is allowed to increase. But the answer isn't Tory 'one nation' style back to basics/Victorian values, it's in decreasing inequality, so that everyone benefits. Everyone. Not just the poor. Everyone.

To misquote a phrase... "It's inequality, stupid". It seems to be at the root of pretty much everything.

Good isn't it.

THere has been a massive furore about it of late, big attacks from some academics. But mostly from Right wing pressure groups like the Tax Payers Allaince.

Apparently it is more down to racial differences than income inequality ...

FB

I feel like it's joined up quite a few things for me. And it all makes sense.... and I know it's a macro-level book, but a lot of things at micro level start making a lot more sense. I like to think that I'm not particularly materialistic or consumerist, or obsessed with status, but the reality is that what seems to annoy me and stress me most are things that are - at root - challenges, threats, or attacks on my status or my value.

And I'm alarmed by how many people I can think of who seem to fit the narcissist personality template.....

Sounds like an interesting book. Do they talk about solutions and who's responsible for what?

The solution is just to reduce inequality and everything else follows from that. They've got no set position on whether that's done through redistributive taxation and a big state (as in Scandinavia) or just a more equal distribution of salaries in the first place and a smaller state, as in the case of Japan.