Monday, August 6, 2012

The Price of Inequality


That’s the title of a new book by Nobel laureate and professor of economics Joseph Stiglitz.  Professor Stiglitz teaches at Columbia, and is not considered a liberal.  His book, reviewed by Tomas B. Edsall in the Sunday New York Times, details how a money-driven political system rewards the wealthy and increases inequality.

Stiglitz tells us that the U.S. is becoming a nation “...in which the rich live in gated communities, send their children to expensive schools and have access to first-rate medical care.  Meanwhile, the rest live in a world marked by insecurity, at best mediocre education and in effect rationed health care.”  

He points out that inequality acts to undermine a robust capitalist economy.  It means the nation is not making the best use of all of its citizens.

The book is available from W. W. Norton & Co., and costs $27.95. 

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