Osher 2021 Session One: Economic Inequality Realities



 rick 302-529-0534


Session One: Economic Inequality: Realities

Agenda preview

Participant Introductions

Zoom rap

Music: Bruce Springsteen, “How Can a Poor Man Live Like This? Link to Music

Essential questions:
• What is economic inequality? Income Inequality? Wealth inequality?
• What are the societal impacts of economic inequality? 


Gathering: “A Vision/preferred state that I have for the US economy  in 2030  is......"

Rick’s Rap
• course assumptions
• course overview
• angle exercise: (zoom whiteboard)
• homework for Session  #2  Link to rick's blog


Video: Richard Wilkinson, “How economic inequality harms societies,” Ted Talk, 2011 https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson
      •  Debrief in Breakout rooms

            
Closing: Something that I learned in this session was….

Readings: 
• Jeffery Sachs, “Why America must revive its middle –class,” Time, 10/10/11
• Angus Deaton, “It’s not just unfair: inequality is a threat to our governance,” book review, Ganesh Sitaraman,  “ The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution, Why Economic In equality Threatens our Republic,” New York Times, March 20, 2017 
• Nicholas Kristof, "We're #28! And Dropping!" NY Times, 9/9/20  link to article
• David Leonhart, "A Billionaires World." NYTimes, 4/25/22 Link to article

Resources:
Video: Jacob Hecker & Paul Pierson, “Engineered Inequality,”  Moyers and Company, March 1, 2012 http://billmoyers.com/segment/jacob-hacker-paul-pierson-on-engineered-inequality/

Well the doctor comes ‘round here with his face all bright
And he says “in a little while you’ll be alright”
All he gives is a humbug pill, a dose of dope and a great big bill
Tell me how can a poor man stand such times as these


                        Blind Alfred Reed, 1929, Bruce Springsteen/The Seeger Sessions Band

1 comment:

  1. As I was reading the transcript of the Moyers video, I was thinking about how the Citizens United ruling would actually make the situation worse, giving more power to the top 1% to control who is elected. I wonder what the authors would say today about this.

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