Hello everyone,
Many apologies for my delay in getting this up and beginning our conversations. I've been down with the flu and then there was some snow and wind ..............hope everyone has been able to stay warm. Waiting to see all your introductions
I thought it might be fun to start with a conversation prompted by a video piece on income inequality. I'm a big fan of John Oliver who has a new HBO show that discusses interesting contemporary issues with a measure of humor, irreverence, and some profanity. This 14 minute clip is on income inequality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfgSEwjAeno&noredirect=1
Here are some issues this raised for me; what does Obama suggest that American stands for here? Why is it so toxic to discuss income inequality? Oliver argues that it is very peculiar that in a democracy, policy makers have been so very successful in passing legislation that disproportionately benefits the wealthy. what is his explanation for this and what do you think of this idea? How do we make sense of the poll where Americans recognize incredible inequality in wealth but also believe that people can get ahead (mobility) if they just work hard enough.
feel free to weigh in on any or all of these.
