Interesting conversation you had with Maureen, Frank. Any chance you've heard back from her?
Well, somebody had to talk back to the old bezom.
It really was a very bad article. I agree with Bush about a lot of things and I still could have done a better job of pillorying him.
I gather from your comments that our perceptions of inequalities in American society are different, that the sense of urgency about addressing the fact they've been growing during the last 25 to 30 years is different, and our perceptions of the proper means to address them also differs.
The "inequalities," as you call them, that US, Canada and EU have found growing to various degrees the last 25 -30 years I believe are mostly the result of misguided social and financial policies. I believe these policies are promoted by those who want to do good and help people.
I believe these policies are further made damaging by various local interests who lobby for and get modifications which protect local interests, whatever they are.
Generally, defective policies from the "left" are too accommodating of passivity and those of the "right" are too punitive of minor transgression.
This is mostly OT to FADG. However, one example of do good policy which is relevant to discussion here is the that of certain European countries putting entering immigrants on welfare right away. This caters to existing poor attitudes in both the receiving and immigrant populations. France and its muslim population is an example and both are paying a terrible price. Dennis O'Bell has posted about this from time to time.
The growing "inequalities" are not unique to the US and all find their source in similar fiscal, monetary and social policies.
I put "inequalities" in quotation marks because it's too circumscribed. In my view it's not descriptive enough.
This much is clear to me. The problem is not 'class' as Dowd uses the word. Lack of opportunity, poor educational access, racism, are not problems of class but are symptoms of policies that don't work as intended. The great emotional or ideological commitment many have to these policies doesn't change their ineffectiveness and doesn't allow space for contemplation of alternatives. |
