Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Separate and Unequal

Thomas B. Edsall reviews The Price of Inequality, a new book by Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz, who argues:

“Inequality leads to lower growth and less efficiency. Lack of opportunity means that its most valuable asset — its people — is not being fully used. Many at the bottom, or even in the middle, are not living up to their potential, because the rich, needing few public services and worried that a strong government might redistribute income, use their political influence to cut taxes and curtail government spending. This leads to underinvestment in infrastructure, education and technology, impeding the engines of growth."