How Inequality Hurts

This category contains 73 posts

Madison Ave. Declares ‘Mass Affluence’ Over

The American middle class, concludes a new study from the ad industry’s top trade journal, has essentially become irrelevant. In a deeply unequal America, if you don’t make $200,000, you don’t matter.

How Did We Ever Get Higher Ed Backwards?

Back in the mid 20th century, colleges and universities helped America beat down economic inequality. Now they reinforce it.

Our Chronic Cronyism — and Corruption

America’s top bankers and CEOs don’t have any more talent than millions of other Americans. They do have, two timely new data dumps remind us, plenty of generous friends in pivotal places. Read more . . .

The Hazards in Our Fairytale Marketplace

A consumer alert for soccer moms and doting granddads: Outrageous compensation rewards give corporate executives an incentive to behave outrageously — at your expense! The story behind the sad demise of a beloved camera.

A Ghost from a Ghastly Public Policy Past

House budget-cutters are taking their inspiration from the greatest giveaway — to the rich — artist the nation’s capital has ever known.

A Game-Day ‘Program’ for the NFL Lockout

To have any shot at comprehending the unfolding pro football lockout story, we need to first understand the mindset — and the mega millions — of our contemporary sports world’s ever-grasping owners. A review of Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love by Dave Zirin.

A Do-It-Yourself Kit for Probing Plutocracy

The rich, many Americans have come to believe, rule. But how? The current hubbub over the federal budget deficit opens a welcome window to understanding just how our rich keep riding so high.

Another Reason for the Right to Hate Science

Conservatives expected human genome research to help prove that nature, not unequal social orders, determines who ends up sick and poor. But our genes have refused to cooperate.

Boom Times for Parchment Profiteers

The tax dollars we spend on higher ed ought to have one purpose and one purpose alone: to educate students. So why do we let these tax dollars mint mega millionaires?

Should Vanity Candidacies Have Us Worried?

A new study says super-rich candidates who personally bankroll their own campaigns almost always lose. But that, unfortunately, doesn’t make the rest of us winners.

ZEITGEIST NOLA