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Donald Trump and Angela Merkel will join 2,500 world leaders, business executives and charity bosses at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland which kicks off on 23 January. High on the agenda once again will be the topic of inequality, and how to reduce the widening gap between the rich and the rest around the world.
The WEF recently warned that the global economy is at risk of another crisis, and that automation and digitalisation are likely to suppress employment and wages for most while boosting wealth at the very top.
But what ideas should the great and good gathered in the Swiss Alps be putting into action? We'd like to know what single step you think governments should prioritise in order to best address the problem of rising inequality. Below we've outlined seven proposals that are most often championed as necessary to tackle the issue – but which of them is most important to you?
- Provide free and high quality education
- Raise the minimum wage
- Raise taxes on the rich
- Fight corruption
- Provide more social protection for the poor
- Stop the influence of the rich on politicians
- Provide jobs for the unemployed
Do you think these ideas are enough, or are there any better ideas to close this wealth gap ? You too can participate and vote for the idea that, you think, works best.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by theluggage on Sunday January 21 2018, @01:23AM (1 child)
OK, so instead of a single small room in Iowa in 1910, imagine they're in 2 or 3 reasonably-sized rooms in a housing block somewhere in a rust belt. Where the flying fuck do they plant the potatoes? There's only one crop that is high-value, low-volume enough to be profitably grown in those conditions (if they nick the electricity for the glow lights) and its still frowned upon in many jurisdictions (although it should restore your faith in humanity a bit to know that some people do still make the effort). Apart from that, do you think there's enough non-concreted-over ground for the 200 inhabitants of the block to grow their own food (and graze 20 mules?) and if there was, do you think they'd be allowed to?
I mean, you're quite right that people in the past were more physically resilient - but in other ways, I think opportunities for "social mobility" and entrepreneurship peaked sometime in the 20th century, and a lot of ladders have been pulled up since then.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23 2018, @10:44PM
But but but TECH! They can educate themselves and start up a small business!!! Sheeit, we have anecdotal evidence for every goddamn thing to show just how lazy and entitled every "poor" person is. It worked for me, why can't you do it? Must be your fault...
/s