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Income inequality in America has been growing rapidly, and is expected to increase [PDF]. While the widening wealth gap is a hot topic in the media and on the campaign trail, there's quite a disconnect between the perceptions of economists and those of the general public.
For instance, surveys show people tend to underestimate the income disparity between the top and bottom 20% of Americans, and overestimate the opportunity for poor individuals to climb the social ladder. Additionally, a majority of adults believe that corporations conduct business fairly despite evidence to the contrary and that the government should not act to reduce income inequality.
Even though inequality is increasing, Americans seem to believe that our social and economic systems work exactly as they should. This perspective has intrigued social scientists for decades. My colleague Andrei Cimpian and I have demonstrated in our recent research that these beliefs that our society is fair and just may take root in the first years of life, stemming from our fundamental desire to explain the world around us.
http://theconversation.com/lifes-not-fair-so-why-do-we-assume-it-is-45981
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Thexalon on Thursday September 10 2015, @08:37PM
My point with the "anecdata" is that the anecdotes match up perfectly with a very well-documented difference in outcomes for black, Hispanic, and female people, and a historical pattern of discrimination against black, Hispanic, and female people.
It's basically intended to counteract the notion that the social scientists are making the whole thing up, which I have heard more than a few conspiracy theorists do.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday September 10 2015, @10:07PM
Allow me to refute then. I'm Indian (feather not dot) and it has never been a hindrance to me. Not once. I'd be willing to bet a hell of a lot of the people who told you they were held back because of their race were held back for lack of value to an employer rather than anything sordid, but they're told day in and day out that they're oppressed by race baiters who make their money off generating strife where there was none to begin with.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Thursday September 10 2015, @11:13PM
I just posted regarding my own boss, and hiring brown men.
I had an Indian helper. Obviously non-white, he looked very Native American. Rudy worked for me for a little over two years, and like the average laborer, he was screwed over repeatedly. No raises, for starters. He caught all the shit jobs that no white man wanted to do. Medical benefits delayed because he didn't dot all his i's and cross all his t's. Generally used and abused, as much as possible within a corporate environment.
We buried the man a couple years ago. It started out with a rather minor injury. Took the man to the ER, and the doctor treated the injury, then he wanted to admit the patient for observation. Rudy's blood pressure was out of this world! Without insurance, and a meager excuse for a wage, Rudy fought being admitted. So, Rudy is back at work the next day, and I start digging to find out about insurance for him. Well - long story short, he got his insurance, he got a doctor's appointment, he got a prescription for blood pressure medicine, but delayed picking up the script because he didn't have the co-pay to pay for the medicine. Just a few bucks, but he didn't have it. Hell, I'd have lent him twenty bucks, but he didn't ask me . . .
That weekend, Rudy had a little family gathering, had a great day, he's laughing and bullshitting with an adult son, sits down in an easy chair - and dropped dead of an aneurysm. Just that quick and simple - lights out.
One less hard working Choctaw in this world, and none of my bosses or co-workers can imagine that the man died because of actions and inactions on the company's part. Rudy SHOULD HAVE had his insurance in order an entire year prior to his death, and he shouldn't have been scrabbling for the couple dollars necessary to pick up his prescription.
High blood pressure. Life sucks.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 10 2015, @11:51PM
So you are saying he didn't have all this because he was not white? And you are still working for this racist company? Maybe you are the problem?
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday September 11 2015, @11:34AM
You obviously didn't read all of my post, like the part where I wrote about a boss that told the entire staff of his company flat-out that he would only hire white people.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.