Sinds 17 september is er in de Verenigde Staten een beweging die zich Occupy Wall Street ofwel Bezet Wall Street noemt of ook wel We are the 99 percent. Deze protestbeweging is dus al vier weken gaande en gestaag groeiende. Het zijn de omvangrijkste protesten in de VS sinds de protestbeweging tegen de Vietnamoorlog.
Inmiddels is deze beweging ook overgewaaid en uitgewaaierd naar Zuid-Amerika en Europa en wellicht nog verder. Morgen, zaterdag 15 oktober is uitgeroepen tot de internationale dag van dit protest tegen de ongelijke verdeling van welvaart en politieke zeggenschap; alle soms holle lofzang op de democratie ten spijt. Dan zal blijken hoe omvangrijk deze beweging is en ook in Amsterdam, Den Haag, Rotterdam en Utrecht worden we uitgenodigd om dit protest van onderop te steunen.
Morgen dus ook in de Nederlandse theaters.
Al vier weken gaande en groeiende dus maar onze westerse pers en media leken het wel systematisch te negeren en dood te zwijgen. Afgelopen dinsdag en woensdag was er nauwelijks iets over te vinden in de vaderlandse media. Ook de zgn. kwaliteitskranten en bv. de Pauw en de Witte man hadden het druk met andere zaken en lieten het afweten. Too occupied, zullen we maar zeggen. Als dit zich op een tiende van deze schaal in vijf steden in Marokko zou afspelen had het het nieuws al twee weken beheerst en had men de Marokkaanse pers alom gelaakt wegens de summiere berichtgeving. Nu het onze Westerse wereld betreft, lijkt er een zelfcensuur te heersen waar de KGB destijds de vingers bij af had kunnen likken en jaloers op zou zijn. Als u denkt dat wij zo'n geweldig vrije onafhankelijke en objectieve pers hebben, krab ik eens op mijn achterhoofd en zal ik dat niet zo 1-2-3 bevestigen. Deze vermeende media blackout wordt overigens ook her en der ontkend, gebagataliseerd of tegengesproken. Donderdag leken de media hier ten lande wakker te worden en het in de berichtgeving mee te nemen.
In de VS zag je al republikeinse politici die de 'protesters' aanvankelijk als 'anti-American' schorriemorrie wegzette, nu opeens hard bezig hun woorden in te slikken en hier en daar zelfs begrip te tonen. Je moet toch een beetje flexibiliteit tonen als je van de luimen van het kiezersvolk afhankelijk bent, nietwaar.
Waar protesteert men dan wel tegen?
Zoals gezegd tegen de absurd ongelijke verdeling van welvaart en toegang tot kennis en macht in de rijke wereld.
En bepaald niet onterecht, zou ik zo denken.
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thinking about (un)equality; a matter of science or of politics?
A matter of both of course!
A matter of politics as it puts in place the policies that steer in either direction; and a matter of science whether it succeeds in its mission to paint a clear picture of what the tangible and actual results of those policies are.
And it may surprise you that scientific inquiry can do quite a good job in that respect as this website will proof to those who can see:
The Equality Trust
(In)equality is defined here in terms of income inequalities within a society.
These studies originated from an inquiry into the parameters of physical health in various societies.
The amount of (in)equality appeared to be a key-factor.
And so it is regarding ten more social and health problems ranging from mental health to drug abuse and from obesity to violence.
The figures presented here are rather consistent and telling.
One would almost thank Friedman, Reagan and Tatcher for letting it show so obviously that their socio-economic ideas are flawed, fraudulent and in the end harmfull to society.
Alas as yet we cannot thank their liberal and social-democratic counterparts for pin-pointing these correlations and reversing the trend to more equal and coherent societies.
As for critical questions you may find some thoughts and answers here:
FAQs on Inequality
In the last decade running up to the present financial and subsequent economical crisis we have seen a steady increase in income inequalities throughout the Western world. The number of millionaires was ever increasing though not as fast as the number of people now being poorer than before, top-managers through their bonusses and hedgefunds through their perverse activities have drained billions of dollars out of the economy and continue to do so on a more modest scale.
If this immense amount of money had gone to the poorest 20% of the population it would now be flowing through the economy and so create a healthy and robust economy. While now the rich mainly sit on it afraid they will become a little poorer or spending it on outrageous luxury thus creating a sick and vulnerable economy.
I must yet hear the first economist elaborate on this obvious assumption, but then economy is not really or has ever been a science, wouldn't you agree?
.
A matter of politics as it puts in place the policies that steer in either direction; and a matter of science whether it succeeds in its mission to paint a clear picture of what the tangible and actual results of those policies are.
And it may surprise you that scientific inquiry can do quite a good job in that respect as this website will proof to those who can see:
The Equality Trust
(In)equality is defined here in terms of income inequalities within a society.
These studies originated from an inquiry into the parameters of physical health in various societies.
The amount of (in)equality appeared to be a key-factor.
And so it is regarding ten more social and health problems ranging from mental health to drug abuse and from obesity to violence.
The figures presented here are rather consistent and telling.
One would almost thank Friedman, Reagan and Tatcher for letting it show so obviously that their socio-economic ideas are flawed, fraudulent and in the end harmfull to society.
Alas as yet we cannot thank their liberal and social-democratic counterparts for pin-pointing these correlations and reversing the trend to more equal and coherent societies.
As for critical questions you may find some thoughts and answers here:
FAQs on Inequality
In the last decade running up to the present financial and subsequent economical crisis we have seen a steady increase in income inequalities throughout the Western world. The number of millionaires was ever increasing though not as fast as the number of people now being poorer than before, top-managers through their bonusses and hedgefunds through their perverse activities have drained billions of dollars out of the economy and continue to do so on a more modest scale.
If this immense amount of money had gone to the poorest 20% of the population it would now be flowing through the economy and so create a healthy and robust economy. While now the rich mainly sit on it afraid they will become a little poorer or spending it on outrageous luxury thus creating a sick and vulnerable economy.
I must yet hear the first economist elaborate on this obvious assumption, but then economy is not really or has ever been a science, wouldn't you agree?
.
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