Recent reports indicate that in the last 5 years, the tiny group of wealthy people in the world got even wealthier. While the mass amount of poor people in the world actually got poorer. My two guests today help pick apart this information, to help us understand why this has happened and also some examples of what can or is being done to address this problem.
Sam Pizigatti of Too Much Online
Dave Richard of Defeat Poverty
We Discuss:
- The recent report
- The conditions of the last 5 years
- Historical comparisons
- What will happen in the short and long term
- microfinancing
- other possible solutions
- responding to the critics
Music:
Mos Def – Sun, Moon, Stars
Laurie Anderson – Progress
Podcast: Download
Good stuff man – I liked your 2nd guest. From everything that I’ve read thus far Mico loans seem to be one of the most viable and effective methods of addressing poverty in the long term. The guy from Ebay and others companies now allow small investors (like us) to back micro finance loans to people around the world. The returns will certainly be conservative but if it comes to faith in paying debts – I’m more confident in the chicken farmer in Shi Lanka and the US Treasury
The first person interviewed mentioned “trade unions” a few times as a way to decrease the income gap – I’d actually think service unions are way more helpful to increasing wealth for the folks on the lower rung. Trade unions are for people that have a trade and therefore have some bargaining tools (ever meet an unemployed plumber?), it’s service workers ($8 per/hr) that need the unions.
Who were those “critics” you mentioned in the program??? That wasn’t me was it?
Thanks mon. Not specifically you, no. It was more an amalgomation of the comments I received when I first mentioned this issue… maybe one of your comments was part of it.. I cant remember off hand.. but its not a bad thing.