A TOXIC BREW? TECHNOLOGY, INEQUALITY, AND ISOLATIONISM

Posted by By William Barber February 16, 2025Posted inDemocracy, Economics, Inequality

The first 25 years of the twenty-first century in the United States have been dominated by three powerful forces: a technological revolution, increasing income and wealth inequality, and a withdrawal…

American Brownshirts

Posted by By William Barber August 12, 2021Posted inEconomics, Inequality, Politics, Social Issues

The Brownshirts were a paramilitary group organized by Adolph Hitler in the early 1920's to intimidate, threaten, and do violence against his political opponents. Many of the members of the…

OK Boomer: The Millennials vs. The Boomers, Part 2

Posted by By William Barber September 12, 2020Posted inEconomics, Inequality, Social Issues

In my previous post, I discussed the bad economic hand Millennials have been dealt and the tendency of many of them to place responsibility for their problems on the Baby…

OK Boomer: The Millennials vs. The Boomers, Part 1

Posted by By William Barber September 9, 2020Posted inEconomics, Inequality, Social Issues, Uncategorized

Many in the the Millennial generation (those born between 1981 and 1996) have become increasingly dismissive and resentful towards the Baby Boom generation (those born between 1946 and 1964). Millennials…

The Plight of Black Americans

Posted by By William Barber September 2, 2020Posted inInequality, Social Issues, Uncategorized

"Between January 1962 and July 1965, Los Angeles law enforcement (mostly police but also sheriff's deputies, highway patrol personnel, and others) killed at least 65 people. Of the sixty-five homicides…

To Play or Not to Play

Posted by By William Barber August 27, 2020Posted inInequality, Social Issues

Should professional athletes, such as those in the National Basketball Association (NBA), continue playing their seasons or should they instead boycott the rest of the season to protest and bring…

The COVID-19 Pandemic, Re-Opening Schools, and Inequality: Who Pays the Cost? Part 2

Posted by By William Barber August 10, 2020Posted inEconomics, Inequality, Social Issues

In my previous post I argued that regardless of whether schools re-open or remain closed, that the cost and risk of doing either will be disproportionately borne by lower-income/lower-wealth households.…

The COVID-19 Pandemic, Re-Opening Schools, and Inequality: Who Pays the Cost? Part 1

Posted by By William Barber August 5, 2020Posted inEconomics, Inequality, Social Issues

The Trump Administration has prioritized re-opening schools this fall despite the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administration's case for re-opening schools are based on several factors: Student learning is…

The Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted by By William Barber June 25, 2020Posted inEconomics, Inequality, Social Issues4 Comments

The economic impact of COVID-19 will be felt for many years. The disparity of the impact of the pandemic on different segments of the population are already apparent. The Federal…

POLICING AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY

Posted by By William Barber June 19, 2020Posted inInequality, Social Issues, Societal Infrastructure6 Comments

In a previous post, I discussed the necessity of the existence of a solid societal and economic infrastructure to provide the foundation for personal economic success. An important component of…

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIETAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Posted by By William Barber June 17, 2020Posted inInequality, Social Issues, Societal Infrastructure, Taxes

In Capitalism, Socialism, and the Promise of Democracy I wrote: "There can be no champion surfer without the wave. As talented and gifted as the surfer may be, if there…