“…Meckler talks of an attitude change, he’s not just thinking about corporate titans; he’s including all of us.
“We have an efficiency addiction,” Meckler says. “That’s America. Save as much time as possible. Save as much money as possible. Take the shortest shortcut.”
That change in attitude, in the view of Meckler and others, has contributed significantly to the widening income inequality gap that many, including Meckler, think is among our most pressing social problems. Wealth inequality has been linked to a number of social problems, ranging from teen pregnancy and violence to mental illness. In fact, a number of studies make the case that inequality correlates more directly with those problems than poverty.
The price for our efficiency addiction, Meckler says, is huge multinational corporations and stores that send jobs oversees and pay local employees as little as possible.
And yes, Meckler admits, Portlanders are more inclined than most Americans to buy local. But we’re still susceptible to the impulse to find a bargain.”
To read the whole story,
Brewing a new model for sharing the wealth – Portland Tribune, February 10, 2016 written by Peter Korn.