Growing Inequality in US cities

[Pawn Power]

Wealth gap creating a social time bomb (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/23/population-egalitarian-cities-urban-growth)



Growing inequality in US (http://www.guardian.co.uk/america) cities could lead to widespread social unrest and increased mortality, says a new United Nations (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/unitednations) report on the urban environment.
In a survey of 120 major cities, New York was found to be the ninth most unequal in the world and Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington, and Miami had similar inequality levels to those of Nairobi, Kenya Abidjan and Ivory Coast. Many were above an internationally recognised acceptable "alert" line used to warn governments.


While many focus on the tremendous disparity between the 'first' and 'third world countries, the growing disparity between those within 'first' world countries is growing quickly. This article proposes that this economic gap is a "time bomb" of social unrest.

Let's hope it is.

[KurtFF8]

Let's hope it is.

Well it depends, the sixties in America lead to a period of great social unrest, and the conclusion of that era certainly didn't end in a period of decreased capitalism. As a matter of fact of course it later lead to a rise of NeoLiberalism, and came after a move away from classical liberalism and market fundamentalism. I fear that social unrest with the given economic conditions in America at least (and most of the first world) will just lead to more "social democracy" instead of true socialism.

[timbaly]

Wealth gap creating a social time bomb (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/23/population-egalitarian-cities-urban-growth)



While many focus on the tremendous disparity between the 'first' and 'third world countries, the growing disparity between those within 'first' world countries is growing quickly. This article proposes that this economic gap is a "time bomb" of social unrest.

Let's hope it is.

So many of the most well known American cities are an embarassment to the government. Washington DC, the very seat of the government is on this UN list. Baltimore and Philadelphia are historically significant to the early history of the country yet both cities have huge areas that look more like third world cities than what one normally thinks of as an American city.

[GPDP]

This is the side of America that the government and media does not want people to see.

[La Comédie Noire]

Read "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn, large droves of ragged uemployed are an American tradition that reaches farther back than old glory herself.



Well it depends, the sixties in America lead to a period of great social unrest, and the conclusion of that era certainly didn't end in a period of decreased capitalism. As a matter of fact of course it later lead to a rise of NeoLiberalism, and came after a move away from classical liberalism and market fundamentalism. I fear that social unrest with the given economic conditions in America at least (and most of the first world) will just lead to more "social democracy" instead of true socialism.


During the 1960's the United States was actually experiencing an economic boom. There was a greater push for social reform and an increasing demand for immediate withdrawal from Vietnam, but nothing on par with an actual class revolution.

[KurtFF8]

During the 1960's the United States was actually experiencing an economic boom. There was a greater push for social reform and an increasing demand for immediate withdrawal from Vietnam, but nothing on par with an actual class revolution.

I was under the impression that towards the end of the 1960s we saw a stagnation of sorts in the US, as the Welfare State began to run into problems. Granted much of the unrest was indeed social unrest, but the working class was certainly becoming more "class conscious" at the time, although the end of the war exposed the social and political character of the unrest. Granted those expressions were radicalizing the working class and making the working class question the system that leads to things like Vietnam.