200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes

Two academics, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, recently wrote a best seller, The Spirit Level, which purported to show how having a much more equal society delivers up much more prosperity for a much bigger number in that society. We published a critical review of it here, with reference to Christopher Snowdon’s The Spirit Level Delusion. I have read both books and will write up in full my views on the central contention of forcing policies of equality to produce a more “fair,” “just” and “equal” society when I have time. For now, I recommend this video: (H/T Sean Corrigan) It is a fantastic pedagogic tool to show anyone the undisputed benefits of economic growth which are essentially capitalistic in nature all over the world. Even our “communist” countries nowadays have to use elements of the capitalist system via political control to deliver up growth. Glory growth and the inevitable inequality it brings; so long as the level is rising and rising, who cares if there is some inequality, we are all immensely better off!