Here are links to two long and thoughtful articles worth reading.
The first is Timothy Noah’s ten-part (yes, 10!) piece in Slate on income inequality in America. He explores all the possible causes, in a non-ideological way, and then discusses why it all matters. Among the factors at play: taxes, overseas manufacturing, lobbyists and Wall Street. Check out this graph below to see how the share of the top 10% has grown over the last 40 years.
The second article is Matt Bai’s piece in the NY Times about Linda McMahon’s campaign for senator of Connecticut. Bai explores how a staid, preppy state like Connecticut could possibly elect a cartoonish figure like McMahon, who based on her public statements seems utterly unqualified to be senator. He discusses the long-term trends, including white flight and the loss of industry, which lead to young adults leaving the state and public sector unions gaining power, which leads to a weakening of the traditional political system, which leads to wrestling impresarios running for senate. It’s a long article, but nuanced and thoughtful and well worth reading.
Thoughtbasket 