Citation:

TED. “How Economic Inequality Harms Societies | Richard Wilkinson.” YouTube, 24 Oct. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ7LzE3u7Bw.

Summary:

In this 16-minute TED Talk by Richard Wilkinson, he presents empirical evidence on economic inequality and illustrates how wealth disparities have a negative impact on health, longevity, and even fundamental values like trust. He goes over how much richer is the 20% more than the 20% poorest, unequal countries have worse social and health concerns, and happier children live in equitable nations. 

Reflection:

I agree with Wilkinson’s view because the discussion highlights the striking difference between nations with large income disparities and those with more equitable wealth distribution. It is a depressing realization that countries with greater wealth and more prominent economic gaps typically have worse social and health results. It draws attention to the wide-ranging effects of economic inequality, which have an impact on society at large in addition to the most vulnerable members of society. In addition, the idea that children in countries with greater equality tend to be happier emphasizes how critical it is to address income disparity in order to advance social harmony and general well-being. This finding highlights the need for a more equitable distribution of income and contradicts the popular wisdom that the only goal should be economic growth.

Qoute:

“[So] what we’re looking at is general dysfunction related to inequality. It’s not just one or two things that could go wrong, it’s most things.” (9:50 – 9:57)