The simple counter-argument is that it is not the only driving factor. And Piketty offers no real proof (by his very lofty standards) to show that this is the principal contributing factor (which in itself would be huge).
A more interesting question is finding the 'catalyst(s)' that led to the rise of ISIS.
Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
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Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
You didn't address his argument at all. Just an ad hominem. Is that because you can't address it? Because his thesis seems quite reasonable to me. And historically, we certainly know that societies with extreme income inequality are less stable than those with more equality.
I'd argue that the main problem with the theory is that there are plenty of places where there is high income inequality (such as the United States, as indicated by the diagram) and something like ISIS seems rather unlikely† . Sure, you can say that inequality may have contributed to the issue, but there are a ton of factors that have resulted in Syria being plunged in Civil War. Pointing to any one as a decisive fac…
archgoon: We have had extremely frequent domestic terror incidents in the US recently which can be readily linked to religious and political extremism, notably the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shootings.
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#33So in the Middle East the top 1% control 26.2% of the wealth (under a "high inequality model"), and in the US the top 1% control 22.83% of the wealth. Just 3.5% more and the US will turn into a medieval barbarism state.
When will people stop believing this crap. There is one variable that explains a tremendous amount of human misery: surrender of the mind to a supreme authority (human or god). Of course there are other important factors, but when are we going to acknowledge the elephant in the room?
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#34Given how awful inequality is in the Middle-East and seeing that the United States is not really far (comparing for France for example), it just made me realise how worse the situation is in the states.
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#35Let's call it a contributing factor and make the headline less insane.
Yes, please stop publishing these ridiculous headlines that seem to be used just to incite political arguments for clicks and ad revenue.
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#36While inequality may be ONE factor, it is definitely not THE factor. Much more important are the factors of American imperialism, Islamic extremist ideology, destabilization of Iraq, and so on. What Piketty is right about, however, is that it is the policies of the West is in part to blame for the extreme rise of inequality in the Arab world. That said, I am not too certain Arabs would have fared better on their own.
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It has everything to do with it. Imperialism destabilized the region, led to the removal of the stable and sovereign Iraqi government and the fomenting of the Syrian civil war (to the point of funding elements that became ISIS) with the aim of removing that government as well. The results of all of this created the conditions for extremism in general and ISIS in particular to arise and build.
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
You didn't address his argument at all. Just an ad hominem. Is that because you can't address it? Because his thesis seems quite reasonable to me. And historically, we certainly know that societies with extreme income inequality are less stable than those with more equality.
I'll address the argument. Lots of countries with high income inequality do not have a terrorism problem. When is the last time Brazilians terrorists attacked New York and/or Paris? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_eq...
Ostensibly Brazil does, but domestically: http://thebrazilbusiness.com/article/terrorism-in-brazil
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#38Islamic State is about religion; not economics.
It's most definitely not about religion, these are mostly childish criminals which are using religion as an excuse to commit even bigger crime.
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#39While inequality may be ONE factor, it is definitely not THE factor. Much more important are the factors of American imperialism, Islamic extremist ideology, destabilization of Iraq, and so on. What Piketty is right about, however, is that it is the policies of the West is in part to blame for the extreme rise of inequality in the Arab world. That said, I am not too certain Arabs would have fared better on their own.
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American Imperalism has a long history of provoking and/or arming people in the area to prompt regime change. They also support Saudi Arabia who export radical Islam to the area and fund terrorism (including 9/11 per Commission Report). Assad regime was one of America's opponents. And, of course, the group hitting him happens to form out of the remnants of and with weapons from the American imperialism in Iraq. Surprise, surprise...
Re: Thomas Piketty: Clamping down with law and order will not be enough
#40One of the episodes of the 1960s Batman series involved the UN, and seeing that episode playing in bar a couple of months ago made me think of how no TV show today would feature a UN plotline; the most likely plotline indeed would only be about diplomatic immunity - ie how some people get to be above the law. My point here is that in the late 1960s, international diplomacy was respected enough to be part of the pop culture conversation. Fifty years later, teh pop culture conversation centres around popular violence (mass shootings) and terrorism, like ISIS. It seems to me that in the past, people had hopes for the future and believed the politicians were working to make a better world. Today, they don't believe that and see how politicians have created a world were some people are above the law and the rest of us are considered irrelevant and to be placated with realty-tv entertainment.
When inequality leads to hopelessness, what are we to honestly expect?