Trends in Inequality and their Moral/Political Consequences

Global inequality in employment, income, and wealth has been increasing sharply with profound implications for social welfare and politics, especially for groups left out by the trends. While globalization brings many very poor workers into modern trade networks that raise income and wealth, change comes increasingly at the expense of other workers in industrialized countries. Americans at the top of the scale have seen large gains in income and wealth even as the lower half of the income distribution in the U.S. and Europe falls behind.

Leaders of the world’s religions have addressed the moral issues raised; however, like all primates, we may be hard-wired to object emotionally to the perceived unfairness of gross inequality. This appears to be fueling political protest movements in the U.S. and abroad. The American public accepts some degree of inequality, but underestimates the real gap between a “fair” and “unfair” distribution.

Speaking on this topic will be Steve Quick, the Chief Risk Officer for the FDIC and his Deputy, Lee Price. Dr. Quick has also worked on international development issues with the Inter American Development Bank and on economic policy issues for the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. Mr. Price has served as chief economist for the Commerce Department and several congressional committees. He was research director for a DC think tank and small NY foundation. He has done research on income inequality for most of the last 30 years.

Join us this Sunday, February 21st at 12:45pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd. in Oakton, VA. The event will be held in the UUCF Sanctuary Building.

About UUCF: The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax is a liberal religious community of more than 1,200 adults, youth and children dedicated to the free and responsible search for religious truth and meaning. The congregation’s mission is to “transform ourselves, our community and the world through acts of love and justice.

For directions: https://uucf.org/directions/

This is a free event and is open to the public.