#614 Andrew Sayer - Why We Can't Afford the Rich; Economic Inequality, And Where It Stems From
RECORDED ON JANUARY 11th 2022.
Dr. Andrew Sayer is Emeritus Professor of Social Theory and Political Economy at Lancaster University. He is known for significant contributions to methodology and theory in the social sciences. He is the author of multiple books, including Why We Can’t Afford the Rich.
In this episode, we focus on Why We Can’t Afford the Rich. We start by talking about economic inequality, and how it got worse since the rise of neoliberalism. We define who are the “rich”, and go through how they took control of the economy, how much they really contribute to it, how they spend their money, and how they influence politics. We talk about the concept of a “moral economy”, and earned income and meritocracy. We ask if capitalism itself is the problem, and go through some of the potential solutions for economic inequality.
Time Links:
Intro
How bad is inequality today?
The rise of neoliberalism
Who are the rich?
How the rich took control over the economy
How much do the rich really contribute to the economy?
Should we care about how they spend their money?
Dependence
How the rich influence politics
Tax havens
When the rich get richer during economic crises
Moral economy
Earned income, and meritocracy
Is capitalism the problem?
How to tackle economic inequality
Follow Dr. Sayer’ work!
Follow Dr. Sayer’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3jp6oAR
Works on ResearchGate: https://bit.ly/3eEdHS1
Why We Can’t Afford the Rich: https://amzn.to/3kAjxGq