Message Number: |
740 |
From: |
Daniel Reeves <dreeves Æ umich.edu> |
Date: |
Tue, 4 Sep 2007 00:37:26 -0400 (EDT) |
Subject: |
Re: mind the gap |
> If Graham includes social injustice in his exceptions list, then I suppose
> that he and I are in agreement.
He concedes at least one such social injustice (differing access to
educational opportunities) in footnote 16.
> But if Graham believes in the entrenched, pervasive nature of social
> injustice, why does he spend so much time waxing poetic about the
> inherent fairness of economic inequality?
Sounds like our only disagreement now is how entrenched and pervasive the
injustices are.
> The fact that Graham spends most of his time talking about this
> idealized world suggests that either a) he is a hopeless utopian, or b)
> he does not, in fact, believe that social injustice is entrenched and
> pervasive ;-).
Probably a bit of both!
But at least we're all (except probably Trixie) agreed that the very fact
of having a lot of wealth is not harming any poor people, except perhaps
in some very indirect way along the lines Michelle proposed. And even
then I don't think the studies Michelle cited point to an income gap as a
*cause* of poorer health, just a correlation. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
--
http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/dreeves - - search://"Daniel Reeves"
"Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not
tried it."
-- Donald Knuth
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