Essay - Views of Inequality in 'The Question of Power,' William Greider...

views of inequality

***** "The Question ***** Power," William Greider discusses his new book The Soul of Capitalism, in which he addresses the issue of "American capitalism and how it collides destructively with society and with our deepest human values and aspirations." Greider notes that the "malformed distributions of power" evident in American social life can no longer be traced to politics but rather to f*****ance and business. Corporations, not politicians, make decisions that affect the quality of life for people in ***** nation, and it is those same corporations who are responsible ***** an unequal distribution of wealth and power in the country. However, the author optimistically asserts that capitalism ***** be transformed from ***** inside out: "Nothing in the fundamentals ***** capitalism requires a very steep pyr*****mid of power or the malignant maldistribution of wealth and incomes. And the system demonstrably would work more effectively if these concentrations of wealth ***** power were gradually unwound."

***** balanced perspective on the role of capitalism in American l*****e is refresh*****g. Nei*****r a left-wing call for sudden socialism or a right-wing defense ***** outmoded political and economic structures, Greider's view is tempered by realism and humanism too. His optimism is infectious even if idealistic.

Ordinary Americans have ***** power than they think, according to Greider, who ***** ***** regular folks own about 60% of the "broad stock market." Moreover, ***** power to implement change comes directly from individuals who take small steps toward revising their company, their workplace, their way of l*****e.

***** question, one reasonably asks, is whether Americans ***** it in them." ***** claims that the "lumpy mass" portrayed on the media does not accurately reflect ***** general public, who ***** invoke change ***** will. However, few Americans know how to take the first step ***** combating corruption. As ***** ties between ***** and government grow deeper and more intricate, and as ***** in America become more secretive ***** less democratic, idealistic views such as Greider's may remain pipe dreams.

References

Greider, W. (2003). The question of *****. Retrieved Nov 16, 2005 at