Equality, a True Soul Food (Nicholas Kristof, NYT)

[OneGrassRoot]

John Steinbeck observed that “a sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ.” That insight, now confirmed by epidemiological studies, is worth bearing in mind at a time of such polarizing inequality that the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans possess a greater collective net worth than the bottom 90 percent.

There’s growing evidence that the toll of our stunning inequality is not just economic but also is a melancholy of the soul. The upshot appears to be high rates of violent crime, high narcotics use, high teenage birthrates and even high rates of heart disease.

That’s the argument of an important book by two distinguished British epidemiologists, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. They argue that gross inequality tears at the human psyche, creating anxiety, distrust and an array of mental and physical ailments — and they cite mountains of data to support their argument.

“If you fail to avoid high inequality, you will need more prisons and more police,” they assert. “You will have to deal with higher rates of mental illness, drug abuse and every other kind of problem.” They explore these issues in their book, “The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=4&src=me&ref=homepage&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DailyGoodNews+%28Ode+Magazine+-+And+now+for+the+good+news%29

[Little Star]

1. What causes melancholy of the soul?

I'm sure there are many varying reasons but I bet economic inequality is the root cause of most of them.

Earth is not going to be a pleasant place for the rich when their greed causes just two classes of people, the rich and the poor.
They are not only working on this here in the USA. They must rule the world! Dumb Shits!