delete junk, thanks

[kpete]

Friday, January 28, 2011
Guest Post: Inequality In America Is Worse Than In Egypt, Tunisia Or Yemen

→ Washington’s Blog

Egyptian, Tunisian and Yemeni protesters all say that inequality is one of the main reasons they’re protesting.

However, the U.S. actually has much greater inequality than in any of those countries.

Specifically, the “Gini Coefficient” – the figure economists use to measure inequality – is higher in the U.S.


Gini Coefficients are like golf – the lower the score, the better (i.e. the more equality).

According to the CIA World Fact Book, the U.S. is ranked as the 42nd most unequal country in the world, with a Gini Coefficient of 45.

In contrast:

* Tunisia is ranked the 62nd most unequal country, with a Gini Coefficient of 40.

* Yemen is ranked 76th most unequal, with a Gini Coefficient of 37.7.

* And Egypt is ranked as the 90th most unequal country, with a Gini Coefficient of around 34.4.

And inequality in the U.S. has soared in the last couple of years, since the Gini Coefficient was last calculated, so it is undoubtedly currently much higher.

MORE:
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/01/guest-post-inequality-in-america-is-worse-than-in-egypt-tunisia-or-yemen.html
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/01/31/income-inequality-egypt/

[snooper2]

1. not this ignorant shit again

:banghead:

[mike_c]

2. is it just me, or does that graphic not match the text...?

If low GINI scores are better, the U.S. is shown in that map as having a lower color coded GINI score than Egypt. Or am I missing something? It's early still, here on the left coast....

on edit: now the graphic is gone from the OP. :wtf:

[firehorse]

3. uh... we do have term limits, and we don't have a dictator leading the country

[Godhumor]

4. Not how the Gini should be used. It is not a way to measure countries against each other

Gini Coefficient for a country like Egypt is going to be the spread between people for essentials. A country like the US, where the vast majority of people already can afford, or have access to, basic necessities the coefficient more accurately reflects the difference beyond those needs. In other words, while the spread is greater in the US the economic opportunity is also greater.

Gini has never been thought of as an absolute measurement of comparison between countries, not should websites express it as such.

[slackmaster]

5. Not subtle enough to qualify as sophistry

Must be just a crock of shit.

[dkf]

6. Funny how the same post above you gets none of these comments.

Odd.