vote This past week saw Americans out on the streets en masse to protest police violence, in particular race-based discrimination practiced by police throughout the nation. Non-white individuals get harassed more, suffer more violence, and are treated worse by the judicial system than white people. This has been proven time
Continue readingTag: Equality
Things Are Good: Funding Childhood Programs Improves Life and the Economy
Ensuring that kids have a chance to succeed is the best thing we can do for society. If children of all backgrounds and stations in life get the support the need from the start then all of us benefit, not just the child. We have known this for years, but
Continue readingThings Are Good: IMF: Raise Taxes on the Rich, Lower Taxes for Everyone Else
Historically, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) argued for lower taxes for everyone, particularly those that need it the least: the wealthy. Due to increases in multiple forms of inequality since the last global recession the IMF has changed its tune. The institution now calls for countries around the world to
Continue readingThings Are Good: Caring About the GDP is Passé
In 2009 we looked at how Bhutan uses Gross National Happiness instead of the bizarre Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measurement to see how “successful” the country is. The GDP doesn’t reflect lives lived since things like oil spills and other disasters actually make the GDP go up despite the damage
Continue readingThings Are Good: Amsterdam: The Economy is a Doughnut
Amsterdam is embracing an ecological approach to their economy by looking at it as if it’s a doughnut. Of course, it’s not a literal snack they are using, it’s a metaphor to visualize how different aspects of life interact with each other in an economic model. Classical economic models assume
Continue readingThings Are Good: Amazon VP Resigns to Protest Poor Working Conditions
Amazon has grown from an online book retailer to the seller of all things and destroyer of established businesses. It also treats humans like robots and gives them no respect while also dismissing human concerns like good working conditions and a breathable atmosphere. The lengths of which Amazon has gone
Continue readingThings Are Good: Unions Bring Big Benefits to California
If you work in a unionized environment you’re likely doing better than a person in a non-union environment according to a study done in California. You’re also less likely to make use of the state’s welfare system. What’s more this means that the whole state benefits from unions as more
Continue readingThings Are Good: Being Weird is Great for Community
It’s OK to be weird, if anything it’s good that you’re weird. The old adage to “just be yourself” rings true and you should embrace it by embracing other people who are being true to themselves (remember that being weird doesn’t mean you get to be a jerk). We know
Continue readingThings Are Good: This Company Pays Everyone 70k and it’s Thriving
A few years ago the CEO of Gravity Payments, Dan Price, decided to change the pay structure at his company to ensure a better and happier workplace. He decided to make the base salary $70,000 and it changed the lives of all employees for the better. The company has tippled
Continue readingWe Pivot: WePivot Is Back!
It’s been a healthy hiatus. Over 3 years ago, after over 1,000 blog pieces since just after 9/11, I evolved Politics, Re-Spun into WePivot.net. I wrote about why. A couple years ago I hit pause on WePivot.net, with my last … [Read more]
Continue readingThings Are Good: Gender Inclusive Design for our Built Environment
Architects generally want people to feel comfortable around their buildings or interior spaces; however, architects aren’t perfect and may overlook some simple design solutions that can put people at ease. The World Bank Group has released a handbook for urban planners, architects, and anybody shaping our physical environment to use
Continue readingThings Are Good: Governments Reacting to the Failures of the Gig Economy
According to economists the economy is the labour market is fine as unemployment is relatively low. The truth is different from the on-paper measurements. High employment numbers don’t mean much if the jobs don’t pay well and the working conditions are miserable. The modern “gig economy” is to blame for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Nathan Robinson writes that there’s every reason for younger people – in the U.S. and elsewhere – to support the principle of socialism based on a desire to achieve gains for everybody rather than only a privileged few: A better definition, at
Continue readingThings Are Good: A Union in the Kitchen will Improve Your Life
Thanks to the efforts of billionaires, and other corrupt individuals, union workers have been portrayed as lazy and inept. If anything, the opposite is true. Workers in unions have different goals than business owners insofar that workers just want to earn a good living while owners want to extract profit
Continue readingThings Are Good: Good Conversations Might Need Some Regulation
You’ve probably already seen this pop up in your filter bubble a couple weeks ago but I want to make sure it’s not forgotten. Facebook (and likely other platforms) are being manipulated by powerful interests to edit what can be said and shared on their sites. They are self-regulating to
Continue readingThings Are Good: Let’s Make Billionaires Pay
Democracy is rule by the people and it’s up to the people to ensure that this continues to be the case. Currently the growing inequality in democracies is threatening the very existence of these societies to continue, but there is a simple solution. If we ensure that billionaires give back
Continue readingThings Are Good: New York’s Increased Minimum Wage Increased Revenue for Businesses and People
With inequality increasing throughout the world she jurisdictions are fighting back by raising the minimum wage. Business owners must pay employees at least the minimum wage set by the government, no matter how little they want to actually pay people. Minimum wage increases were rare for the first years of
Continue readingThings Are Good: Download This Home
The standard North American home (pictured above) is horrible inefficient and quite bad for the environment. As the climate crisis conies to worsen we need to change the way we provide shelter for people: and that’s exactly what Phoenix, Arizona did. Arizona is experience such extreme heat that everyday objects
Continue readingThings Are Good: It’s Time the Gig Economy Paid
Foodora workers are looking for justice for the way they have been ripped off and poorly treated by Foodora. Foodora is like any other gig economy company insofar that it takes an existing business model but places the operating costs onto independent contractors. Due to legal loopholes Foodora workers are
Continue readingThings Are Good: Work Less to Save the Planet
You already know you’re working too many hours, so let’s change that and save the planet in the process. Economic growth has physical limits and we’re hitting those already as we run out of finite resources, or those resources are getting harder and harder to reach like oil. So to
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