Worth watching: Robert Reich’s “Inequality for All” by David Yamada How much inequality can we tolerate and still have an economy thats working for everyone and still have a democracy thats functioning? Of all developed nations today, the United States has the most unequal distribution of income and wealth by far, and were surging toward even greater inequality. -Robert Reich, from Inequality for All If youre looking for an informative, insightful, and lively take on the challenging question of how the American economy threw the middle class under the bus, Robert Reichs 90-minute documentary, Inequality for All, fits the bill. Reich is now at UC-Berkeley, teaching courses in economics and public affairs, after many years at Harvards Kennedy School and a term as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. A prodigious author, he turns to the documentary form to deftly blend economic data, income trends, political changes, tax policy, and personal stories & interviews. Its not pure wonkishness; the film also tells us something of Reichs interesting life story, too, and several segments exhibit his sharp wit and self-deprecating sense of humor. As is the skill of a gifted lecturer, Reich packs a lot into the documentary in a way that doesnt overwhelm. Youll learn about the impact of globalization and technology on American jobs, how lower tax rates on the wealthy have had a negative correlation with overall economic health, and how the U.S. economy in 1928 (the year before the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression) looked eerily similar to that in 2007 (the year before the Great Recession). Youll also hear a wealthy CEO talk about the destructive aspects of extreme wealth concentration, and youll listen to stories of people trying desperately to stay in the nations middle class. I have a few quarrels with the film. For example, I think Reich was a little soft on the reasons behind the virulent anti-union tactics of some American companies during the past few decades. I also believe that he needed to spell out the fuller implications of globalization for workers everywhere. But I also recognize that choices must be made to keep a documentary within a watchable length, and overall it makes very good use of our time. Inequality for All opened in theaters last year, and it is now widely available in various DVD, on demand, and streaming formats. I just watched it this week, and I am happy to recommend it. *** One of the extras in the DVD is deleted footage about Reichs 2002 campaign for Governor of Massachusetts, in which he made it onto the Democratic primary ballot but did not win the nomination. Reich uses a chunk of the segment to explain how personally difficult it was for him to spend so much of his time chasing down people for campaign contributions. I volunteered for Reichs campaign the day I read an announcement of his candidacy, and I served as a Reich delegate at the Democratic state nominating convention. The deleted documentary segment doesnt fully convey the way in which he attracted a lot of supporters who had felt alienated from party politics in Massachusetts, not to mention the fact that he ran a very respectable campaign despite getting in the race late and operating with a shoestring budget.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 06:16:35 +0000
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