资源描述：
《usbigdiscussionpaperno.98,january2005》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。
1、USBIGDiscussionPaperNo.98,January2005WorkinProgress,donotciteorquotewithoutauthor’spermissionCanaSocietywithaVeryRichBeDecenttotheVeryPoor?Thecasefora‘maximumwage’SamPizzigatieditor@toomuchline.orgFebruary2005IntroductionInalltheworldtoday,nosocietyhastotallyconquereddestituti
2、on.IneverynationonEarth,atleastsomepeoplestillliveinpoverty.Thissadrealityisdrivingmoreandmoredecent-mindedpeopletoasearchforunorthodoxsolutions.Inthisenvironment,notsurprisingly,themovementforaBasicIncomeGuarantee—auniversalfloorunderincomethatensureseveryonethewherewithalfor
3、life’snecessities—issteadilygainingattentionandsupport.Manyofus,itseems,reallydowanttoliveinamoredecentworld.Butourstrugglefordecency,totriumph,needstocometogripswithstillanotherbasicrealityinourworldtoday.Thatreality—thatsomenationscurrentlydoamagnificentlybetterjobateliminat
4、ingpovertythanothers—oftengetsoverlookedinourpopularpoliticaldiscourse,especiallyintheUnitedStates.Thismakesnosense.Ifguaranteeingdecencyforallstandsasourgoal,thenweoughttobelookingconstantlyandcloselyatthosesocietiesthathavedonethemosttopromotethisdecency.Howhavethesesocietie
5、sgoneaboutstructuringthemselves?Whatexplainstheirprogressagainstpoverty?Whatcanwelearnfromthem?Wecanlearn,thispaperposits,thatanystruggleagainstpoverty,tosucceedinanymeaningfulway,mustlookboth“down”atthepoorand“up”attherich.Inotherwords,ifweareseriousabouttryingtomakeheadwayag
6、ainsttheabsenceofwealth,orpoverty,wemustalsobecomeseriousaboutcampaigningagainstwealth’sconcentration.Toachievetheultimateinthestruggleagainstpoverty—thatis,anincomefloor—wejustmayneedanincomeceiling.SearchingforDecencyAfewyearsago,twoAustraliansocialanalystssetoutonafascinati
7、ngproject.RodneyTiffin,apoliticalscientistatSydneyUniversity,andRossGittins,arespectedbusinessjournalist,aimedtocompilethefirstsystematic,comprehensivestatisticalcomparisonofthequalityoflifeinthedevelopedworld’smostsignificantdemocraticnations.TiffenandGittinsincludedeighteenn
8、ationsintheircomparison:Australia,theUnitedStates,Japan,Germa
