tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post6514589101705031151..comments2023-12-19T11:11:30.124+00:00Comments on The Spirit Level Delusion: WelcomeChristopher Snowdonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15963753745009712865noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-34187936023725582692014-03-31T11:42:53.575+01:002014-03-31T11:42:53.575+01:00Any chance of your book being avaliable on Kobo? ...Any chance of your book being avaliable on Kobo? (The spirit level is)L fairfaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12274756119129254373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-41668120839285459012013-10-11T01:25:50.479+01:002013-10-11T01:25:50.479+01:00In Switzerland the Young Socialists party has laun...In Switzerland the Young Socialists party has launch an initiave to introduce a law that would limit the ratio between the lowest and the highest salary in any given enterprise to 1:12.<br /><br />Wilkinson is support this initiative with reference to his Spirit Level.<br /><br />http://www.tageswoche.ch/de/2013_41/schweiz/591141/eine-ungleiche-einkommensverteilung-ist-schaedlich-fuer-die-gesellschaft.htm<br />(in German)Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16821473060642204067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-72849270911383032732012-10-20T12:40:17.803+01:002012-10-20T12:40:17.803+01:00thanks for the posts. good blog. thanks for the posts. good blog. how to climbhttp://how-to-climb.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-39614575472215852302010-11-23T17:09:24.036+00:002010-11-23T17:09:24.036+00:00Anonymous, you state that:
"One of the main ...Anonymous, you state that:<br /><br />"One of the main causes of social ills is lack of social cohesion. One of the main causes of lack of social cohesion is lack of cultural homogeneity. One of the main causes of lack of cultural homogeneity is rapid mass immigration."<br /><br />I would very much welcome finding out the sources of these assertions. You doubt the scientific nature of the claims made in the Spirit Level, yet fail to make any reference as to your ways of reaching your conclusions here. <br /><br />Whilst I appreciate that you are not making the same claims to scientific robustness and rigour that Wilkinson & Pickett do, it would go some way to avoiding the accusation of "racist slur"<br /><br />From what I can (quickly) find on foreign born as percentage of national population (2005), many of the countries that appear to 'do better [in health and social problems]' actually have a much higher proportion than the UK (Netherlands, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Austria...)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_immigrant_population).<br /><br />I feel that attacking work on the basis of it's claim to science, whilst basing your argument (seemingly) entirely on assumption somewhat hypocritical.S Vaughannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-59003573351229583002010-11-17T23:44:45.631+00:002010-11-17T23:44:45.631+00:00I haven't read either book, but have read the ...I haven't read either book, but have read the authors' "rebuttal" of the criticism, and attended a promo talk including many graphs included in The Spirit Level and was amazed at the bunkum posing as science. There is obviously a correlation, but not a causation, between socio-economic inequality and various social ills. One of the main causes of social ills is lack of social cohesion. One of the main causes of lack of social cohesion is lack of cultural homogeneity. One of the main causes of lack of cultural homogeneity is rapid mass immigration. There is little immigration in Japan/Finland/Sweden/Denmark (the language is too difficult), there is huge mass immigration into English-speaking countries (English is the world language), which were consistently (and conveniently) shown in the authors' graphs as "doing worst". Most unfortunately, the head-in-the-sand in-denial authors of The Spirit Level refuse to countenance this elephant in the room (and the many other imponderables and unquantifiable variables which are also part of the equation), and accuse anyone who mentions the obvious cultural and civilisational effects of mass immigration into English-speaking countries of "racist slur". Science? I don't think so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-46650104030774244012010-09-20T02:16:03.775+01:002010-09-20T02:16:03.775+01:00Congratulations on a great book, Mr Snowdon. I fin...Congratulations on a great book, Mr Snowdon. I finished it yesterday and will recommend it to my friends, especially those who fell for The Spirit Level's quackery. It's rare to find someone who can write about these kind of issues in a intelligent and objective way. Keep it up!<br /><br />IainIainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-87555148695014006312010-06-01T23:36:10.149+01:002010-06-01T23:36:10.149+01:00D. King,
Thanks for dropping by. A full explanati...D. King,<br /><br />Thanks for dropping by. A full explanation is in the book, but the short answer is that Japan is the exception in The Spirit Level in a number of ways, including the way it has achieved a narrower gap in wealth. As the authors say, part of the reason is its collapse after World War II. There are other reasons, such as fewer women in the workplace (thereby keeping wages up). Japan apart, 'more equal' countries = 'high tax' countries.<br /><br />We do not expect a world war or a reaction against feminism, so the Japanese experience is not going to be replicated. In practice, the only way to narrow the wealth gap would be through large-scale redistribution, higher taxes, wage caps and other left-wing policies that Richard Wilkinson has endorsed throughout his career, whether through the Socialist Health Association or the Equality Trust.<br /><br />Whatever the merits of these policies (which, of course, can be espoused with or without The Spirit Level), they are of the left.Christopher Snowdonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15963753745009712865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-17041623555627994322010-06-01T20:09:12.890+01:002010-06-01T20:09:12.890+01:00Hey Chris,
I'm just curious as to why you'...Hey Chris,<br /><br />I'm just curious as to why you're aiming this book as a rebuttal of 'the left' and their recommendations of big government when The Spirit Level doesn't advocate big government and suggests in fact that small governments, like in Japan, do very well?<br /><br />Thanks.D. Kingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-35482617875887196832010-05-22T23:39:50.731+01:002010-05-22T23:39:50.731+01:00Finished it today. I have a feeling it is going to...Finished it today. I have a feeling it is going to be very useful ammunition in the years ahead. Thanks for a good read.Rob Fisherhttp://robfisher.net/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4761750297977694004.post-14782799203359536072010-05-17T07:09:50.348+01:002010-05-17T07:09:50.348+01:00Thanks for posting it so quickly!
I've read i...Thanks for posting it so quickly!<br /><br />I've read it and it is excellent! Very well researched and a gripping read.<br /><br />Thanks again...Barmanhttp://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/index.phpnoreply@blogger.com