"Commentators from all sides of politics have expressed concerns about the effect of inequality on the fabric of society in the United States, where the share of wealth held by the richest 1 percent rose from a quarter to two-fifths between 1990 and 2012. But if you think that’s bad, look what’s happened to the world as a whole: in just the decade after 2000, the richest 1 percent of the world’s population increased its wealth from one-third of everything to a half. The top three and a half dozen people now own as much as the bottom three and a half billion. How is democracy possible with that kind of gulf in wealth and power between citizens?"
There is something almost poetic about declaring victory while the smoke is still rising. Not poetic in the romantic sense—more in the way a press release can be mistaken for reality if repeated often enough. So here we are. Another “ceasefire.” Another “agreement.” Another feather in the ever-expanding, never-examined peacemaking cap of Donald Trump . Israel–Iran. Israel–Hezbollah. Israel–Hamas. One could be forgiven for thinking peace has broken out everywhere—if peace meant pauses between airstrikes . The Theater of Victory On cue, Benjamin Netanyahu steps forward, flanked by ministers who speak the language of triumph as if it were immune to contradiction. “Iran weakened.” “Hezbollah contained.” “Total victory.” It all sounds remarkably similar to past declarations—just before the next round of fighting. Because here’s the inconvenient detail buried beneath the applause: none of the stated objectives were actually achieved. Iran still has its missiles. Hezboll...
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