1. Oxfam thinks it's useful to highlight wealth inequality, and that highlighting a problem makes it more likely that people will take action on it. Does this make them "naive"? Was Occupy Wall Street "naive"? Didn't they also try to highlight income and wealth inequality, in the belief that highlighting a problem makes it more likely that the problem will be addressed? Is there any record of Patrick Bond calling Occupy Wall Street "naive"?
2. I'm not sure that the study reporting a decline of trust in all institutions is something to celebrate. I don't doubt that a similar survey conducted in Germany three months before the election of Hitler would have produced similar results. An undifferentiated decline in trust does not necessarily make the world a better place. People who don't trust anything may be more easily recruited to endorse any atrocity. Also, the author seems to be particularly bothered by this: [...] Trust is higher in developments in the technology, financial services and health industries, including electronic and mobile payments (69 percent) and personal health trackers (59 percent). *However, innovations introduced in the energy and food sectors, such as hydraulic fracturing (47 percent) and genetically modified foods (32 percent), are viewed with far more skepticism.* Trust in a particular industry sector does not assure confidence in that industry's particular innovation. *The food and beverage sector (67 percent) is one of the most trusted, yet only 35 percent are confident it can develop and implement genetically modified foods.* [...] A. It's not obvious why we should join the author in lamenting the lack of public trust in GMOs and fracking. B. If the decline in trust is wonderful, what should we say about the financial services industry having higher trust? Then we have this: [...] Globally, CEOs (43 percent) and *government officials (38 percent) continue to be the least credible sources*, lagging far behind academic or *industry experts (70 percent)* and a person like yourself (63 percent). In the developing world, *CEO credibility trends thirty points higher at 61 percent.* Other key findings from the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer include: *Government remains the least trusted institution for the fourth consecutive year*, with trust levels below 50 percent in 19 of 27 countries, including the U.S. (41 percent), U.K. (43 percent) and Japan (40 percent). [...] In what universe is it a victory for socialism that people trust government less than CEOs and "industry experts"? Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org [email protected] (202) 448-2898 x1 On Wed, Jan 21, 2015 at 12:14 AM, Patrick Bond <[email protected]> wrote: > (Touching albeit distracting naivety from Oxfam's CEO: “*I am optimistic > that there will be change. A few years ago the idea that extreme poverty > was harmful was on the fringes of the economic and political debate. But > having made the case we are now seeing an emerging consensus among business > leaders, economic leaders, political leaders and even faith leaders*.” > Luckily though, most of the world needs no such reality check, as the > Edelman survey below finds "*alarming evaporation of trust across all > institutions, reaching the lows of the Great Recession in 2009. Trust in > government, business, media and NGOs in the general population is below 50 > percent in two-thirds of countries*.") > > New Oxfam report says half of global wealth held by the 1% > Oxfam warns of widening inequality gap, days ahead of Davos economic > summit in Switzerland > > - Larry Elliott <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/larryelliott>, > economics editor, and Ed Pilkington > <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/edpilkington> > - The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian>, Monday 19 > January 2015 > > [image: Davos] The Swiss ski resort of Davos, home to the annual > meeting of the World Economic Forum. Photograph: Christian Kober/Robert > Hardi/REX > > Billionaires and politicians gathering in Switzerland this week will come > under pressure to tackle rising inequality after a study found that – on > current trends – by next year, 1% of the world’s population will own more > wealth than the other 99%. > > Ahead of this week’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the > ski resort of Davos > <http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/18/seven-themes-dominate-davos-climate-change-political-instability-2015>, > the anti-poverty charity Oxfam said it would use its high-profile role at > the gathering to demand urgent action to narrow the gap between rich and > poor. > > The charity’s research, published on Monday, > <http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/wealth-having-it-all-and-wanting-more-338125>shows > that the share of the world’s wealth owned by the best-off 1% has increased > from 44% in 2009 to 48% in 2014, while the least well-off 80% currently own > just 5.5%. > > Oxfam added that on current trends the richest 1% would own more than 50% > of the world’s wealth by 2016. > > Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International and one of the > six co-chairs at this year’s WEF, said the increased concentration of > wealth seen since the deep recession of 2008-09 was dangerous and needed to > be reversed. > > In an interview with the Guardian, Byanyima said: “We want to bring a > message from the people in the poorest countries in the world to the forum > of the most powerful business and political leaders. > > “The message is that rising inequality is dangerous. It’s bad for growth > and it’s bad for governance. We see a concentration of wealth capturing > power and leaving ordinary people voiceless and their interests uncared > for.” > > Oxfam made headlines at Davos last year with a study showing that the 85 > richest people on the planet have the same wealth as the poorest 50% > <http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/20/oxfam-85-richest-people-half-of-the-world> > (3.5 billion people). The charity said this year that the comparison was > now even more stark, with just 80 people owning the same amount of wealth > as more than 3.5 billion people, down from 388 in 2010. > > Byanyima said: “Do we really want to live in a world where the 1% own more > than the rest of us combined? The scale of global inequality is quite > simply staggering and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the > gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast.” > > Separate research by the Equality Trust, which campaigns to reduce > inequality in the UK, found that the richest 100 families in Britain in > 2008 had seen their combined wealth increase by at least £15bn, a period > during which average income increased by £1,233. Britain’s current richest > 100 had the same wealth as 30% of UK households, it added. > > Inequality has moved up the political agenda over the past half-decade > amid concerns that the economic recovery since the global downturn of > 2008-09 has been accompanied by a squeeze on living standards and an > increase in the value of assets owned by the rich, such as property and > shares. > > Pope Francis and the IMF managing director Christine Lagarde have been > among those warning that rising inequality will damage the world economy if > left unchecked, while the theme of Thomas Piketty’s best-selling book > Capital > <http://bookshop.theguardian.com/capital-in-the-twenty-first-century.html> > was the drift back towards late 19th century levels of wealth concentration. > > Barack Obama’s penultimate State of the Union address on Tuesday is also > expected to be dominated by the issue of income inequality. > > He will propose a redistributive tax plan to extract more than $300bn > (£200bn) in extra taxes from the 1% of rich earners in order to fund > benefits specifically targeted at working families. > > However, the odds of the White House having any success persuading > Congress to adopt the plan, given the Republicans’ new grip on both > chambers, are extremely long. But Obama’s embrace of what he calls > “middle-class economics” – as opposed to the trickle-down economics of the > Republicans – is likely to ensure that inequality remains a pivotal theme > of the 2016 presidential campaign. > > Oxfam said the wealth of the richest 80 doubled in cash terms between 2009 > and 2014, and that there was an increasing tendency for wealth to be > inherited and to be used as a lobbying tool by the rich to further their > own interests. It noted that more than a third of the 1,645 billionaires > listed by Forbes inherited some or all of their riches, while 20% have > interests in the financial and insurance sectors, a group which saw their > cash wealth increase by 11% in the 12 months to March 2014. > > These sectors spent $550m lobbying policymakers in Washington and Brussels > during 2013. During the 2012 US election cycle alone, the financial sector > provided $571m in campaign contributions. > > Byanyima said: “I was surprised to be invited to be a co-chair at Davos > because we are a critical voice. We go there to challenge these powerful > elites. It is an act of courage to invite me.” > > Oxfam said it was calling on governments to adopt a seven point plan: > > • Clamp down on tax dodging by corporations and rich individuals. > > • Invest in universal, free public services such as health and education. > > • Share the tax burden fairly, shifting taxation from labour and > consumption towards capital and wealth. > > • Introduce minimum wages and move towards a living wage for all workers. > > • Introduce equal pay legislation and promote economic policies to give > women a fair deal. > > • Ensure adequate safety-nets for the poorest, including a minimum-income > guarantee. > > • Agree a global goal to tackle inequality. > > Speaking to the Guardian, Byanyima added: “Extreme inequality is not just > an accident or a natural rule of economics. It is the result of policies > and with different policies it can be reduced. I am optimistic that there > will be change. > > “A few years ago the idea that extreme poverty was harmful was on the > fringes of the economic and political debate. But having made the case we > are now seeing an emerging consensus among business leaders, economic > leaders, political leaders and even faith leaders.” > *** > > Trust in Institutions Drops to Level of Great Recession 2015 Edelman > Trust Barometer Finds Overly Rapid Pace of Change in Business Innovation > > > NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2015 Edelman Trust > Barometer reveals an alarming evaporation of trust across all institutions, > reaching the lows of the Great Recession in 2009. Trust in government, > business, media and NGOs in the general population is below 50 percent in > two-thirds of countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan. > Informed public respondents are nearly as distrustful, registering trust > levels below 50 percent in half of the countries surveyed. > > "There has been a startling decrease in trust across all institutions > driven by the unpredictable and unimaginable events of 2014," said Richard > Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman. "The spread of Ebola in West Africa; > the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, plus two subsequent air > disasters; the arrests of top Chinese Government officials; the foreign > exchange rate rigging by six global banks; and numerous data breaches, most > recently at Sony Pictures by a sovereign nation, have shaken confidence." > > For the first time, the Barometer looked at trust and its link to > innovation and found that trust issues are hindering acceptance of > technological advancements. A majority of respondents believe innovation is > happening too quickly (51 percent) and that it is being driven by greed (54 > percent) and business growth imperatives (66 percent), while only some (24 > percent) see it being done to make the world a better place. More than half > (55 percent) feel business is not doing enough testing on new developments. > Consumers also want stronger regulations of business (46 percent), yet > across major industries surveyed, only half trust policy makers to develop > and implement appropriate regulations. > > "The pace of change has never been faster and innovation has become an > even greater imperative for business success," said Edelman. "Innovation > should be a trust accelerator, but today it is not. To invent is no longer > enough. There must be a new compact between company and individual, where > companies demonstrate that innovations are safe based on independent > research, provide both societal and personal benefit and are committed to > the protection of customer data." > > The Barometer reveals a strong correlation between a country's trust level > and its willingness to accept innovation. The United Arab Emirates, India > and Indonesia, the top three countries on the trust index, are the most > accepting of innovation. Conversely, several European nations, including > Germany, France and Spain, plus Japan and Korea, which are at the bottom > of the trust index, are far less accepting of technological developments. > Overall, developing markets are more open to innovation than developed (65 > percent versus 44 percent). > > Trust levels vary significantly based on the type of innovation. Trust is > higher in developments in the technology, financial services and health > industries, including electronic and mobile payments (69 percent) and > personal health trackers (59 percent). However, innovations introduced in > the energy and food sectors, such as hydraulic fracturing (47 percent) and > genetically modified foods (32 percent), are viewed with far more > skepticism. Trust in a particular industry sector does not assure > confidence in that industry's particular innovation. The food and beverage > sector (67 percent) is one of the most trusted, yet only 35 percent are > confident it can develop and implement genetically modified foods. > > Respondents identified a number of actions that would increase trust in an > industry to implement innovations: making test results publicly available > for review (80 percent), partnering with credible third parties, including > academic institutions (75 percent), and running clinical trials or beta > tests (71 percent). > > "Trusted innovation can only be achieved when business adopts a new > framework rooted in sharing information and fostering collaboration," said Ben > Boyd, president of Practices, Sectors and Offerings. "While developing > innovations, business must invite open conversation and continually listen > to stakeholders." > > This year signaled the end of an era of recovery of trust in business, as > trust in that institution declined in two-thirds of the markets and is now > below 50 percent in 14 countries, the worst showing since 2008. The largest > drops occurred in Canada (15 points to 47 percent), Germany (12 points to > 45 percent), Australia (11 points to 48 percent) and Singapore (10 points > to 61 percent). This is highlighted by drops in the once impenetrable > technology industry, which is still the most trusted but saw declines in > trust in most countries for the first time. > > The decline in trust in the CEO as a credible spokesperson continued for > the third consecutive year, with trust levels now at 31 percent in > developed markets. Globally, CEOs (43 percent) and government officials (38 > percent) continue to be the least credible sources, lagging far behind > academic or industry experts (70 percent) and a person like yourself (63 > percent). In the developing world, CEO credibility trends thirty points > higher at 61 percent. > > *Other key findings from the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer include:* > > - Government remains the least trusted institution for the fourth > consecutive year, with trust levels below 50 percent in 19 of 27 countries, > including the U.S. (41 percent), U.K. (43 percent) and Japan (40 > percent). > - Media as an institution is distrusted by 60 percent of countries and > for the first time, online search engines are now a more trusted source for > general news and information (64 percent) than traditional media (62 > percent). > - Trust in NGOs declined for only the second time but remained the > most trusted institution. In 19 of 27 countries, trust in NGOs fell or > remained at equal levels to the previous year and saw dramatic drops in the > U.K. (16 points) and China (12 points). > - There is a tangible impact of trust. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) > of respondents refuse to buy products and services from a company they do > not trust, while 58 percent will criticize them to a friend or colleague. > Conversely, 80 percent chose to buy products from companies they trusted, > with 68 percent recommending those companies to a friend. > - A majority of respondents (81 percent) believe a company can take > specific actions that both increase profits and improve the economic and > social conditions in the community where it operates, while three-quarters > (75 percent) feel a company can be more profitable by finding ways to solve > social and community problems. > > *ABOUT EDELMAN* > > Edelman is the world's largest public relations firm, with more than 5,000 > employees in 65 cities, as well as affiliates in more than 35 cities. > Edelman was named one of Advertising Age's "A-List Agencies" in both 2010 > and 2011, and an "Agency to Watch" in 2014; Adweek's "2011 PR Agency of the > Year;" PRWeek's "2011 Large PR Agency of the Year;" and The Holmes Report's > "2013 Global Agency of the Year" and its 2012 "Digital Agency of the Year." > Edelman has been awarded seven Cannes Lions including the Grand Prix for PR > in 2014. Edelman was named one of the "Best Places to Work" by Advertising > Age in 2010 and 2012 and among Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work" in 2011, > 2013 and 2014. Edelman owns specialty firms Edelman Berland (research), > Edelman Deportivo (creative), Blue (advertising), BioScience > Communications (medical communications) and agency Edelman Significa ( > Brazil). Visit http://www.edelman.com for more information. > > *ABOUT THE EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER * > > The 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer is the firm's 15th annual trust and > credibility survey. The survey was powered by research firm Edelman Berland > and consisted of 20-minute online interviews conducted on October 13th – > November > 24th, 2014. The 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer online survey sampled 27,000 > general population respondents with an oversample of 6,000 informed publics > ages 25-64 across 27 markets. All informed publics met the following > criteria: college-educated; household income in the top quartile for their > age in their country; read or watch business/news media at least several > times a week; follow public policy issues in the news at least several > times a week. For more information, visit www.edelman.com/trust2015 > > > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > >
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