Kate Pickett's latest book, The Good Society, attempts to build upon the foundations laid by her 2009 work, The Spirit Level, which argued that inequality was a driving force behind many societal problems. However, the author now finds herself at odds with some of the key tenets of her own ideology, particularly in relation to GDP growth and inequality.
Pickett's argument is that the UK has become a worse place to live since 2010, with rising child poverty, stagnant life expectancy, and increased incarceration rates. But when it comes to the data on inequality and GDP, the story doesn't quite add up. According to her preferred measure, the Palma ratio, inequality peaked in 2008 and has decreased significantly since then, largely due to progressive taxation policies. Meanwhile, GDP growth has been sluggish compared to previous decades.
Despite acknowledging this discrepancy, Pickett largely sidesteps addressing it, instead opting for a comprehensive policy roadmap that covers various sectors such as healthcare, education, justice, and social care. While her ideas are likely to resonate with those sympathetic to progressive social policies, they lack depth and nuance, often relying on oversimplifications.
One area where Pickett's book shines is in its exploration of Universal Basic Income (UBI), which she advocates for as a means to tackle both inequality and injustice. However, her claims about UBI's transformative potential are overstated, and most small-scale studies have failed to demonstrate the benefits she suggests. Nevertheless, this proposal represents a serious attempt to address pressing social issues.
Pickett's conclusion, advocating for greater use of evidence in policymaking and citizen juries, feels out of touch with the current political climate. Her assertion that "a fairer, healthier, more caring and sustainable society is entirely within our grasp" rings hollow, particularly given the complexity and depth required to address these pressing issues.
Ultimately, The Good Society presents a compelling vision for a more equitable society, but it falls short in delivering a comprehensive, evidence-driven roadmap for achieving that vision. As a result, readers will likely find themselves neither persuaded nor convinced by Pickett's arguments, leaving them with more questions than answers about how to build a better future.
Pickett's argument is that the UK has become a worse place to live since 2010, with rising child poverty, stagnant life expectancy, and increased incarceration rates. But when it comes to the data on inequality and GDP, the story doesn't quite add up. According to her preferred measure, the Palma ratio, inequality peaked in 2008 and has decreased significantly since then, largely due to progressive taxation policies. Meanwhile, GDP growth has been sluggish compared to previous decades.
Despite acknowledging this discrepancy, Pickett largely sidesteps addressing it, instead opting for a comprehensive policy roadmap that covers various sectors such as healthcare, education, justice, and social care. While her ideas are likely to resonate with those sympathetic to progressive social policies, they lack depth and nuance, often relying on oversimplifications.
One area where Pickett's book shines is in its exploration of Universal Basic Income (UBI), which she advocates for as a means to tackle both inequality and injustice. However, her claims about UBI's transformative potential are overstated, and most small-scale studies have failed to demonstrate the benefits she suggests. Nevertheless, this proposal represents a serious attempt to address pressing social issues.
Pickett's conclusion, advocating for greater use of evidence in policymaking and citizen juries, feels out of touch with the current political climate. Her assertion that "a fairer, healthier, more caring and sustainable society is entirely within our grasp" rings hollow, particularly given the complexity and depth required to address these pressing issues.
Ultimately, The Good Society presents a compelling vision for a more equitable society, but it falls short in delivering a comprehensive, evidence-driven roadmap for achieving that vision. As a result, readers will likely find themselves neither persuaded nor convinced by Pickett's arguments, leaving them with more questions than answers about how to build a better future.
I mean, she's trying to tackle some huge issues with her ideas on inequality and GDP growth, but it feels like some of the math just don't add up. 
Like, yeah, let's get rid of child poverty and stuff, but at what cost? 
And her UBI idea is cool and all, but I've seen those small-scale studies she's talking about, they're not always as clear-cut as she makes 'em out to be. 
Still, it's worth a read just to see where she's coming from, even if it doesn't necessarily solve all our problems. 
. But come on, if GDP growth is sluggish compared to previous decades, doesn't that kinda blow her whole "progressive taxation" argument outta the water? 
. What about all the other factors at play back then? And as for UBI, I mean, I get where she's coming from, but those small-scale studies just aren't gonna cut it 
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. Like, we've been trying that for years and look how far it's gotten us 
. I think Pickett's got a lot of good ideas, but she needs to be more realistic about what can actually get done 
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. We need nuance, we need depth, and we need some real-world examples before I start taking her ideas seriously 
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She sets up a great foundation for change, but it feels like she's just glossing over some major issues 
GDP growth and inequality don't add up 
Not just quick fixes or magic solutions 
, but when it comes to GDP, she's like "meh" 
. Her policy roadmap is ambitious, but I'd love to see more depth & nuance 
. But her conclusion feels kinda out of touch with reality 
. We need more nuance & complexity in policymaking, not just feel-good vibes 
. Don't get me wrong, I love her enthusiasm for creating a better society, but we need more than just feel-good ideas – we need concrete evidence and thoughtful analysis 
. Still, I do love her passion for creating a more equitable society 
, it just needs to be tempered with some hard data and real-world solutions 
. She's right that the UK has gotten worse since 2010 - who isn't? 
But she's not giving herself enough credit for acknowledging those problems in the first place.
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. The thing is, I think she's spot on that inequality is a major problem, but her solution feels kinda... wishy-washy? Like, she's all for Universal Basic Income, which is a great idea, but the execution just doesn't feel super solid to me 
? I mean, I get that it's not the only metric, but come on! At least have some tough love for those in power 
. The book does have some great ideas, though - who wouldn't want a fairer society with more healthcare and education options? But we need to be realistic about how we're gonna make it happen 
I need more info before I can get on board with this idea...
. And yeah, I'm totally skeptical about this UBI thing - it sounds like just another way to throw more money at the problem without actually solving it 
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. And when she talks about citizen juries and using evidence in policymaking, I'm not sure that's as simple as just saying "hey, let's try this" 
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like, yeah we gotta address child poverty & stagnant life expectancy for sure... but can't we just get some more nuance in her policy roadmap? 
. I mean, if we're gonna change policies, shouldn't we be looking at the big picture? 
. And while I love her enthusiasm for citizen juries, our current system is way too complex to just 'improve' with a few tweaks 
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. It's like she's taking some of the complexity out for a walk on a nice day, but not actually solving the problem 
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, but it feels kinda... incomplete 
. We need to take a step back and think about how we're even going to make this work 
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. We need concrete solutions and more research to back it up