A rising tide of wealth inequalities

Abstract

‘A rising tide lifts all boats’ – the quote from the speech by J.F. Kennedy in September 1960 has been widely used to describe the idea that when an economy is performing well, all people will benefit from it. The theory assuming that economic growth will finally bring about greater justice and prosperity for all still attracts supporters from different backgrounds. There is little doubt, however, that it doesn’t work that way. Economic data show increasing income and wealth disparities in the majority of countries, leaving no doubt that wealth creation mechanisms do not work equally for all. This paper examines key contemporary wealth drivers in an attempt to evaluate their influence on creating wealth inequalities. The analysis is based on vast literature studies, including the latest discussion on Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Looking at the issue from a historical perspective, we come to the conclusion that private ownership rights and capital resources play a decisive role as wealth creation factors. Policy changes, such as deregulation, privatization, and financial secrecy, make the distribution of wealth skewed towards the wealthy, contributing to growing wealth inequalities. The aim of this paper is to highlight the fact that the underlying cause of income and wealth inequalities lies in the uneven access to private ownership of different assets. Further, it aims at provoking a discussion on the right remedies to be undertaken to tackle this problem.