As we segregate by income into different communities, schools in lower-income areas have fewer resources than ever.
Robert ReichRead
A lot of attention has been going to social values - abortion, gay rights, other divisive issues - but economic values are equally important.
Interpretation
Economic values are as crucial as social values in contemporary discussions.
In the quote, Robert Reich emphasizes that while various social issues such as abortion and gay rights dominate public discourse, it is vital to recognize that economic values also play a significant role in societal welfare and justice. He suggests a more balanced perspective that integrates both social and economic dimensions in discussions of societal progress and policy making.
In practice
In a debate about public policy, I referenced Robert Reich's quote to highlight the importance of considering economic factors.
As we segregate by income into different communities, schools in lower-income areas have fewer resources than ever.
What are called 'public schools' in many of America's wealthy communities aren't really 'public' at all. In effect, they're private schools, whose tuition is hidden away in the purchase price of upscale homes there, and in the corresponding property taxes.
What someone is paid has little or no relationship to what their work is worth to society.
Tax laws favor capital over labor, giving capital gains a lower rate than ordinary income. The rich get humongous mortgage interest deductions while renters get no deduction at all.
The dirty little secret is that both houses of Congress are irrelevant. ... America's domestic policy is now being run by Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve, and America's foreign policy is now being run by the International Monetary Fund [IMF]. ...when the president decides to go to war, he no longer needs a declaration of war from Congress.
You can't inspire people if you are going to be uninspiring.
The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
So when a great man dies For years beyond our ken The light he leaves behind him lies Upon the paths of men.
Let the moment go. . . . Don't forget it for a moment, though. Just remembering you've had an "and" when you're back to "or" makes the "or" mean more than it did before. . . . Now I understand! And it's time to leave the woods.
Throughout history many nations have suffered a physical defeat, but that has never marked the end of a nation. But when a nation has become the victim of a psychological defeat, then that marks the end of a nation.
If one is devoid of hope and thanksgiving, he cannot for long remain sinless, for he will, in despair, have slackened his resolve. Feelings of futility foster vulnerability. Self-pity is such a busy stagehand, rearranging the scenery to help sin make its entrance. No wonder the prophets say that without faith in the Lord, there is no hope.
All legitimate government is a mutual insurance company, voluntarily agreed upon by the parties to it, for the protection of their rights against wrong-doers. In its voluntary character it is precisely similar to an association for mutual protection against fire or shipwreck.
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