Headline, May24, 2014

''' THE KIDNAPPING OF EQUALITY 

: !WOW! ''''

AT LEAST 16 Nigerians were killed in March in stampede when nearly a  ''half million people''   applied for fewer than  5000 government jobs.

Frederick Kusompwa, student, eagerly joined thousands of job seekers at the national stadium in Abuja, Nigeria,   -one of the application sites:

Only to watch people climbing over each other, clawing for registration forms:

''I just asked myself, What has my country become?''

The interior minister, whose office oversaw the recruitment, announced that the dead  ''lost their lives through their impatience.''

Thousands apply for  20 full scholarships offered by the Institute of Petroleum Studies at the  University of  Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta:

Celestina Johnson, an administrator at the institute, said she often wanted to cry during the interview because so many of the applicants would never ''ever get a chance.'' As she spoke-

The electricity went out   -an everyday occurrence in Nigeria. ''If this country's condition continues, there will be a mass revolt,'' Ms Johnson said. ''The country will break.''

But now on to the main sweeping theme of the continuing post:

Canadians and Europeans also live longer, on average, than Americans do. The Canadian children are less likely to die than the American children. And, American women are twice as likely to die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth as Canadian women.

The American Universities are the best in the world. Head and Shoulders  -of and over anything you can ever imagine. But, children in other industrialized countries, on average, get a better education than the American children.

A recent O.E.C.D. report found that for people aged  16 to 24,  Americans ranked last among rich countries in numeracy and technological proficiency.

Economic mobility is tricky to measure, but several studies show that a child born in the bottom 20%  economically is less likely to rise to the top in America than in Europe.

A Danish child is twice as likely to rise as an American child.

Three data points emerge:

The top 1% in America now own assets worth more than those held by by the entire bottom 90%.

The six Walmart Heirs are are worth as much as the bottom  41%  of American households put together.

The top six hedge fund managers and traders averaged more than $2billion each in earnings last year, partly because of the egregious  ''carried--interest''  tax break. President Obama has been unable to get financing for universal prekindergarten.

This year's proposed federal budget for pre-K for all, so important to America's future, would be a bit more than a single month's earnings for those six tycoons.

Inequality has become a hot topic, propelling Bill de Blasio to become a mayor of New York City, turning Senator Elizabeth Warren into a star, and elevating the economist Thomas Pikety into such a demigod!

 ''All this growing awareness is a hopeful sign, because there are policy steps that we could take that would create opportunity and dampen inequality,'' reasons the author, who also takes you right to the end of the post: 

'' We could stop subsidizing private jets and: Too-big-to-fail banks, and direct those funds to early education programs that help break the cycle of poverty. 

We could invest less in prisons and more in schools. We can impose a financial transaction tax and use the proceeds:

To broaden jobs programs like the earned income tax credit and career academies 

And as Alan S Blinder of   Princeton University   has outlined, we can give companies tax credits for creating new jobs.

It's time to bring the American Dream from exile.'''

With respectful dedication to the Students of the world. See Ya all on !WOW!  -the World Students Society Computers-Internet-Wireless:

''' The Grand Choice '''

Good Night & God Bless!

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless