Week 8: Global inequality

The podcast about why we should care about global inequality attempted to explain why the issues that affect the world economy are actually important to our everyday lives. I believe that global inequality does affect our individual lives, but I would argue that everyone should care about issues of inequality even if we are not directly impacted. Many times, inequality can be considered a humanitarian issue. The fact that so many people live under oppressive governments, in a state of poverty, or in a war torn area, should be of a concern to everyone and not just because it may have some impact on their lives.

It is also important to encourage people to examine how people live throughout the world, including their financial status and what kind of access they have to basic needs such as food, shelter, health care, and education.  The podcast explained that because of the way the world works, and how interconnected we are, inequalities that exist in other countries do heavily influence our lives. The price of products at a local store is influenced by the wage the workers in foreign countries are making. When a country is irresponsible and does not take precautions to protect their environment, it can certainly affect nearby countries and other places throughout the world.  A country with a poor education system or health care system cannot flourish in the global economy because they are lacking basic necessities that wealthier countries have in abundance. Our world is becoming increasingly connected through technology and multinational corporations. It is imperative that we address issues of global inequality because in many ways all countries are dependent on one another.