Is inequality inevitable?

986,127 views ・ 2022-10-11

TED-Ed


請雙擊下方英文字幕播放視頻。

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang
00:09
In South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world,
0
9797
3587
南非是世界上最獨不平等的國家之一,
00:13
the richest one-tenth of 1%, owns almost 30% of all the country’s wealth,
1
13384
6256
此地最有錢的千分之一人口
擁有近 30% 該國的財富,
00:19
more than double what the bottom 90% owns.
2
19891
4129
是底層 90% 的人 加總起來的兩倍以上。
00:24
Income and wealth inequality are not new.
3
24103
2419
收入和財富不平等並不是新的現象。
00:26
In fact, economists and historians who’ve charted economic inequality
4
26522
3462
事實上,歷史上曾經研究過 經濟不平等的經濟學家和歷史學家
00:29
throughout history haven’t found a single society without it.
5
29984
3587
都沒有找到任何 沒有這種問題的社會。
00:33
Which raises a bleak question:
6
33571
2002
這就帶出了老問題:
00:35
is inequality inevitable?
7
35573
2544
不平等是無可避免的嗎?
00:38
One way to estimate inequality is with a number called the Gini index,
8
38284
3962
估計不平等的方式之一 是用吉尼係數這個數字,
00:42
which is calculated by comparing the income or wealth distribution
9
42246
3629
其計算方式是將 完全平等社會的收入或財富分佈
00:45
of a perfectly equal society to the actual income or wealth distribution.
10
45875
4880
拿來和實際的收入或財富分佈做比較。
00:51
The area of this shape multiplied by 2 is the Gini index.
11
51005
4046
這個形狀的面積乘以二 就是吉尼係數。
00:55
A Gini of 1 indicates perfect inequality—
12
55051
3253
吉尼係數為一時, 表示完全不平等——
00:58
one person has everything and everyone else has nothing.
13
58304
3587
即一個人擁有一切, 其他人什麼都沒有。
01:01
You’d never see this in real life
14
61974
1585
現實中不會出現這個狀況, 因為那個人以外的人都會餓死。
01:03
because everyone except that one person would starve.
15
63559
2753
01:06
A Gini index of 0 indicates perfect equality—
16
66521
3420
吉尼係數為零時,表示完全平等——
01:09
everyone has exactly the same income or wealth.
17
69941
2878
每個人的收入或財富都完全相同。
01:13
But you also never see this in real life, not even in communist countries,
18
73027
3545
但在現實中也不會出現, 連共產國家都沒有,
01:16
because for one thing, that would mean paying everyone—
19
76572
2628
其中一個原因是, 那就表示支付每個人——
01:19
no matter how young, old, what job they’re in or where they work—
20
79200
3378
不論多年輕、多年老、 做什麼工作、是否有工作——
01:22
the exact same wage.
21
82578
1585
完全相同的工資。
01:24
Typical after-tax Ginis in developed countries today are around 0.3,
22
84330
4254
現今,在已開發國家, 稅後的吉尼係數大約是 0.3,
01:28
though there’s a wide range from pretty equal to pretty unequal.
23
88584
3963
不過,範圍相當大, 從非常平等到非常不平等。
01:32
Before we go any further, you should know what the Gini index—
24
92922
3170
繼續談下去之前,
你應該要知道吉尼係數 或任何其他經濟不平等的測量值
01:36
or any other measure of economic inequality— doesn’t tell us:
25
96092
3920
沒有告訴我們什麼:
01:40
it gives no information about how income and wealth are distributed
26
100346
3212
它沒有任何關於收入及財富 在不同屬性上的分佈資訊:
01:43
across genders, races, educational backgrounds or other demographics;
27
103558
4588
比如性別、種族、教育程度, 或其他人口統計屬性;
01:48
it doesn’t tell us how easy or difficult it is to escape poverty.
28
108146
4295
它也無法告訴我們 要脫離貧困是容易或困難。
01:52
And it also gives no insight as to how a particular society
29
112567
3503
它也無法洞察某個特定社會如何
01:56
arrived at its present level of inequality.
30
116070
2711
走到現今的不平等狀態。
01:59
Economic inequality is deeply entangled with other types of inequality:
31
119323
4171
經濟不平等和其他類型的不平等 深深糾結在一起:
02:03
for example, generations of discrimination, imperialism,
32
123494
3462
比如,世世代代的歧視、 帝國主義,以及殖民主義
02:06
and colonialism
33
126956
1168
02:08
created deeply rooted power and class inequalities
34
128124
3003
都會造成根深蒂固的 權力和階級不平等,
02:11
that persist to this day.
35
131127
1710
一直留傳至今。
02:13
But we still need at least a rough measure of who gets how much in a country.
36
133087
4213
但我們至少仍需對國家財富分配 有個粗略的測量值。
02:17
That’s what the Gini index gives us.
37
137383
2211
那就是吉尼係數能告訴我們的。
02:19
Some countries are, economically, much more unequal than others.
38
139594
4254
在經濟面上,有些國家 遠比其他國家更不平等。
02:23
And that’s because a significant portion of economic inequality
39
143848
3295
那是因為很大一部分的經濟不平等
02:27
is the result of choices that governments make.
40
147143
3211
是政府所做的選擇造成的結果。
02:30
Let's talk about some of these choices.
41
150563
1877
咱們來談談其中一些選擇。
02:32
First: what kind of economy to use.
42
152440
2919
第一,要用哪種經濟結構。
02:35
In the 20th century, some countries switched to socialism or communism
43
155484
4505
在二十世紀,
有些國家轉換到 社會主義或共產主義,
02:39
for a variety of reasons,
44
159989
1376
理由各式各樣,
02:41
including reducing economic inequality.
45
161365
2545
包括減少經濟不平等在內。
02:43
These changes did dramatically reduce economic inequality
46
163993
3587
這些改變確實能大大減少 經濟上的不平等,
02:47
in the two largest non-capitalist economies,
47
167580
2753
最大的兩個非資本主義 經濟體就是實例,
02:50
China and the Soviet Union— especially in the Soviet Union.
48
170333
3628
中國和蘇聯——
特別是蘇聯。
02:54
But neither country prospered as much as the world's leading economies.
49
174170
3712
但這兩個國家都沒有世界 名列前茅的經濟體那麼繁榮。
02:58
So yes, people earned about as much as their neighbors did,
50
178007
2961
沒錯,大家賺的錢和鄰居差不多, 但也真的是不多。
03:00
but that wasn’t very much.
51
180968
1460
03:02
This— and many other issues— contributed to the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.
52
182845
5297
這和許多其他議題 促成蘇聯在 1991 年解體。
03:08
And China, to grow more quickly, shifted its economy towards capitalism
53
188267
3712
而中國,為了更快速成長,
在 1970 年代末開始將其經濟 轉向資本主義的方向。
03:11
starting in the late 1970s.
54
191979
2253
03:14
What about capitalist countries?
55
194482
1543
那資本主義國家呢?
03:16
Can they choose to reduce economic inequality?
56
196025
2336
它們能選擇減少經濟不平等嗎?
03:18
It’s tempting to think
57
198694
1835
很容易會想:
「不,因為資本主義的重點
03:20
“no, because the whole point of capitalism is to hoard enough gold coins
58
200529
4046
就是要像唐老鴨的守財奴叔叔 把金幣堆到可以鑽進去的程度。
03:24
to be able to dive into them like Scrooge McDuck.”
59
204575
3212
03:28
China seems to provide the textbook example of this:
60
208287
2836
這方面,中國似乎就像是 教科書上的範例一樣:
03:31
after it became more capitalist,
61
211123
1752
在中國變得更資本主義之後, 它的吉尼係數飆升,
03:32
its Gini index shot up from under 0.4 to over 0.55.
62
212875
4755
從不到 0.4 衝破 0.55。
03:37
Meanwhile, its per capita yearly income
63
217964
2419
同時,中國的人均年收入 從大約一千五百美金跳升
03:40
jumped from the rough equivalent of $1,500 to over $13,000.
64
220383
4629
到超過一萬三千美金。
03:45
But there are many counter-examples:
65
225596
1835
但也有許多反例:
03:47
capitalist countries in which inequality is actually holding steady or decreasing.
66
227431
4421
有些資本主義國家的不平等 能保持不變或下降。
03:52
France has kept its Gini index below 0.32 since 1979.
67
232019
4213
1979 年起,法國的吉尼係數 就一直維持在 0.32 以下。
03:56
Ireland's Gini has been trending mostly downward since 1995.
68
236399
4087
愛爾蘭的吉尼係數從 1995 年後 就大部分是向下的趨勢。
04:00
The Netherlands and Denmark have kept theirs below 0.28 since the 1980s.
69
240653
5130
1990 年代後,荷蘭和丹麥的 吉尼係數一直保持在 0.28 以下。
04:05
How do they do it?
70
245950
1501
它們怎麼辦到的?
04:07
One way is with taxes.
71
247451
2002
其中一招和稅有關。
04:09
Personal income taxes in most countries are progressive:
72
249453
3045
大部分國家的個人所得稅採累進稅率:
04:12
the more money you make, the higher your tax rate.
73
252498
2419
賺得越多,稅率就越高。
04:14
And the more progressive your tax system, the more it reduces inequality.
74
254917
3712
稅制的稅率越是累進, 就越能減少不平等。
04:18
So, for example, while pre-tax income inequality in France
75
258713
3545
舉例來說,在法國的稅前收入不平等
04:22
is roughly the same as it is in the US,
76
262258
2669
和美國大致上不相上下,
04:24
post-tax inequality in France is roughly 20% lower.
77
264927
4546
法國的稅後不平等
約比美國低 20%。
04:29
Meanwhile, inheritance taxes can reduce the amount of wealth
78
269724
3336
同時,用遺產稅
可以減少一個家族 世世代代累積的財富量。
04:33
that a single family can amass over generations.
79
273060
2836
04:36
Germany and many other European countries have inheritance or estate taxes
80
276063
4296
德國和許多其他歐洲國家 會課遺產稅或房地產遺產稅,
04:40
that kick in at a few thousand to a few hundred thousand Euros,
81
280359
3295
金額從幾千到幾十萬歐洲不等,
04:43
depending on who's inheriting.
82
283654
1794
依繼承人身分而不同。
04:45
The US, on the other hand,
83
285698
1335
另一方面,美國則容許
04:47
lets you inherit $12 million without paying any federal tax.
84
287033
4504
一千兩百萬美金的聯邦遺產免稅額。
04:51
Another way is with transfers—
85
291871
2127
另一招是運用轉移——
04:53
when the government takes tax revenues from one group of people
86
293998
2961
也就是政府將一群人 繳的稅金給予另一群人。
04:56
and gives it to another.
87
296959
1668
04:58
For example, Social Security programs tax people who work
88
298627
3421
舉例來說,向工作的人課社安稅,
05:02
and use the revenue to support retirees.
89
302048
2377
用這些稅收來支助退休者。
05:04
In Italy, about a quarter of Italians’ disposable household income
90
304633
4213
在義大利,
義大利人的可支配 家庭收入約有四分之一
05:08
comes from government transfers.
91
308846
1919
來自政府轉移。
05:10
That’s a lot, especially relative to the US,
92
310765
2586
那算是很多,特別是和美國比,
05:13
where the figure is just over 5%.
93
313351
2335
美國的這個比率只比 5% 多一點。
05:15
A third way is to ensure that everyone has access to things
94
315936
2962
第三招是確保人人都能 接受教育和取得健康照護。
05:18
like education and healthcare.
95
318898
2085
05:20
A highly educated, healthy workforce can command a higher salary on the market,
96
320983
4463
教育程度高且健康的勞動力
在市場上能取得較高的薪資,
05:25
thus reducing inequality.
97
325446
1585
因而減少不平等。
05:27
The fourth way is addressing the digital divide:
98
327740
2252
第四招是解決數位落差:
05:29
the gap between those who have access to the Internet and those who do not.
99
329992
3796
也就是能上網的人 和無法上網的人之間的落差。
05:34
A fifth way is dealing with extreme wealth.
100
334330
3211
第五招是處理極端的財富。
05:37
Multibillionaires can buy social media platforms,
101
337625
3503
億萬富翁可以買到社群媒體平台、
05:41
news outlets, policy think-tanks, perhaps even politicians,
102
341128
3629
新聞出處、策略智囊團, 也許甚至能買到政客,
05:44
and bend them to their will,
103
344757
1793
讓政客順著他們,
05:46
threatening the very fabric of democracy.
104
346550
2753
威脅到民主的結構。
05:49
We are just barely scratching the surface of inequality here.
105
349595
3545
這裡我們只點到不平等的皮毛而已。
05:53
We haven’t touched on the drastic divides in who has wealth and who doesn’t;
106
353140
4338
我們還沒談到 誰富誰貧的巨大落差,
05:57
the power structures that prevent social and economic mobility;
107
357686
3212
阻擋社會和經濟流動的權力結構,
06:00
and the drastic inequality between countries—
108
360898
3045
以及國家間的嚴重不平等——
06:03
the fact that, for example,
109
363943
1334
比如,光是三個美國人擁有的財富
06:05
just three Americans have 90 billion more dollars than Egypt,
110
365277
5464
就比埃及全國多九百億美金的事實,
06:10
a country of 100 million people.
111
370741
2294
埃及還是個有一億人口的國家呢。
06:13
And here’s one final thing to think about: power and wealth are self-reinforcing,
112
373661
4755
最後,還可以思考一點:
權力和財富會自我強化,
06:18
which means that equality is not.
113
378416
2419
那就表示平等不會。
06:20
Left to their own devices, societies tend toward inequality—
114
380835
4296
若放任社會自己發展, 社會就會傾向不平等——
06:25
unless we weaken the feedback loops of wealth and power concentration.
115
385131
4004
除非我們能削弱財富 和權力集中的回饋迴路。

Original video on YouTube.com
關於本網站

本網站將向您介紹對學習英語有用的 YouTube 視頻。 您將看到來自世界各地的一流教師教授的英語課程。 雙擊每個視頻頁面上顯示的英文字幕,從那裡播放視頻。 字幕與視頻播放同步滾動。 如果您有任何意見或要求,請使用此聯繫表與我們聯繫。

https://forms.gle/WvT1wiN1qDtmnspy7