Yahoo Finance Get angry if you will, but don’t forget the nuance
Some things are complicated. Scratch that – pretty much everything is complicated. Layered. Nuanced.
Take wealthy people and their wealthy ways. It feels good to disparage rich people, right? With their gas-guzzlers and offshore swag and private texts to the government begging for money. Eye of a needle, and all that.
Only it turns out that not all rich people are evil. Not every billionaire is a cartoon baddy. Things are complicated. People are complicated. Nuanced.
Our reporter Rupert Neate has been speaking to a remarkable group of millionaires who, despite their startling wealth, seem to have the right ideas about fairness and equality.
They argue that, instead of leaving the super-rich to channel their billions into philanthropic projects, higher taxes should be used to fund public services, welfare and tackle growing inequality.
As Rupert points out in his piece, an annual wealth tax of just 2% on those with more than $50m (£36m) and 6% on those worth a billion or more – as proposed by the US senator Elizabeth Warren – would raise more than $4tn over 10 years in the US. That’s $4,000,000,000,000. You could do quite a bit with that.
The article unpicks the idea that high taxes would just send every rich person hurrying to emigrate. Life is more complicated than that. Nuanced.
Otherwise, this week we cautiously welcomed the following pieces, while noting the nuance in all of them:
The sea rice that could prove a new superfood. Three-minute read.
More reassuring vaccine news. 90-second jab.
The Mexican women who kicked out the cartels. Six-minute video.
The school aiming to save a language. Five-minute read.
France bans some domestic flights. Two-minute hop.
Lucky numbers
Britain’s electricity grid enjoyed its greenest day ever over the Easter weekend, with the amount of carbon dioxide produced for every kilowatt hour of electricity plummeting to a new low point.
US consumer spending rose sharply in March, amid gathering signs of an economic recovery.
What we liked
We are curious about a new solutions outfit, Geneva Solutions, a nonprofit and independent journalism platform covering the work of international organisations based in Geneva.
This is a very good, nuanced article about the rise and rise of video conference courts – trial by Zoom, if you like. From the Atlantic.
And we enjoyed this Vox piece for every frazzled parent out there: what if childcare was free?
What we heard
Last time out, we invited you to give us your very own “rule of six” that might govern some aspect of your life. We had some creative responses – and a few printable ones as well. Here are some of them.
Les Moore wrote in from southeast England:
Perform at least one random act of kindness to others/another on six days of the week, and on the seventh (not necessarily Sunday) ensure you are kind to yourself in at least six different ways.
Great – today my random act of kindness is sending out the Upside newsletter.
Meanwhile, half the world away in Sydney, Margie Horan had some timely advice:
Be outside at 6am or 6pm and enjoy the light. It may be bright, or brightening, fading or completely dark as the seasons roll around. It’s a great time of day to observe the sky, trees and especially birds wherever in the world you are …
And Ellen Nygaard sent over some of her rules of six from Alberta, Canada:
Six is the ideal number of people for:
- a committee
- a dinner party
- a book discussion group
- a party of travellers
- a study group
- a ‘shortlist’ of interviewees for a job
And the last word goes to Neshona, in Oregon, US:
Take a shower and wash hair only on days that can be divided evenly by six. In between, do quick basin washes of essential areas. Not only does this save water, electricity used to heat that water, plus soap, shampoo or whatever items you’d normally use, but your hair won’t be stripped of its natural oils so quickly and your microcosm will thank you.
Spend at least six hours of the day outdoors connecting with the land and enjoying nature. Just dress for the weather.
Find six local or small nonprofits to help a year. Your money will make a larger difference to them than the huge international nonprofits that take in millions.
Where was the Upside?
In newly reopened pubs and restaurants up and down England, where the tills were finally ringing again.
Also, this picture of a horse is pretty much all Upside.
