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Perhaps this really explains it. If the Pareto distribution has validity, then it applies across economic systems, from free market capitalism to communism. And if true, the question becomes not about equality but which system produces the highest lows and highest highs in terms of income. I can say for a fact that all the trillions of taxpayer dollars spent on poverty since LBJ’s Great Society that America has not maximized the highest lows of income. In other words, the number of people in so-called poverty hasn’t increased when not spending trillions would have increased the income level of what’s considered poverty.
Major take away: there’s always going to be uber rich and poor. Deal with it, don’t waste money on trying to change it since that only makes it worse.