In this week’s Missing Link Friday: inequality, McMansions, education, brown coal and flaming kittens.
Inequality: Why don’t Australians complain more about wealth inequality? According to David Neal at The Conversation it’s because most of us underestimate how unequal the distribution really is.
McMansions: At Blogger on the Cast Iron Balcony, Helen debates the merits of McMansions. Commenters Legal Eagle, Tigtog, lauredhel, DA Munroe and others add value.
Get a Tardis: At the Grattan Institute Oxford University VC Andrew Hamilton will talk about how to create a world class university. John Quiggin has an answer: "’found it in 1700, or preferably earlier".
Norton’s new job: After 11 years working for the Centre for Independent Studies and the University of Melbourne, Andrew Norton has a new job. Andrew is moving to the Grattan Institute to direct their new higher education program.
Privatising public education: At Larvatus Prodeo, Mercurius argues we’re well on our way to a privatised public education system. Such a system would allow ministers to "evade any notion of responsibility or accountability." Whenever something goes wrong, the minister "can simply re-assign the contract to a different provider, brave the cameras and assure the public that the system is working…"
Arts degrees: Is an arts degree a worthwhile investment in human capital? Andrew Norton is sceptical. He suspects the major benefits are "consumption and personal development."
Sceptical students: At In Socrates’ Wake, Michael Cholbi posts a reader’s question: How to deal with student moral skepticism in philosophy class. The comments thread includes references to flaming kittens, Nazis, and leaping from your BMW to steal food from a homeless person.
Brown out: “There appears to be lots of ‘doom and gloom’ around brown coal generation in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley under the carbon tax", writes Stephen King at Core Economics. However "It is far from obvious that this is justified – at least in the next few years."
Was intrigued by the piece about McMansions but the only link contained therein to an academic study was going to cost Euro 35.
Here is a blog analysing the study about apartments Vs McMansions environmental costs.
As DD commented in the thread after the Blogger on a Cast Iron Balcony it is a debate where prejudices shine through.
https://melbourneurbanist.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/are-inner-city-apartments-the-answer-to-mcmansions/
The blogger at the CIB doesn’t even know what a mcmansion is.
“Why don’t Australians complain more about wealth inequality?”
Maybe they are less prone to envy than you’d think. Good thing too.
[…] Arthur at Club Troppo picked up on Helen’s post in passing on Friday in his regular Friday Missing Links. He must’ve been intrigued by the debate because he returned on Sunday with a nice, measured […]