Income Inequality

While touring socialist and formerly communist countries, the most important thing that I learned from our guides (that they learned from recently declassified secret documents) is that 1% of their population, specifically the party higher-ups, ended up with half of the country's wealth...an income inequality exactly as in capitalist countries.

The real difference is that in capitalist countries inequality happens through mostly legal means while in socialist and in communist countries through illegal means. 

Income inequality is not a problem to be fixed; it's a reflection of human nature. There are always people who figure out how to make any system work in their favor.  No matter what rules apply, no matter what laws are written, some people will find ways to get more than their neighbors get.  The choice between capitalism and socialism / communism is whether inequality will be achieved legally or illegally.  It will always be achieved.

Climate change

Climate change is society's apocalypse du jour.

In the Middle Ages, it was The Rapture - come to Jesus or you will perish in flames.

In the 1950's, it was nuclear war - come to capitalism or you will perish in radiation.

Now, it is Climate Change - come to Paris Accord or you will perish in rising oceans.

What is really going on is that many people do not have effective ways of coping with their own anxieties.  By buying into the apocalypse du jour, they get a specific, certain answer to their anxiety.  "Just buy a Tesla and you'll be saved."

Yawn.  Some of us are fine with anxiety.