The Great Leveler

Synopsis

Are mass violence and catastrophes the only forces that can seriously decrease economic inequality? To judge by thousands of years of history, the answer is yes. Tracing the global history of inequality from the Stone Age to today, Walter Scheidel shows that it never dies peacefully. The Great Leveler is the first book to chart the crucial role of violent shocks in reducing inequality over the full sweep of human history around the world. The "Four Horsemen" of leveling-mass-mobilization warfare, transformative revolutions, state collapse, and catastrophic plagues-have repeatedly destroyed the fortunes of the rich. Today, the violence that reduced inequality in the past seems to have diminished, and that is a good thing. But it casts serious doubt on the prospects for a more equal future. An essential contribution to the debate about inequality, The Great Leveler provides important new insights about why inequality is so persistent-and why it is unlikely to decline anytime soon.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Rise of the Death Class

* Summary: The chapter introduces the concept of the "death class," a new social class in the 21st century that faces unprecedented threats to survival. These threats include climate change, hyper-automation, and viral pandemics.
* Real-world example: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of the death class, as millions of low-wage workers faced unemployment and financial hardship.

Chapter 2: The Fall of the Safety Net

* Summary: The chapter explores how the safety nets that were once in place to protect citizens from economic and social risks are now crumbling. This includes the decline of unions, the erosion of social welfare programs, and the rise of precarious employment.
* Real-world example: The closure of factories and the outsourcing of jobs have led to the loss of union membership and the weakening of labor protections.

Chapter 3: The New Social Divide

* Summary: The chapter examines the widening gap between the death class and the "survival class." The survival class is composed of those who are wealthy enough to weather the threats of the 21st century, while the death class bears the brunt of these threats.
* Real-world example: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the wealth gap, with the wealthiest individuals becoming even richer while the poorest face disproportionate economic suffering.

Chapter 4: The Politics of Resistance

* Summary: The chapter discusses how the death class is beginning to organize and fight back against the threats they face. This includes the rise of social movements, protests, and electoral politics.
* Real-world example: The Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, has mobilized millions of people from the death class to demand justice and equality.

Chapter 5: The Future of the Death Class

* Summary: The chapter concludes by speculating on the possible futures for the death class. It argues that the survival of this class depends on its ability to build a new social order that prioritizes human needs and the planet's well-being.
* Real-world example: The Green New Deal, a proposed economic plan that aims to create jobs and address climate change, is an example of a policy that could benefit the death class by addressing the threats they face.