Economists Don't Usually Make Good Speculators, Because

Yes, Over The Centuries Economic Progress Has Reduced Some Gross Disparities - Modern Americans Are Relatively Unlikely To Simply Starve To Death (though It Can Happen), So In That Sense The Gap Between Rich And Poor Has Narrowed. But The Question Isn't Whether Society Is, In Some Sense, More Equal Than It Was In 1900. It's Whether It Is Radically More Unequal Than It Was In 1970. And Of Course It Is.

When The Fed Decides That Inflation Is Too High, They Have The Tools, And They've Shown Historically That They Have The Will, To Bring It Down. And, It Might Be Painful.

Not All Private Equity People Are Evil. Only Some.

I Really Think That People Have To Think Safety; Taking Risks For Higher Yield Is A Bad Idea Once You're In Late Or Latish Middle Age.

Governments Do Not Necessarily Act In The National Interest, Especially When Making Detailed Microeconomic Interventions. Instead, They Are Influenced By Interest Group Pressures. The Kinds Of Interventions That New Trade Theory Suggests Can Raise National Income Will Typically Raise The Welfare Of Small, Fortunate Groups By Large Amounts, While Imposing Costs On Larger, More Diffuse Groups.