Goodbye to the Prophets of Doom

In this article, the author discusses the ideas of economists Thomas Piketty and Branko Milanovic regarding economic inequality. The article focuses on their arguments that long-term economic growth and technological progress alone cannot solve the problem of inequality. Piketty and Milanovic emphasize the role of political and social forces in shaping income distribution and suggest that policies need to address the unequal distribution of wealth and power. The author explores the different perspectives of the two economists and their proposals for reducing inequality. Overall, the article provides insights into the complex relationship between economics, inequality, and policy.