斯蒂格利茨回憶90年代初首次到訪澳門，指出珠三 角地區在短短25年的時間內可以有如此巨大的變化， 很令人佩服。他指出，世界各地也經歷了許多變化， 其中一個便是不平等現象的加劇。 富人越富 窮人越窮 那麼，這些不平等現象是甚麼呢？斯蒂格利茨以美國 為例，經濟衰退結束後的所謂「復甦期」，收入增長 的其中95%流向最頂層的1%，而底層的99%並沒 有感受到經濟復甦。斯蒂格利茨補充，事實上當地的 財富中位數下跌四成，貧困問題增加，而男性全職勞 動者的收入中位數甚至低於40年前的水平。 支持自由市場一派的經濟學家認為透過提供減稅等優 惠措施予企業和富人，將有助改善整體經濟，繼而造 福底層普羅大眾。斯蒂格利茨透過舉證說明，這種涓 滴經濟學只會造成貧富差距擴大，而底層人民則需面 對多種不平等對待，包括收入、財富、醫療、免受環 境危害以及獲得司法幫助的權利等。「2008年經濟 危機過後，不平等現象在全球越演越烈，特別是在發 達國家更是嚴重，在這些國家的底層人民因此承受著 不同的痛苦。」斯蒂格利茨表示。 Prof. Stiglitz opened his talk with an observation of the dramatic changes in the Pearl River Delta region in the last 25 years since his first visit to Macao in the 1990s.“What has happened in the Pearl River Delta region in the last 25 years has been really impressive,” Prof. Stiglitz said.“Very dramatic changes in a very short period of time. In much of the world, there are other dramatic changes that have gone on, and one of the dramatic changes is the increase in inequality in many countries around the world.” Rich Richer, Poor Poorer How exactly has inequality increased? Prof. Stiglitz cited his home country—the United States—as an example. “In the United States, 95 per cent of the increase in income since the so-called end of the recession went to the upper 1 per cent,” Prof. Stiglitz said. “That meant the bottom 99 per cent have not seen a recovery.” Equally dramatic are data on what is happening to income and wealth in the middle. “Median wealth fell by 40 per cent. Poverty is up. For full-time male workers, it’s much worse; the median income of males today in America is lower than it was 40 years ago,” Prof. Stiglitz said. Free market advocates believe that providing tax breaks and other incentives to businesses and wealthy people will benefit poorer members of society by improving the economy as a whole. But Prof. Stiglitz pointed out that this so-called “trickle-down economics” will only serve to widen the gap between the rich and the poor and make those at the bottom suffer various inequalities, from income and wealth to health care, exposure to environmental hazards and access to justice. “Things have gotten a lot worse in the last few years, particularly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008,” said Prof. Stiglitz. “This is particularly true in the developed countries. Those at the bottom have been hurt in different ways.” 約瑟夫‧斯蒂格利茨接受《澳大新語》專訪 Prof. Joseph E. Stiglitz gives an exclusive interview to umagazine UMAGAZINE ISSUE 10 23 人物專訪．INTERVIEW
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