Branko Milanovic
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brankomilan.bsky.social
Branko Milanovic
@brankomilan.bsky.social
1) Income inequality; 2) Politics; 3) History; 4) Soccer.
Author of "Global inequality" and "Capitalism, Alone" (2019).
Stone Center, CUNY; LSE, London
Reposted by Branko Milanovic
๐Ÿ“ข New III WP:

This paper provides a methodological contribution to the study of historical income inequality by examining the construction and use of social tables for the 19th century.

@brankomilan.bsky.social @mgzl.bsky.social @ggabbuti.bsky.social @philerfurth.bsky.social

๐Ÿ”— buff.ly/WUZKIMg
February 12, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Different Stone Centers (there are almost ten by now) also contain ideologically different economists. But I think that the groups A and E are under-represented and group D (reflecting the current ideological bent of the profession) is the most numerous.
Last night I could not sleep so I created a taxonomy of people who work on inequality/redistribution. For each of these groups I have names of economists but it could be too controversial. So I decided to stay with the taxonomy only. (You can fill in the names.)
February 12, 2026 at 10:54 AM
Reposted by Branko Milanovic
Devo dire la veritร : @brankomilan.bsky.social non mi garba molto, dice cose che non voglio sentire, gli piace distruggere e a me costruire... ma quasi sempre ha ragione lui.
Qui la recensione del suo ultimo libro a cura di @andreacapussela.bsky.social
andreacapussela.substack.com/p/impeccable...
Impeccable, unacceptable portrait of our world
My review of Branko Milanovic's 'The Great Global Transformation'
andreacapussela.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:59 AM
Merci, Guillaume!
February 12, 2026 at 10:50 AM
I know that one can combine several types. But I tried to present clear types. C are radical redistributionists in the FDR style: they squeeze capitalists but they do not necessarily touch the mode of production & its internal set-up.
February 12, 2026 at 10:49 AM
Groups A, C and E are radical. Groups B and D are conservative (in its literal sense).
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
They would use strong anti-monopoly measures to reduce income inequality. They are radical pro-capitalists fighting businesses. They are very close to the original Adam Smith.
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Group E are partisans of capitalist free competition. They are unhappy with the current system of businessman's capitalism that creates monopolies, conglomerates, and generally uses economic power to wrest concessions, cheat, and not pay taxes.
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
the problem is that what is on "paper" is often subverted or ignored by the rich. They could accept to increase some taxes, but moderately. They are Obamists.
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Group D is a majority group in economics. They are conservative liberals. They would do everything the same but are unhappy with ability of the rich (they do not like the term capitalist) to evade or avoid taxes. For them capitalism as it is on "paper" is an ideal system;
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Group C are radical redistributionists. They would leave relations of production and even pre-distribution more or less as it is, but they would hit capitalists by high taxes. Hit them really hard. They are a radical wing of group D. They like FDR.
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Group B focuses on pre-redistribution. They leave capitalist relations of production formally the same, but they want to increase the minimum wage, empower trade unions, improve health insurance provided by companies, limit duration of work. They are meliorists like Fabians.
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
to make workers more important in managing companies thereby changing distribution "internally". They are the most radical b/c they change the nature of capitalism in production.
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Group A are "socialists", or people who want to change power & distribution within the key locus, locus of production. Some want to give decision-making power to workers only; others want to constraint the power of shareholders,
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Last night I could not sleep so I created a taxonomy of people who work on inequality/redistribution. For each of these groups I have names of economists but it could be too controversial. So I decided to stay with the taxonomy only. (You can fill in the names.)
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Reposted by Branko Milanovic
"Special home for foreigners". If Europe wants to stand as a liberal alternative to Trumpian ethno-nationalism, it had better not follow the same policies as he does. Yet it does.
Inside a Detention Site at the Heart of Europeโ€™s Harsh New Approach to Immigration
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Thank you, David!
February 11, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Reposted by Branko Milanovic
@brankomilan.bsky.social has been writing excellent stuff lately. He is now pushing for a โ€œtax on greed.โ€ Worth reading!

open.substack.com/pub/branko2f...
A pedagogical tax
Why the rich should be Uber-taxed
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:54 PM
My today's Substack:
A pedagogical tax
Why the rich should be uber-taxed
branko2f7.substack.com/p/a-pedagogi...
A pedagogical tax
Why the rich should be Uber-taxed
branko2f7.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:48 PM
"the anti-Epstein social credit system".
A pedagogical tax.

I have not discussed the proposed Zucman tax so far. I am not in general a huge fan of trying to solve every income or wealth inequality problem by taxation. But two recent dev'ts have led me to support strongly the Zucman tax & perhaps to make it even tougher.
February 11, 2026 at 9:05 PM
that they would "pledge" their fortune to charitable causes and similar unimplementable plans. It would be real. Behave with minimum of decency, or be taxed.
It would be also a pedagogical tool. Call it "the anti-Epstein social credit system".
February 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM
if you do awful things (even if they are seemingly legal), your tax will be increased.

Social credit system would be an effective way to subject the behavior of the enormously wealthy to social scrutiny. This will no longer be one of the meaningless Davos declarations
February 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM
some (however feeble) social constraint. Zucman tax would be one such modest constraint.

On top of it, I thought of possible social credit system for all billionaires. If you do certain things well, you will be taxed less;
February 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM
society is not wholly oblivious of the extreme greed, power & vanity that accompany such wealth, and make its possessors objects of (misplaced) adoration.

And provide them with a feeling of impunity.

The second event is the Epstein affair: Impunity with which the wealthy have behaved calls for
February 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Pleonexia has no upper bound. It is not based on intrinsic pleasure provided by consumption of goods & services.

Its utility is extrinsic: admiration of the others. The anti-greed pedagogical tax would, by cutting wealth of the inordinately rich just by a little, send the message that
February 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM