George Bush likes to talk about an ownership society in the United States, a place where more people own property, businesses and shares of stock. The president says we can get there by cutting taxes and by reducing regulation of commerce and industry. Except for the military, government is the bad guy who should get out of the way and let private enterprise flourish. But it's the biggest owners who benefit from those policies. Wealth in America continues to concentrate at the top.

Elaine Bernard says government is not the enemy. It's the way forward. Only through greater investment in public services can we truly democratize wealth. Elaine Bernard is Director of the Harvard Law School Labour and Work Life Program. She lectures throughout the world and writes extensively on political, trade and labour issues.