The United Nations released its 2008 State of the World’s Cities report, which in past years has been an excellent source about demographic shifts around the world. Unfortunately, the United Nations decides to charge people a ridiculous amount ($44) for the report rather than making it available at an affordable (or even free) rate.

Based on an FT article on the World’s Cities report, the United States was ranked disturbingly high in the degree of inequality in its cities, most notably New York, Washington DC, and Miami. It is all interesting, so go read it.

Also of note is that there is a significant amount of research on inequality and its role in fomenting revolution. And while I do not want to take the rather selfish, short-sighted, and disturbing position of the UN Human Settlements Program executive director (“Inequality is not good for the economy”), I do think inequality is a make-or-break situation for the United States in the near and middle term. Perhaps the crown jester in all this are multi-millionaire politicians boasting about who is a better defender of the middle class (with the cherry on top being no one ever mentions the lower class).

Now where’s my cake?