Abstract
Recent works have linked the big increase in income inequality in many developed economies since the mid-70s with a mainly market led internationalization, which, on one side puts a downward pressure on the wages of low qualified workers and on the other side pushed upwards the wages of CEOs. This market-led internationalization is fueled by a finance sector, facilitating mergers and acquisitions across the world. The endebtment of firms, countries and households thus induced by these mediations of the finance sector, opened an era of financial crises. Has the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) altered these phenomena? Is financialization the only factor of this lasting rise in inequality? Why is this issue not more predominant in national political debates? The many factors fueling income inequality contribute to obfuscate the ensuing damages, at a time when a more egalitarian society seems necessary for a successful transition to environmentally sustainable modes of development.