Archive
If We Put 10 Million Americans Back to Work That Social Security "Shortfall" Would Disappear
There's a great deal of alarmist talk these days about the fact that Social Security won't be adding to its surplus this year. Instead it will call in some interest payments (and possibly other monies, too) on the money Uncle Sam borrowed from its fund. (When a rich...
Our Growth Is Outsourced, Like Our Jobs
In the news today, a familiar story: imports increased, exports declined. About $50 billion in one month alone. The trade gap isn't just costing jobs, it's a significant factor in the slow recovery as well. See below. In 2005, when we were halfway down to where we...
Robert Rubin Is Still Wrong And Joseph Stiglitz Is Still Right
Robert Rubin and Joseph Stiglitz are going public on jobs and the deficit, in what looks very much like a re-run of a major policy debate during the Clinton era. The dispute is simple—should the government focus on putting people back to work, or should it try to cut...
Three Fundamental Differences Between Progressives and Conservatives, Pt. 1
Part I of III When caught at something, it's best to come clean. I was recently caught by the Crow, who — in a response to my earlier post about power outages and our politics of powerlessness — saw and asked outright the obvious question I've been hinting...
Save American Manufacturing
The following was originally published by Politico. These days, Republicans can’t suppress the gloat. The “Party of No,” leading in most polls, is said to be on the verge of taking the House and possibly the Senate in November. The irrepressible Rep. Paul Ryan...
Deficit Commission Director Admits: Social Security Reform Not About The Deficit
Dave Johnson asks the question: "Is It A Social Security OR A Deficit Commission?" And he answers: "Social. Security. Does. Not. Contribute. To. The. Deficit." One person that would appear to agree is the White House's deficit commission executive director Bruce Reed....
Progressive Breakfast - 8/11/2010
Each morning, Bill Scher and Terrance Heath serve up what progressives need to affect change on the kitchen-table issues families face: jobs, health care, green energy, financial reform, affordable education and retirement security. State Aid Signed Into Law After...
Is It A Social Security OR A Deficit Commission?
Ever since President Obama set up the Deficit Commission all the talk has been about Social Security? Why? Social Security is separate from the rest of the US budget, is separately funded, has a huge trust fund and, most important: Social. Security. Does. Not....
Social Security: The "IOU ... Nothin'" Argument Strikes Again
Allan Sloan, Senior Editor at Fortune and a frequent Washington Post contributor, is usually a smart and fair guy with a knack for seeing through the usual DC economic spin. That's why it's particularly disappointing to see him get it wrong on Social Security trust...
Tax Cuts Are Theft: An Amplification
Dave Johnson's post on the broken contract that's allowed private interests to siphon off our public wealth for the past 30 years is incredibly important. His basic argument is this: We, the People built our democracy and the empowerment and protections it bestows. We...
