Austerity 101

The obvious response to the current crisis in higher education is to demand more financing for public colleges and universities and to create more jobs for college graduates. However, the new austerians, such as Robert Samuelson, simply dismiss these possibilities and argue instead that fewer young people should go to college. The college-for-all crusade has [...]

Capitalism’s lost generation

According to a new report by the International Labour Organization, the global youth unemployment rate has remained close to its crisis peak, at 12.6 per cent in 2011 and projected at 12.7 per cent in 2012. The global youth unemployment rate is thus at least a full percentage point above its level in 2007, wiping [...]

Cartoon of the day

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Cartoon of the day

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The long and winding road—back to peak employment

Only four states—Alaska, North Dakota, Texas, and Louisiana—have created enough jobs since the recovery to get back to where they were prior to the recession. A couple more, New York and West Virginia, are expected to return to their prerecession peak later this year. However, according to Steven Frable of IHS Global Insight, the majority [...]

Cartoon of the day

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A stopped clock. . .

A stopped clock is right twice a day, and even Robert Samuelson has to get something right once in a while. American capitalism is on trial. When Americans vote in November, they will unavoidably choose between these competing visions of capitalism. One would try to improve capitalism by controlling it more. The other would aim [...]

“You’re f*cked”

This is how Robert Reich starts his “commencement address that won’t be given”: Members of the Class of 2012, As a former secretary of labor and current professor, I feel I owe it to you to tell you the truth about the pieces of parchment you’re picking up today. You’re f*cked.

Why I won’t be giving a TED talk anytime soon

  I won’t be giving a TED talk anytime soon. Not that I’ve been invited. Or ever expect to be invited. But Nick Hanauer [ht: sm] was, and the TED folks decided his talk was too controversial to post. Here’s a link to the text of his talk. Since 1980 the share of income for [...]

Cartoon of the day

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