Daily digest – Leaving a Deutsche mark
What you need to know to navigate today’s most critical debates.
Austerity Über Alles (TAP)
With new fiscal constraints adopted in 25 EU countries, Angela Merkel has convinced the rest of Europe it needs to be more like Germany — by signing on to contractionary policies that even many U.S. conservatives acknowledge would be a total disaster.
Free-market evangelists face a lonely fate (FT)
David Rothkopf notes that after the end of the Cold War, laissez faire capitalism was triumphant. The problem is history kept going, and now we’re up to the chapter where we discover that hybrid economies produce better results and a lot less pain.
Inequality, the Middle Class, and Growth (On the Economy)
Jared Bernstein argues that strengthening the middle class could produce much stronger growth than pouring more money into the arms of those at the top of the economic ladder and hoping they accidentally spill some on everyone else.
Eric Schneiderman: The Right Man, the Right Moment (The Nation)
While some progressives who liked Schneiderman before he was cool are mad that he’s selling out and joining a major label, Katrina vanden Heuvel believes he’s fought too hard for his principles to suddenly start acting as the president’s yes-man.
Help America: Get Divorced! (Slate)
Citing Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal’s recent post on the link between unemployment and divorce rates, Matt Yglesias notes that, contrary to social cons, we won’t know happy days are here again until marriages start falling apart.
In Atlanta, Housing Woes Reflect Nation’s Pain (NYT)
A new study finds that Atlanta’s housing market has earned the dubious distinction of lagging even further behind the recovery than other major metropolitan areas, which is sort of like being classified as the world’s most lethargic breed of snail.
Tougher Than Wisconsin: Arizona Republicans Launch ‘All Out Assault’ On Public Unions (TPM)
Arizona Republicans have introduced anti-union legislation, including a complete ban on collective bargaining by all public employees, for those who thought the main problem with what Scott Walker pulled was that he was too willing to compromise.
Why Carried Interest Is A Worse Scam Than You Think (TNR)
Matt O’Brien notes that aside from letting wealthy financiers apply the lower capital gains tax rate to performance fees, or what we proles know as “regular old income,” the carried interest loophole is justified in ways that quickly fall apart under scrutiny.
G.O.P. Donors Showing Thirst to Top Obama (NYT)
While President Obama’s incumbency and lack of diagnosable DSM-IV conditions have helped him to out-raise his would-be opponents by a substantial margin, the money being channeled through conservative super PACs is dwarfing progressive efforts.
Congress can fix the Super PAC problem (Salon)
Adam Skaggs thinks Congress should take a hard look at what it means for super PACs to be “independent” if they just so happen to be run by former advisers who continue to work closely with the candidates and do exactly what they want.
Short URL: http://aworldofprogress.com/readingroom/?p=1807
Posted by New Deal 2.0
on Feb 1 2012. Filed under New Deal 2.0, the reading room.
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