All Robert Reich
Debunking the myths: 3 false claims about immigration reformMany critics of immigration reform claim that opening up pathways for immigrants is unnecessary, will strain an already overburdened government, and take jobs away from native-born Americans. Reich tackles all three 'economic myths.'
Powerful and unaccountable: NSA 鈥� and Wall Street
Wanted: A national economic strategy for better jobsJobs are returning slowly 鈥� too slowly 鈥� and most of them pay less than the jobs that were lost in the economic recession, Reich argues. The US needs to implement national economic strategies to build good jobs.
The quiet shutting down of WashingtonConservative Republicans have basically shut Congress down 鈥� preventing Obama from implementing tax reform, minimum wage hikes, and background checks on guns, Reich argues.
Economists are optimistic. They're also wrong.Economically,聽聽we鈥檝e been down so long everything looks up. But聽we鈥檙e still in the doldrums, and the most recent data gives cause for serious worry.
Bachmann retirement eclipses bigger Congress showdownMichelle Bachman's retirement is聽small potatoes relative to the biggest political and economic issue emerging in Congress, Reich writes.聽The president is nominating judges to fill three crucial DC court of appeals vacancies at once, Reich adds, and he needs Harry Reid's help.
Apple tax avoidance and the challenge of global capitalGlobal capital, in the form of multinational corporations as well as very wealthy individuals, is gaining enormous bargaining power over nation states, Reich writes.聽One way for nations to regain some bargaining leverage over global capital would be to stop racing against one another and join together to set terms for access to their markets.
Who needs Republicans when Wall Street has Democrats?Democrats can鈥檛 be trusted to control Wall Street, Reich writes.聽With the help of congressional Democrats, Wall Street is rolling back financial reforms enacted after its near meltdown.
How corporations pressure government into tax breaks and subsidiesGoogle, Amazon, Starbucks, every other major corporation, and every big Wall Street bank, are sheltering as much of their US profits abroad as they can, Reich writes, while telling Washington that lower corporate taxes are necessary in order to keep the US 'competitive.'
The real IRS scandalThe IRS has interpreted our tax laws to allow big corporations and wealthy individuals to make unlimited secret campaign donations through sham political fronts, Reich writes.
The problem with Obama's second termPresident Obama is allowing the controversies that typically arise in a second term dominate his presidency because he has failed to define his core agenda. Is it聽a grand bargain on the budget deficit, gun control, jobs, or immigration reform? It's hard to tell.
Military woes: sexual assaults 鈥� and nuclear weaponsSexual assaults in military going up, according to Defense Department study, despite promises to fix the problem. Why is sexual assault such a hard problem for the military? 聽
How Republicans quietly repeal laws they don't likeRepealing laws by hollowing them out 鈥� failing to fund their enforcement or implementation 鈥� works because the public doesn鈥檛 know it鈥檚 happening, Reich writes. Enactment of a law attracts attention; de-funding it doesn鈥檛.
Cheap Fed money isn't helping the economyEasy money from the Fed can鈥檛 get the economy out of first gear when the rest of government is in reverse, Reich writes.
Public debt and economic growthIf slow growth makes debt burdens larger, Reich writes,聽government should be fueling growth through, say, spending more 鈥� at least in the short run.聽
GDP growth slows: why Washington must repeal the sequesterGDP聽grew only 2.5 percent in the first quarter. It's evidence that聽the economy is slowing, the recovery is stalling, and Washington must repeal the sequester, Reich writes.
Senate balks on gun control. Reasons for the division.The US Senate failing to pass gun control is a sign that rural, older, white America occupies one land; younger, urban, increasingly non-white America lives in another, Reich writes.
Boston bombings: A moment of unity amid economic divisionThe Boston bombings have united Americans, Reich writes,聽but the country continues to split apart economically.
Why this is the worst economic recovery on recordWe鈥檙e now witnessing what happens when all of the economic gains go to the top, and the rest of the population doesn鈥檛 have enough purchasing power to keep the economy going.
Obama budget: Why entitlement cuts are a 'grand bargain' we don't needPresident Obama's willingness to negotiate on Social Security 鈥� which Democrats have protected from Republican assaults for almost eighty years 鈥� doesn鈥檛 bode well, Reich writes.
