As 2016 stumbles towards the finish line, it seemed timely to offer a few reflections on a tough year from the perspective of political economy. For myself, and I’m sure I’m not alone, reflections on 2016 can be summed up in one word: fragility. Hard-fought gains that we considered, perhaps naively, to be on their… Read more
Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Trump’s Carrier play is smart politics. But it’s not sustainable economics.
Over at WaPo. If there’s anyone who still thinks this Trump guy doesn’t have uniquely acute political instincts, this Carrier incident should finally disabuse you of that notion. OTOH, if you think this is a sustainable strategy to revitalize US manufacturing, I strongly disagree.
Yes, the Rust Belt demands an answer. But does anyone know what it is?
This WaPo piece by James Hohmann makes a strong point that one hears a good deal these days: the Hillary Clinton campaign failed to provide hope that her administration could bring good jobs back to key swing states like Ohio, while the Trump campaign succeeded in hammering that message home. The piece focuses on a… Read more
If the Trump administration wants to do something useful, should progressives still oppose them?
The question I pose above came out of this piece I posted in today’s WaPo on confusion in the Trump camp about trade deals and trade deficits: To hear President-elect Trump tell it, ripping up, repealing or renegotiating international trade deals will bring back lost factory jobs and restore the glory days of the American working… Read more
Who, exactly, did we piss off??!@!%$*!
I count my blessings, which are many and growing, everyday. But really, WTF is going on these days?! Trump wins (i.e., the electoral college, not the vote), R’s hold Senate, and now a judge, based on a totally misguided ruling, enjoins the new overtime rule days before it’s supposed to kick in (Dec 1). And… Read more