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Shaky Foundations for the Economy
Two earthquakes, two vastly different consequences. If anything makes you appreciate solid foundations (not to mention building codes), it's the sight of those San Diego buildings swaying - but not falling - in Sunday's 7.0 quake; the same size quake that devastated Haiti.
When it comes to our economy, however, the foundations look anything but secure.
Apr 06, 2010
Two earthquakes, two vastly different consequences. If anything makes you appreciate solid foundations (not to mention building codes), it's the sight of those San Diego buildings swaying - but not falling - in Sunday's 7.0 quake; the same size quake that devastated Haiti.
When it comes to our economy, however, the foundations look anything but secure.
Last week Tim Geithner told steelworkers in Pittsburgh that unemployment is to remain "unacceptably high" for some time. He blamed what he called "the recession". But on the very same day, it emerged that what had been a recession for many had hardly been recession for all.
In 2009, a year of decline for most of us, the top 25 hedge fund managers made an average of $1 billion each. There was, said investor Carl Icahn (who made $1.6 billion), "a great opportunity in debt" last year. It's a stunning admission from a guy who spent the 80s as a corporate raider. He spent that decade laying people off.
In the 2000s he and the country's other top earners - speculators - are making out, not from making widgets or giving people jobs, but from making wagers -- that people (and companies, even counties) will or won't default. Think about it. The White House staff fanned out this weekend talking up job creation and a bright future for all, but where's the incentive for creating jobs when the fattest fat cats are getting fatter by the day on how indebted we all are?
It makes you queasy, but not in a good way. The foundations of our economy seem more Haiti than San Diego, sad to say...
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
© 2023 Laura Flanders
Laura Flanders
Laura Flanders interviews forward-thinking people about the key questions of our time on The Laura Flanders Show, a nationally syndicated radio and television program also available as a podcast. A contributing writer to The Nation, Flanders is also the author of six books, including "Bushwomen: How They Won the White House for Their Man" (2005). She is the recipient of a 2019 Izzy Award for excellence in independent journalism, the Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing women's and girls' visibility in media, and a 2020 Lannan Cultural Freedom Fellowship for her reporting and advocacy for public media. lauraflanders.org
Two earthquakes, two vastly different consequences. If anything makes you appreciate solid foundations (not to mention building codes), it's the sight of those San Diego buildings swaying - but not falling - in Sunday's 7.0 quake; the same size quake that devastated Haiti.
When it comes to our economy, however, the foundations look anything but secure.
Last week Tim Geithner told steelworkers in Pittsburgh that unemployment is to remain "unacceptably high" for some time. He blamed what he called "the recession". But on the very same day, it emerged that what had been a recession for many had hardly been recession for all.
In 2009, a year of decline for most of us, the top 25 hedge fund managers made an average of $1 billion each. There was, said investor Carl Icahn (who made $1.6 billion), "a great opportunity in debt" last year. It's a stunning admission from a guy who spent the 80s as a corporate raider. He spent that decade laying people off.
In the 2000s he and the country's other top earners - speculators - are making out, not from making widgets or giving people jobs, but from making wagers -- that people (and companies, even counties) will or won't default. Think about it. The White House staff fanned out this weekend talking up job creation and a bright future for all, but where's the incentive for creating jobs when the fattest fat cats are getting fatter by the day on how indebted we all are?
It makes you queasy, but not in a good way. The foundations of our economy seem more Haiti than San Diego, sad to say...
Laura Flanders
Laura Flanders interviews forward-thinking people about the key questions of our time on The Laura Flanders Show, a nationally syndicated radio and television program also available as a podcast. A contributing writer to The Nation, Flanders is also the author of six books, including "Bushwomen: How They Won the White House for Their Man" (2005). She is the recipient of a 2019 Izzy Award for excellence in independent journalism, the Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing women's and girls' visibility in media, and a 2020 Lannan Cultural Freedom Fellowship for her reporting and advocacy for public media. lauraflanders.org
Two earthquakes, two vastly different consequences. If anything makes you appreciate solid foundations (not to mention building codes), it's the sight of those San Diego buildings swaying - but not falling - in Sunday's 7.0 quake; the same size quake that devastated Haiti.
When it comes to our economy, however, the foundations look anything but secure.
Last week Tim Geithner told steelworkers in Pittsburgh that unemployment is to remain "unacceptably high" for some time. He blamed what he called "the recession". But on the very same day, it emerged that what had been a recession for many had hardly been recession for all.
In 2009, a year of decline for most of us, the top 25 hedge fund managers made an average of $1 billion each. There was, said investor Carl Icahn (who made $1.6 billion), "a great opportunity in debt" last year. It's a stunning admission from a guy who spent the 80s as a corporate raider. He spent that decade laying people off.
In the 2000s he and the country's other top earners - speculators - are making out, not from making widgets or giving people jobs, but from making wagers -- that people (and companies, even counties) will or won't default. Think about it. The White House staff fanned out this weekend talking up job creation and a bright future for all, but where's the incentive for creating jobs when the fattest fat cats are getting fatter by the day on how indebted we all are?
It makes you queasy, but not in a good way. The foundations of our economy seem more Haiti than San Diego, sad to say...
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