Economist Brad DeLong noted on his blog that part of the productivity gain in the U.S. economy comes not from job production, but from squeezing more work out of employees scared to lose their jobs. Job numbers are still dismal even when the Dow Jones average is up and the economy supposedly saw growth, and the stimulus bill was supposed to help. Months later, we wonder: was it enough?
Beyond just creating jobs, our panelists say, any real economic stimulus needs to make sure that the jobs created are good, with good benefits, living wages, and targeted to the people who need them the most. Max Fraad Wolff, professor of economics at The New School, Myles Lennon of the Laborers’ Union, Local #10, Bettina Damiani of Good Jobs First and Nathan Newman of the Progressive States Network debate whether the stimulus has stopped the bleeding or whether it’s more like a band-aid on a bullet wound.
Frank Schaeffer, the son of religious right icon Francis Schaeffer, grew up in the heart of the anti-choice movement and watched Christian conservatives take over the Republican party. He broke with nearly all of his father’s teachings, and has a new book out, Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don’t Like Religion (or Atheism)
“Movies are about movement,” says documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, and in his newest film, La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet, he examines the movement of ballet. The film gets inside the workings of the ballet, from rehearsals to marketing sessions.
Kate Clinton gives us her thoughts about the LGBT equality measures that passed in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Washington State, and the marriage equality law that was overturned in Maine on Election Day, and we have video from Green for All and GOOD magazine on weatherization and green jobs.
4 Comments
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Laura Flanders
Advanced search
Blog Feed
Video Feed
Video Podcast
Audio Podcast
The best stimulus would be to put the Country back to work on a project or goal that solves a problem of the Country, and puts both businesses and people to work making it happen.
Take getting off foreign oil, quit burning coal, fixing all our infrastructure, being completely energy independant, or to rebuild our manufacturing base, and start manufacturing all our own goods.
Any of these would be better funded, than how our Government has spent our money so far. Several of them would also save hundreds of billions of dollars a year, as soon as done, and far into the future.
This would take intelligent people in our Government, a Government that works, and people who are not out for themselves over Country and People.
great point.now we must be realistic when it comes to manufacturing goods in the united states, its never going to be like it was in the last century.businesses know its cheaper to make things overseas and thats something we as a nation cannot do anything about, because we as a country are lazy and think were entitled to more money than foriegn laborers.in my opinion, we need to start putting money and research into the service industary, because thats something this cheap overseas labor problem can never take any from us.not a huge help to the economy, i know, but maybe a step in the right direction.
That’s a great attitude we can’t fix it so give up and settle for just the pickle and forget the hambuger.
Maybe that why this country is doomed because we don’t have the will to take care of ourselves.
The interview with Mr. Schaeffer was excellent! His perspective is so important coming from the background that he does. And he speaks with such clarity and honesty. I appreciate how balanced he is.
Militant fundamentalism, whether it be among the sectarian or the secular, is only causing division and breeding hostility. We cannot afford to keep perpetuating this ideological/partisan war.
I think we need moderate voices to lead a discussion about religion and how to balance a society that both respects religious freedom and values a separation of church and state. Mr. Schaeffer should be among those voices.