And Now, for Something Somewhat Different

December 14, 2020

14 Diciembre 2020

It’s that time of year again, when I hijack Dean’s blog to ask you to consider making a year-end donation to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

• InequalityLa DesigualdadIntellectual PropertyPropiedad Intelectual

Important Addition to Edsall Column on the Politics of Resentment: Downward Mobility Was by Design

By Dean BakerDean Baker

December 13, 2020

13 Diciembre 2020

The key point is that this level of hypercompetition, which is driving down the living standards of large segments of the population, is by design.

• Health and Social ProgramsLos Programas Sociales y de SaludHealthcare

Choice in Health Care Plans and Medicare: It’s More Complicated

By Dean BakerDean Baker

December 11, 2020

11 Diciembre 2020

The key point for the choice issue is that even those opting for the traditional Medicare plan still have to deal with many choices in arranging their coverage.

• Intellectual PropertyPropiedad Intelectual

Big Pharma Strikes Back

By Dean BakerDean Baker

December 10, 2020

10 Diciembre 2020

Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry is not letting the resolution put forward before the WTO go unchallenged in public debate.

• InequalityLa Desigualdad

Beating Up on Finance

By Dean BakerDean Baker

December 07, 2020

07 Diciembre 2020

It is true that I haven’t beaten up on the financial sector for a while, and with Biden now putting together his administration, this would be a great time to take a few shots.

• Economic Crisis and RecoveryCrisis económica y recuperación

Journalism Lesson for Ron Elving at NPR’s Weekend Edition: You Don’t Know What Republican Members of Congress “Think” About Aid to State and Local Governments

By Dean BakerDean Baker

December 05, 2020

05 Diciembre 2020

I'm not sure why it is so hard for reporters to just tell us what politicians say and do, instead of telling us what they think and believe.

• Globalization and TradeGlobalización y comercioInequalityLa DesigualdadIntellectual PropertyPropiedad Intelectual

Lessons for Steve Rattner from Folks Who Actually Remember the 1990s

By Dean BakerDean Baker

December 02, 2020

02 Diciembre 2020

Many progressives have better memories than Rattner, which is why they are determined to not have the Biden presidency be a repeat of the Clinton presidency.

• InequalityLa Desigualdad

Repeal Section 230 and Never Again Have to Worry About What Mark Zuckerberg Thinks About Anything

By Dean BakerDean Baker

December 02, 2020

02 Diciembre 2020

The net effect would be to make Facebook much smaller, so what Mark Zuckerberg chose to favor or ban would not make much difference to anyone.

• InequalityLa DesigualdadIntellectual PropertyPropiedad Intelectual

NYT Wants to Talk About Higher Wages, but Doesn’t Want to Talk About the Real Reasons Wages are Low

By Dean BakerDean Baker

November 29, 2020

29 Noviembre 2020

The bigger problem is the assertion that the failure of pay to keep pace with productivity growth over the last four decades is due to higher profits.

• Economic Crisis and RecoveryCrisis económica y recuperación

More Bad News About the Pandemic Recession: Longer Hours

By Dean BakerDean Baker

November 28, 2020

28 Noviembre 2020

One way of dealing with this reduction in employment opportunities is to have shorter work weeks/work years. Unfortunately, it seems we are now headed in the wrong direction.