That's pretty much what he said on Marketplace Radio this morning. He touted his support of immigration generally, and of course he has always been a strong supporter of more open in trade , but he said that if employers can hire high-skilled immigrants then they won't have to raise wages for the jobs they fill.
This was a beauftiful statement of what I call "loser liberalism." Reich wants trade and immigration policies that depress the wages of less-educated workers. [addendum -- I was unfair to Robert Reich here. The implied trade and immigration policy does have the effect of redistributing income upward, but Reich has been a strong advocate of other policies, notably labor law reform, that have the opposite effect.] He would then toss them a few crumbs to lessen the pain for these losers. But when it comes to policies that could tilt the playing field the other way, so that less educated workers benefit from immigration (lower wages for highly-educated workers, means lower prices for the goods and services they produce and therefore higher real wages for those in the middle and bottom) Reich gets on Marketplace Radio to denounce them.
Maybe one day Marketplace will have a commentator who doesn't think it's bad to allow the market to reduce income inequality.
I’m writing to you today with a sense of urgency that I haven’t felt since I began my journalism career. As executive editor of The American Prospect, I’ve witnessed firsthand how independent journalism serves as a crucial bulwark against the erosion of our democratic institutions. Today, that role is more vital than ever. Can you step up today and show your support?
The winds of authoritarianism are blowing stronger. We’re seeing alarming signs of a coordinated effort to silence critical voices and undermine the very foundations that support progressive causes. As Bob Kuttner presciently wrote in our August 2024 issue, a weaponized IRS could attack the very foundations of the progressive movement. We need readers to step up and help us dig in for the long haul.
We’re falling behind in our spring fundraising campaign, and with so much at stake we can’t afford to come up short. If you value fearless, independent journalism that holds the powerful accountable and defends democracy, now is the time to step up. The American Prospect depends on reader support to stay in the fight. Pitch in today and help us close the gap. Please consider making a donation today.
–David Dayen, Executive Editor
Copyright 2025 | The American Prospect, Inc. | All Rights Reserved
