We need to make stock buybacks illegal, as they were before 1982.
Robert Reich
Posted inEconomic Policy
America’s Shkreli Problem
What does Shkreli’s downfall tell us about modern America? Â
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Kushner’s Unconscionable Conflicts
Before I turn to Jared Kushner, let me ask: Do you believe the U.S. government does the right thing all or most of the time? The Gallup organization started asking this question in 1963, when over 70 percent of Americans said they did. Since then, the percent has steadily declined. By 2016, before Trump became […]
Posted inCivil Rights in America
The Moral Movement Against Violence
Join the Ku Klux Klan and get 10 percent off on your next Fed Ex shipment! Okay, the National Rifle Association isn’t quite the Klan. But it’s getting closer. For years, big corporations had welcomed the opportunity to accumulate more customers by giving discounts to NRA members, even if they pack assault rifles. Yet in […]
Posted inBooks, Arts and Culture
The Meaning of America
When Trump and his followers refer to “America,” what do they mean? Some see a country of white English-speaking Christians. Others want a land inhabited by self-seeking individuals free to accumulate as much money and power as possible, who pay taxes only to protect their assets from criminals and foreign aggressors. Others think mainly about […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Trump’s Big Buyback Bamboozle
Trump’s promise that corporations will use his giant new tax cut to make new investments and raise workers’ wages is proving to be about as truthful as his promise to release his tax returns. The results are coming in, and guess what? Almost all the extra money is going into stock buybacks. Since the tax […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Trump’s Divide-and-Conquer Strategy
If Robert Mueller finds that Trump colluded with Russia to fix the 2016 election, or even if Trump fires Mueller before he makes such a finding, Trump’s supporters will protect Trump from any political fallout. Trump’s base will stand by him not because they believe Trump is on their side, but because they define themselves […]
Posted inAmerica and the World
America’s Collapsing Trade Initiatives
Trade deals with Asia and Europe are faltering under their own contradictory goals. Â
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
The Political Roots of Widening Inequality
The key to understanding the rise in inequality isn’t technology or globalization. It’s the power of the moneyed interests to shape the underlying rules of the market.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Public Debt and Economic Growth
A stronger economy is the key to lightening the load.
