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Time To Act

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 11:25:45 AM EST
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Matt Yglesias:

[T]he message seems to be—calm down. Be more patient. Be less critical. [. . .] I [. . .] disagree with that. The recession has already been a long one. If it takes us three more years to achieve full employment, that will be a long time. If it takes us six more years, that will also be a long time. But in terms of actual human beings’ lives, it makes a great deal of difference which one happens. So given that “it’s not that governments are powerless” it’s important to focus attention on the need to use those powers.

(Emphasis supplied.) Hear! Hear! Reminds me of this:

The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. The millions who are in want will not stand by silently forever while the things to satisfy their needs are within easy reach.

Speaking for me only

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    Time To Act | 9 comments (9 topical)

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    Adminstration investing in Job Creation? (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by MO Blue on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 01:13:51 PM EST
    Despite President Obama's pledge to retain more hi-tech jobs in the U.S., a federal agency run by a hand-picked Obama appointee has launched a $36 million program to train workers, including 3,000 specialists in IT and related functions, in South Asia.

    Following their training, the tech workers will be placed with outsourcing vendors in the region that provide offshore IT and business services to American companies looking to take advantage of the Asian subcontinent's low labor costs. link
    Well, isn't that...special. (none / 0) (#6)
    by Anne on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 02:08:36 PM EST
    Just what we need - more workers in other countries trained to work offshore for American employers, while our American Congress whines about having to pay unemployment to people who might just kinda be likin' having all this free time.

    Jeebus.

    Another "accomplishment" to add to the list of "Great Achievements in the Obama Era."

    Pardon me while I attend to my boiling blood...

    Parent

    Avedon Carol... (none / 0) (#7)
    by trillian on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 02:45:20 PM EST
    ...has a little some to say about this

    Parent
    Will those 3,000 and the trainers (none / 0) (#8)
    by BTAL on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 03:25:54 PM EST
    be recorded on recovery.gov?

    Parent
    I am grateful that (none / 0) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 12:18:56 PM EST
    voices that have previously been moderate and "the sound of serious people" have now chosen to actually become serious people.

    The problem, it seems to me, is (none / 0) (#2)
    by Anne on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 01:03:51 PM EST
    the emphasis on the belief that we have to solve the debt/deficit "problem" before we can solve the jobs problem, or in order to solve the jobs problem.

    They're spending a lot of time trying to figure out how not to spend money, and the result of all that time is going to be taking more money out of more pockets - and it will have done nothing to put people back to work.  And they will be surprised for the usual reason..."no one could have predicted."

    I feel like there is an ongoing effort to convince us that in order to get from point A to point B, we have to do it while standing on our heads, and without "walking" on our hands, when the obvious answer is just to put both feet on the ground, put one foot in front of the other and start moving.

    Ireland is regretting its (none / 0) (#4)
    by MKS on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 01:26:52 PM EST
    budget cutting now--it hasn't help them get out of the Recession.

    Here is the article in the LA Times.  

    As Ireland slashes spending, is it model or cautionary tale?

    It was the first in Europe to sharply cut spending to battle a raging budget deficit, winning praise as the continent's trailblazer. But many Irish say the steps frustrate recovery.
    .....

     It was the first country in Europe to hack away at spending to wrestle a raging budget deficit under control, winning praise as a trailblazer whose decisive austerity program showed the way for the rest of the continent.

    But nearly two years into its shock treatment, Ireland is faced with rising public debt, dwindling private investment and record numbers of people out of work, and some are asking whether the Emerald Isle is indeed a role model, or a cautionary tale instead.




    Parent
    If you don't cut the deficit though (none / 0) (#5)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Aug 05, 2010 at 01:33:05 PM EST
    Anne, they can't heal Wall Street using the Bernanke, Geithner, Summers formulas.

    I actually think Bernanke finally gets it, that if unemployment gets worse everyone is screwed even worse and that includes all of his friends.  But he can only say now that our economy is broken.  His Buddha is stuck :) He had the big money for big dogs Buddha model though, the one with 15% plus constant returns falling into your silver spoons.

    Parent

    Experimentation not needed (none / 0) (#9)
    by pluege2 on Fri Aug 06, 2010 at 05:01:10 AM EST
    go in fear of societal level experimentation. Results take decades to ascertain and then they're often wrongly interpreted. OTOH, nothing needed today and nothing reasonably construed as a progressive agenda could be construed as experimentation:

    • Massive government infrastructure spending to get out of recession has a proven track record of great success
    • social safety nets - universal healthcare, social security, public education, safety regulation, anti-bias legislation all have proven track records of great success


    Time To Act | 9 comments (9 topical)

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