Tag Archives: Robert Reich

Robert Reich on income inequality, his new film, and the need to get money out of politics

By Mark | September 23, 2013

For those of you without access to public television, Bill Moyers celebrated the fifth anniversary of “the fiscal meltdown that almost tanked the world economy” a few days ago by speaking with my hero, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich about wealth inequality in the United States, and his soon-to-be-released documentary film Inequality for All. […]

Posted in Economics, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged 99%, An Inconvenient Truth, banking, Bill Moyers, deregulation, Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Eisenhower, get the money out of Washington, Glass-Steagall Act, income inequ, Inequality for All, lobbying, money in politics, Occupy Wall Street, shared prosperity, the threat of Socialism, the top 1%, Wall Street deregulation, wealth inequality | 8 Comments

Because you asked for it, here’s my ill-informed, not-terribly-thoughtful, completely unsatisfying post on Syria

By Mark | September 9, 2013

I have absolutely nothing of value to add to the debate on whether or not we get involved in the Syrian civil war. I know that. And I’m inclined to just keep my mouth shut. But, as people keep writing to me, demanding that I take a stand, as though what’s said on a tiny […]

Posted in Observations, Other, Uncategorized | Also tagged Bashar Assad, chemical weapons, Civil War, foreign policy, foreign relations, John Kerry, Juan Cole, Malala Yousafzai, radical Islam, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, Syria, USS Nimitz, wars, world events | 14 Comments

Robert Reich and Molly Ringwald answer questions on Reddit

By Mark | May 2, 2012

I doubt that they coordinated it, but, a few days ago, at roughly the same time, both Robert Reich and Molly Ringwald were on Reddit, answering people’s random questions. Following are some of my favorite responses. I was going to specify who said what, but then it occurred to me that it might be more […]

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged antitrust, Bill O'Reilly, Breakfast Club, campaign finance reform, Citizens United, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Earned Income Tax Credit, fear of Communism, Glass-Steagall Act, health care reform, income disparity, infrastructure, Joe McCarthy, Judd Nelson, McCarthyism, Molly Ringwald, Plutocracy, single-payer system, tax reform, the growing gap between rich and poor, unions, Wealth and Poverty, Works Progress Administration, WPA | 10 Comments

Robert Reich: “There should be a surtax on the super rich”

By Mark | March 14, 2012

It’s nothing we haven’t discussed here at least a hundred times before, but it’s always nice to happen across a new, persuasive article on the subject of America’s super-rich, and how critical it is that we begin taxing them at a level befitting a first world nation… It would be nice, though, if it wasn’t […]

Posted in Economics, Uncategorized | Also tagged Anne Alstott, Bruce Ackerman, Buffett Rule, food stamps, Heartland Alliance, hunger in America, Mitt Romney, poverty, RIck Santorum, Sid Mohn, Social Darwinism, tax the rich, the growing gap between rich and poor, Warren Buffett, Yale | 23 Comments

The myth of the social mobility in America

By Mark | November 1, 2011

Last night, I had the following to say about Eric Cantor’s appearance at U-M: …In his speech, Cantor apparently talked about his ancestors and how they made good lives for themselves in America by a plying themselves and working hard. The implication, of course, is that others can do the same. Unfortunately, the facts say […]