Sunday, June 4, 2017

Stiglitz: Trump’s Rogue America

Trump's Rogue America


Joseph Stiglitz



NEW YORK – Donald Trump has thrown a hand grenade into the global economic architecture that was so painstakingly constructed in the years after World War II's end. The attempted destruction of this rules-based system of global governance – now manifested in Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 Paris climate agreement – is just the latest aspect of the US president's assault on our basic system of values and institutions.

The world is only slowly coming fully to terms with the malevolence of the Trump administration's agenda. He and his cronies have attacked the US press – a vital institution for preserving Americans' freedoms, rights, and democracy – as an "enemy of the people." They have attempted to undermine the foundations of our knowledge and beliefs – our epistemology – by labeling as "fake" anything that challenges their aims and arguments, even rejecting science itself. Trump's sham justifications for spurning the Paris climate agreement is only the most recent evidence of this.

For millennia before the middle of the eighteenth century, standards of living stagnated. It was the Enlightenment, with its embrace of reasoned discourse and scientific inquiry, that underpinned the enormous increases in standards of living in the subsequent two and a half centuries.

With the Enlightenment also came a commitment to discover and address our prejudices. As the idea of human equality – and its corollary, basic individual rights for all – quickly spread, societies began struggling to eliminate discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and, eventually, other aspects of human identity, including disability and sexual orientation.

Trump seeks to reverse all of that. His rejection of science, in particular climate science, threatens technological progress. And his bigotry toward women, Hispanics, and Muslims (except those, like the rulers of Gulf oil sheikhdoms, from whom he and his family can profit), threatens the functioning of American society and its economy, by undermining people's trust that the system is fair to all.

As a populist, Trump has exploited the justifiable economic discontent that has become so widespread in recent years, as many Americans have become downwardly mobile amid soaring inequality. But his true objective – to enrich himself and other gilded rent-seekers at the expense of those who supported him – is revealed by his tax and health-care plans.

Trump's proposed tax reforms, so far as one can see, outdo George W. Bush's in their regressivity (the share of the benefits that go to those at the top of the income distribution). And, in a country where life expectancy is already declining, his health-care overhaul would leave 23 million more Americanswithout health insurance.

While Trump and his cabinet may know how to make business deals, they haven't the slightest idea how the economic system as a whole works. If the administration's macroeconomic policies are implemented, they will result in a larger trade deficit and a further decline in manufacturing.

America will suffer under Trump. Its global leadership role was being destroyed, even before Trump broke faith with over 190 countries by withdrawing from the Paris accord. At this point, rebuilding that leadership will demand a truly heroic effort. We share a common planet, and the world has learned the hard way that we have to get along and work together. We have learned, too, that cooperation can benefit all.

So what should the world do with a babyish bully in the sandbox, who wants everything for himself and won't be reasoned with? How can the world manage a "rogue" US?

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel gave the right answer when, after meeting with Trump and other G7 leaders last month, she said that Europe could no longer "fully count on others," and would have to "fight for our own future ourselves." This is the time for Europe to pull together, recommit itself to the values of the Enlightenment, and stand up to the US, as France's new president, Emmanuel Macron, did so eloquently with a handshake that stymied Trump's puerile alpha-male approach to asserting power.

Europe can't rely on a Trump-led US for its defense. But, at the same time, it should recognize that the Cold War is over – however unwilling America's industrial-military complex is to acknowledge it. While fighting terrorism is important and costly, building aircraft carriers and super fighter planes is not the answer. Europe needs to decide for itself how much to spend, rather than submit to the dictates of military interests that demand 2% of GDP. Political stability may be more surely gained by Europe's recommitment to its social-democratic economic model.

We now also know that the world cannot count on the US in addressing the existential threat posed by climate change. Europe and China did the right thing in deepening their commitment to a green future – right for the planet, and right for the economy. Just as investment in technology and education gave Germany a distinct advantage in advanced manufacturing over a US hamstrung by Republican ideology, so, too, Europe and Asia will achieve an almost insurmountable advantage over the US in the green technologies of the future.

The Year Ahead 2017 Cover Image

But the rest of the world cannot let a rogue US destroy the planet. Nor can it let a rogue US take advantage of it with unenlightened – indeed anti-Enlightenment – "America first" policies. If Trump wants to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement, the rest of the world should impose a carbon-adjustment tax on US exports that do not comply with global standards.

The good news is that the majority of Americans are not with Trump. Most Americans still believe in Enlightenment values, accept the reality of global warming, and are willing to take action. But, as far as Trump is concerned, it should already be clear that reasoned debate will not work. It is time for action.

--
John Case
Harpers Ferry, WV

The Winners and Losers Radio Show
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Unemployment rate fell in May for the wrong reasons: Slack still remains [feedly]

Unemployment rate fell in May for the wrong reasons: Slack still remains
http://www.epi.org/blog/unemployment-rate-fell-in-may-for-the-wrong-reasons-slack-still-remains/

The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a noticeable slowdown in job growth this year. Adding in May's 138,000 net new jobs, monthly job growth averaged 162,000 so far in 2017, and just 121,000 over the last three months, down from an average monthly gain of 187,000 jobs in 2016. While employment growth would be expected to slow as the economy approaches genuine full employment, other indicators suggest we are not that close to full employment yet, so this explanation seems insufficient. Specifically, at this point in the recovery, we should be looking to not only add jobs, but also see stronger wage growth in those jobs.

But this is not what we've seen. Unfortunately, wage growth has been flat over the last year. The latest data indicates that year-over-year nominal hourly wages grew 2.5 percent in May. In fact, as shown in the figure below, wage growth has averaged 2.5 percent over the last two years. If anything, we've seen a bit of a slowdown in wage growth this spring, and it is still below levels consistent with the Federal Reserve's 2 percent inflation target combined with trend productivity growth of 1.5 percent. So, why has wage growth continued to be below target levels after recovery has gone on so long? The simple answer is that while the recovery has been long, it has also been weak. And this weakness combined with the extraordinary damage done during the Great Recession means that slack remains.

Nominal Wage Tracker

But, you say, the unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent in May, its lowest in 16 years! Unfortunately, the unemployment rate fell for the wrong reasons and isn't fully reflective of the state of the labor market. That is, in the past when unemployment was roughly as low as it is today, the labor force participation rate—notably that of the prime-age population—has been much higher. Today, there are lots of would-be workers on the sidelines not being counted, who would take a job if offered one. And, the drop in the unemployment rate in the past month is more of a sign of people giving up on finding a job than more people becoming employed. In the last month, the labor force participation rate fell 0.2 percentage points and the employment-to-population ratio also fell 0.2 percentage points. Taken together, that means that the slight drop in the unemployment rate is, in fact, due to would-be workers leaving the labor force, not getting jobs.

Read more


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Saturday, June 3, 2017

Enlighten Radio Podcasts:Resistance News Podcast: Stewart Acuff Updates the resistance effort with David Eckstein, former Teamster and AFL-CIO leader and organizer.

John Case has sent you a link to a blog:



Blog: Enlighten Radio Podcasts
Post: Resistance News Podcast: Stewart Acuff Updates the resistance effort with David Eckstein, former Teamster and AFL-CIO leader and organizer.
Link: http://podcasts.enlightenradio.org/2017/06/resistane-news-podcast-stewart-acuff.html

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Enlighten Radio Podcasts:RECOVERING YOU! a discussion of addiction, childhood trauma & strategies to recover your sanity & health in the Age of the Opioid Epidemic

John Case has sent you a link to a blog:



Blog: Enlighten Radio Podcasts
Post: RECOVERING YOU! a discussion of addiction, childhood trauma & strategies to recover your sanity & health in the Age of the Opioid Epidemic
Link: http://podcasts.enlightenradio.org/2017/06/recovering-you-discussion-of-addiction.html

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Guardian: The Republicans who urged Trump to pull out of Paris deal are big oil darlings


The Republicans who urged Trump to pull out of Paris deal are big oil darlings


Twenty-two senators wrote a letter to the president when he was said to be on the fence about backing out. They received more than $10m from oil, gas and coal companies the past three election cycles

withdrawal by Donald Trump from the Paris climate accord would go down as a hallmark of his presidency. It would be unilateral, reckless and splashy – trademark Trump. The president has said he will announce his decision at 3pm ET (8pm BST) on Thursday. 

But while Trump has often stood on a range of issues as a maverick outlier from mainstream Republican politics, on climate change he is at the centre of the party's orthodoxy. Trump's disbelief in climate change and imminent decision on whether to support the Paris agreement reflects an area of unusual agreement between the president and elected Republicans, whose track record of climate change denialism is plain and long.

Unmissable behind the elected Republicans stand other interests: the oil, gas and coal industries, which together are some of the most influential donors to Republican candidates.

The big-money supporters got a return on their investment last week, when 22 Republican senators whose campaigns have collected more than $10m in oil, gas and coal money since 2012 sent a letter to the president urging him to withdraw from the Paris deal.

Trump had been said to be on the fence about the deal. Members of his inner circle, including his daughter, were reported to favor staying in.

"We strongly encourage you to make a clean break from the Paris Agreement," read the letter, drafted by Wyoming's John Barrasso, chairman of the Senate committee on environment and public works, and Oklahoma's Jim Inhofe, a longtime climate change denier and senior member of that committee.

The letter argued that the Paris deal threatened Trump's efforts to rescind the clean power plan, an Obama-era set of regulations and guidelines that include emissions caps and other rules deemed onerous by the fossil fuel industries.

It was not as if Trump wanted for advisers urging him to withdraw from the Paris deal even before the letter was sent. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt and chief strategist Stephen Bannon urged withdrawal, while energy secretary Rick Perry favored renegotiation.

Public opposition to the deal from almost two dozen senators just as the president prepared to make his decision, however, demonstrated the extent to which the opponents of the Paris deal were organized, ready to strike and to offer important political cover if Trump pulls the US out of the historic global deal.

Donations from oil, gas and coal interests to the signatories of the letter are Open Secrets that seemed ready for a new review. A Guardian survey of Federal Elections Commission data organized by the Center for Responsive Politics found that the industries gave a total of $10,694,284 to the 22 senators over the past three election cycles.

Visible donations to Republicans from those industries exceeded donations to Democrats in the 2016 election cycle by a ratio of 15-to-1, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And that does not include so-called dark money passed from oil interests such as Koch industries to general slush funds to re-elect Republicans such as the Senate leadership fund.

At least $90m in untraceable money has been funneled to Republican candidates from oil, gas and coal interests in the past three election cycles, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures analyzed by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Here is a breakdown for the past three election cycles (2012, 2014 and 2016).

James Inhofe, Oklahoma

Oil & gas: $465,950

Coal: $63,600

Total: $529,550

John Barrasso, Wyoming

Oil & gas: $458,466

Coal: $127,356

Total: $585,822

Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

Oil & gas: $1,180,384

Coal: $361,700

Total: $1,542,084

John Cornyn, Texas

Oil & gas: $1,101,456

Coal: $33,050

Total: $1,134,506

Roy Blunt, Missouri

Oil & gas: $353,864

Coal: $96,000

Total: $449,864

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

Oil & gas: $198,816

Coal: $25,376

Total: $224,192

Michael Enzi, Wyoming

Oil & gas: $211,083

Coal: $63,300

Total: $274,383

Mike Crapo, Idaho

Oil & gas: $110,250

Coal: $26,756

Total: $137,006

Jim Risch, Idaho

Oil & gas: $123,850

Coal: $25,680

Total: $149,530

Thad Cochran, Mississippi

Oil & gas: $276,905

Coal: $15,000

Total: $291,905

Mike Rounds, South Dakota

Oil & gas: $201,900

Coal: none

Total: $201,900

Rand Paul, Kentucky

Oil & gas: $170,215

Coal: $82,571

Total: $252,786

John Boozman, Arkansas

Oil & gas: $147,930

Coal: $2,000

Total: $149,930

Richard Shelby, Alabama

Oil & gas: $60,150

Coal: $2,500

Total: $62,650

Luther Strange, Alabama

(Appointed in 2017, running in 2017 special election)

Total: NA

Orrin Hatch, Utah

Oil & gas: $446,250

Coal: $25,000

Total: $471,250

Mike Lee, Utah

Oil & gas: $231,520

Coal: $21,895

Total: $253,415

Ted Cruz, Texas

Oil & gas: $2,465,910

Coal: $103,900

Total: $2,569,810

David Perdue, Georgia

Oil & gas: $184,250

Coal: $0

Total: $184,250

Thom Tillis, North Carolina

Oil & gas: $263,400

Coal: $0

Total: $263,400

Tim Scott, South Carolina

Oil & gas: $490,076

Coal: $58,200

Total: $548,276

Pat Roberts, Kansas

Oil & gas: $388,950

Coal: $28,825

Total: $417,775

Sum total for all 22 Republican signatories: $10,694,284


--
John Case
Harpers Ferry, WV

The Winners and Losers Radio Show
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Thursday, June 1, 2017

Fwd: MAYORS STRONGLY OPPOSE WITHDRAWAL FROM PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD



MAYORS STRONGLY OPPOSE WITHDRAWAL FROM PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD

VOW CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS


Washington, D.C, June 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Conference of Mayors strongly opposes President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord and has vowed that the nation's mayors will continue their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to alleviate the impacts of global warming.

"The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a strong proponent of the need to address climate change and we support the Paris agreement, which positions the world's nations, including the United States, to be energy independent, self-reliant, and resilient," said Phoenix (AZ) Mayor Greg Stanton, Chair of USCM's Environment Committee. "A thriving economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are compatible by focusing on new technology, investing in renewable fuel sources, and increasing our energy efficiency."

In December 2015, 464 mayors from 115 countries gathered in Paris, France to affirm their commitment to address climate disruption. See USCM's report, U.S. Mayors Report on a Decade of Global Climate Leadership, released in Paris, here.  

"Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our coastal communities, nation and world, and we need coordinated action at all levels of government to meet the scale of its challenge," said New Orleans (LA) Mayor Mitch Landrieu, USCM Vice President. "Here in Louisiana, we face a triple threat: subsidence, coastal erosion and sea level rise. If unchecked, New Orleans, like many coastal cities, will cease to exist. A federal withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is shortsighted and will be devastating to Americans in the long run. We need to work together to transition to a low-carbon economy that not only helps manage our climate risk, but also creates new businesses, jobs, and wealth. Cities need to keep our commitment to our communities and to each other. The U.S. Conference of Mayors stands with thousands of mayors on the front lines and will continue to fight at the local level for global impact."

At its Annual Meeting in June 2016, the Conference reiterated mayors' support for the Paris Climate Accord and the economic and health benefits to stronger climate policy on our communities and passed a policy resolution supporting the agreement along with other local, national and international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

"Dozens of our country's cities have already united to implement measures that combat climate change, so the President's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement is not representative of our nation's leaders and their communities," said Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin, USCM Second Vice President. "As Mayors, we commit to protecting the planet that we will leave to the next generations, finding innovative solutions for renewable energy and working so that our communities are kept free of hazardous emissions."

   
The 2016 resolution passed by the nation's Mayors called for:

  • Strong federal action to achieve the U.S. commitments under the Paris Agreement;
  • Local action to achieve the targets in the Paris Agreement;
  • Expanded federal funding to transform transportation systems to be clean and low carbon, including funding for expanding transit and electrifying mobility for people and goods through strategies that prioritize equitable outcomes;
  • Federal tax credits for solar, wind, and geothermal renewable energy resources to grow high-wage American jobs and reduce air pollution; and
  • Federal action, including funding, to help cities prepare for the impacts of climate change, such as increased flooding, extreme heat and drought. 

 

USCM Energy Chair New Bedford (MA) Mayor Jon Mitchell, added, "The solutions to climate change present economic opportunities in clean energy, efficient technology, and low-carbon products and services, all of which can create jobs in the United States. U.S. mayors have committed their cities to address climate change and will continue to do so." 

Since 2005, the Conference has been a leader on the issue of climate change by passing numerous policies, holding several summits, as well as spearheading a bipartisan effort where more than 1,000 mayors committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their individual communities. 

USCM Past President Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth Kautz elaborated on the Conference's history of involvement. "The U.S. Conference of Mayors took the lead to protect our planet due to climate change when our national government did not sign onto the Kyoto Protocol. Former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels rallied the Mayors of America to sign The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Agreement. During my Presidency, I took our message to the European Union and worked to support the creation and partnership with the European Union's Covenant of Mayors. We then took our message to the Mayors of China and worked together on the Sino-US Mayors Memorandum of Understanding in 2013. Mayors care about energy efficiency and continue to do the right thing to protect our planet for future generations. The U.S. Conference of Mayors continues to lead the way and make a difference in protecting our planet through our actions."

"The nation's mayors have never waited on Washington to act, and have been strong proponents of action on climate for decades," said USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. "Mayors will continue to harness their collective power to continue to lead the nation on this critical issue, regardless of what happens at the national level."

###

  

 The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3d3f38d0-33ed-4eec-bbc6-fe0a5c0a429e

Elena Temple-Webb
The U.S. Conference of Mayors
202-286-1100
etemple@usmayors.org

Sara Durr
Durr Communications
202-215-1811
sara@durrcommunications.com

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John Case
Harpers Ferry, WV

The Winners and Losers Radio Show
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