Category Archives: welfare state

The irony of greed: The end game for Neoliberalism?

Posted on September 6, 2011 by

The global economy is in the toilet and the Boomers’ representatives are chanting: “flush, flush, flush.”  Me? I am eating cigarettes and wine while admiring the remarkable consistency in the myopia of all of it. In the name of fiscal … Continue reading →

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Krugman pins the tail on the Elephant

Posted on February 26, 2011 by

Krugman gets it right in both the pith and the substance of the matter on the overcompensated public sector workers in Wisconsin.  Short of it: they are not.  This is a must read. The Contribution Scam David Cay Johnston has … Continue reading →

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Dark, Dark Day in Wisconsin: What is the lesson?

Posted on February 25, 2011 by

The Globe reports: The Wisconsin Assembly early Friday passed a bill that would strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights – the first significant action on the new Republican governor’s plan. Lesson: There is no compromise to be … Continue reading →

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Money for nothing, gifts for free, I want my CITs

Posted on January 29, 2011 by

As long as I can remember anything of social significance (since 8I think), corporate Canada has been demanding a little help from its friends with respect to productivity.  The facts are the Canadian private sector has been a world class … Continue reading →

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No. 8: We got effeciency here

Posted on December 23, 2010 by

For some I know this will seem a little too low on the list, but it is low because it really is low. When you are trapped inside GET (general equilibrium theory) reality is your enemy. Inside GET everything is … Continue reading →

Posted in American politics, Canadian Politics, Class War, economic crisis, Finance, Financial Regulation, Neoliberalism, Real Economists, unemployment, welfare state | 2 Comments

IMF research paper: “Inequality, Leverage and Crises”

Posted on December 1, 2010 by

A recently released research paper coming out of the IMF is worth your time. Particularly so if you find yourself making what you take to be a serious argument about the link between inequality and macroeconomic stability but can’t seem … Continue reading →

Posted in American politics, Canadian Politics, Class War, Consumption, Financial Regulation, Free Markets, Free Trade, industrial relations, labour market theory, New Papers & Articles, unemployment, Welfare Policy, welfare state | 1 Comment

Finance Minister Flaherty beams sunshine out of his cake hole: Labour market tells a different story

Posted on September 21, 2010 by

So there is this graph of harmonized unemployment rates comparing select advanced capitalist economies: Click for crisper image Then there is this quote from the Finance Minister Flaherty: “We’re punching above our weight – far above our weight. And now … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Class War, economic crisis, Election, Neoliberalism, unemployment, welfare state | Leave a comment

The Limits to the NDPs War on Consumption Taxes: and the Crisis on the Left

Posted on September 15, 2010 by

Usually the NDP frames their stance against the Harmonized Sales Tax as not being one of anti-tax but one of being anti-regressive taxation. This is a view I am sympathetic to. However, some real-politic concerns have slowly started to change … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, economic crisis, Gov Debt, Neoliberalism, Tax Cuts, Welfare Policy, welfare state | 4 Comments

Is it too much to ask that Simpson check his basic facts before he opines on Quebec no less?

Posted on September 14, 2010 by

Sadly the brief answer is probably yes. There is so much wrong with Jeffrey Simpson’s column on Quebec, Quebec’s pay-everyone social programs are draining its purse, and on so many levels it is hard to know where to begin. Rather … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Neoliberalism, Tuition Fees, welfare state | 1 Comment

Are Canadian Economists as Smart as Paul Krugman thinks?

Posted on September 12, 2010 by

Unfortunately Krugman’s hopes that the policy conversation in Canada is more enlightened than in the US is dashed once again. Here is the set-up which is lifted from the comments section over at WCI*: Posted by: [JR] | September 10, … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Politics, Models, Neoclassical, Neoliberalism, Welfare Policy, welfare state | 1 Comment