"We have deified businessmen while denigrating government workers," says Erica Payne of the Agenda Project, and there's no better example of that than President Obama appointing GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt to head a commission on jobs and competitiveness. Heading into the State of the Union speech, Heidi Shierholz stresses that businesses aren't hiring and creating jobs because there is not enough demand--because people are not buying goods or services.
Erica and Heidi join us to discuss the state of the economy, Obama's choice for a leader on jobs, and where the US jobs have really gone.
The Raging Grannies also have some thoughts on the economy, and Citizens United's role in it.
Budget cuts in care for those with mental illness often go unnoticed, notes mental health nurse Rexanne Darnell, because there is no one to speak for the mentally ill who are affected. It is too often left to legislators and governors, like Jan Brewer in Arizona, are making cuts to programs that keep patients safe and protected--as well as protecting the medical professionals who care for them.
Rexanne joins us from Tucson, Arizona, where Jared Loughner shot Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others at a Congress On Your Corner event, and discusses the ongoing assault on mental health care funding.
Finally, the revelation of thousands of pages of confidential Palestinian diplomatic records has shocked the world -- all of it except the US, that is. Laura takes a look at the different responses to the Palestine Papers.
Why don’t you have Hazel Henderson founder of Ethical Markets on the show. She brings a perspective about global sustainability/eco-systems/energy to the fore that this conversation you’re having here today misses. The truth about this economic model of “roads to deliver more goods and services” is in the balance right now. The issue of lost demand is a permanent condition connected with Bubble Busts when they are allowed to happen as this one did. The 1930s was the last time. But, the real question about how Americans are going to get out from under the Corporate Leviathan needs a much broader conversation about just what resources, natural, and alternative that can free more Americans from this slavery to capital markets and consumption.
By planckbrandt on January 24th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
What I hear in Immelt is missed in this talk. He said we need to manufacture to export. Its been said for a few years in Barron’s and other tools of these types that we need to drive down US wages, and get more kids into factories that will be brought back here. They aren’t creating an educated workforce. They had that before and don’t want it again. Its been pretty systematic killing off schools and education in this country for the last decades. Defunding Berkeley should tell us something. Putting the currency value at risk is also revealing. Their 70% of overseas profits jacks up in USDs when that USD devalues. But, our wages devalue on the world market. They’re already picking up exports of mining extraction. Job growth last few months has been in extraction. They’re plan is something else putting a manufacturer in place in this job after a road show to China to show of high tech war gear!
By planckbrandt on January 24th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Currency devaluation that lowers US wages is what will shift demand for investment here. What I hear in Immelt is missed in this talk. He said we need to manufacture to export. Its been said for a few years in Barron’s and other tools of these types that we need to drive down US wages, and get more kids into factories that will be brought back here. They aren’t creating an educated workforce. They had that before and don’t want it again. Its been pretty systematic killing off schools and education in this country for the last decades. Defunding Berkeley should tell us something. Putting the currency value at risk is also revealing. Their 70% of overseas profits jacks up in USDs when that USD devalues. But, our wages devalue on the world market. They’re already picking up exports of mining extraction. Job growth last few months has been in extraction. Their plan is something else putting a manufacturer in place in this job after a road show to China to show off high tech war gear!
By planckbrandt on January 24th, 2011 at 11:29 pm