I write often about poverty, inequality, and other kinds of suffering in the United States. I usually write in general terms about the country as a whole, but it deserves mentioning that this sort of suffering is not at all evenly distributed throughout the population. Some racial groups face much higher levels of economic and… Continue reading The obscene suffering of black youth
Author: Matt Bruenig
A defect of Randian and Nietzschean conservatism
With Paul Ryan’s comical devotion to Ayn Rand in the news again, perhaps it would be worthwhile to discuss Randian and Nietzsche conservatism. I bring Nietzsche in because Ayn Rand was not an original thinker: she just clumsily channeled Nietzschean ideas and put them into long, boring novels. The jumping off point for this brand… Continue reading A defect of Randian and Nietzschean conservatism
The reality of Medicare
Unlike Social Security, projected Medicare spending will dramatically outpace projected revenues in the next few decades. If nothing is done, Medicare will run huge deficits. Importantly, these projected deficits are not primarily driven by the shifting demographics of an aging population; rather, they are almost entirely driven by rapid growth in healthcare costs. In 2007,… Continue reading The reality of Medicare
The Economist brilliantly refutes itself in the same article
The Economist floated out a monstrosity today titled Paul Ryan: The man with the plan. Any article that suggests Paul Ryan has a plan is immediately discredited. Most such articles just claim he does, provides some vague praise, and then moves on. It takes a publication as sophisticated as The Economist to claim Ryan has… Continue reading The Economist brilliantly refutes itself in the same article
The biggest enemy of poverty reduction
The New York Times ran a long and very good article on poverty. In it, they quote Education Secretary Arne Duncan: “What I fundamentally believe — and what the president believes,” Duncan told me, “is that the only way to end poverty is through education.” This thinking is the biggest enemy of poverty reduction. Poor… Continue reading The biggest enemy of poverty reduction