With inequality growing, middle-class wages stagnant, lower-class wages falling, record high corporate profits, and substantial high-end income growth, a presidential campaign centered on class is not out of the question. Mitt Romney — who almost perfectly embodies the greedy, privileged, Wall Street Banker stereotype — would be an incredible candidate for just such a campaign.… Continue reading Imagine a class-centered campaign against Mitt Romney
Author: Matt Bruenig
Another content slowdown
Because the next academic semester is beginning, I will not be able to post as frequently. During this break, I posted quite a bit of content and tacked on a significant number of new followers and rss subscribers thanks largely to George Monbiot’s piece in the Guardian. To those newcomers, I just wanted to give… Continue reading Another content slowdown
The endless struggle for ownership of “economic freedom”
The Heritage Foundation recently put out its 2012 Index of Economic Freedom. Like a lot of what Heritage puts out, its annual Index of Economic Freedom is exceedingly strange. Countries are assigned — without any coherent method — scores from 0 to 100 in categories like Labor Freedom, Business Freedom, Government Spending, and Property Rights.… Continue reading The endless struggle for ownership of “economic freedom”
Strategic bankruptcies: students vs. private equity firms
While Mitt Romney was the head of Bain Capital, the firm purchased a company called Worldwide Grinding Systems. What happened next is precisely the kind of finance “innovation” that Romney’s opponents have been criticizing. Bain Capital put up $8 million to buy the company, then loaded it down with hundreds of millions of dollars of… Continue reading Strategic bankruptcies: students vs. private equity firms
Romney proves my thesis about class envy accusations correct
I do not usually write posts like this, but this one is too hard to pass up. I published this article on January 10th about the right-wing class envy arguments. Relevant excerpt: What the conservatives call envy, the leftists call a yearning for equality. What those who scoff at envy really seek to do is… Continue reading Romney proves my thesis about class envy accusations correct