I missed last week’s digest somehow. I had 4 posts over at Demos’ Policy Shop this last couple of weeks. Here is a rundown with links: No One Actually Cares About Meritocracy. Excerpt: You can’t live in the United States and not be acquainted with at least a handful of extremely prominently legacy cases who,… Continue reading Policy Shop (Bi-)Weekly Digest: Merit, Heroes, Poverty, Poverty
Author: Matt Bruenig
Almost all charity arguments are analytically confused
I’ve written on charity stuff before. When it comes to economic issues, I prefer justice to charity. I prefer that we arrange our distributive institutions to achieve a fair distribution, not allow unfair distributions to happen that we then maybe ameliorate through private transfers. I think Oscar Wilde’s argument on this front is the most… Continue reading Almost all charity arguments are analytically confused
How not to argue about human rights
Amanda Marcotte had a really strange piece today in Alternet, which was cross-posted at Salon. She is apparently trying to respond to conservative efforts to demand liberals articulate where human rights come from. The conservatives Marcotte focuses on claim they come from God, while Marcotte explains that they come from, well, um…don’t worry about it.… Continue reading How not to argue about human rights
The Coase Theorem Is Alive and Well in East New York
Courtesy of Colorlines and @sandraholla, I came across the above video. In it, a resident of East New York stands in front of a Banksy street art piece that popped up in his neighborhood, and demands that people pay him $20 to take a picture of it. It is a little unclear how this is… Continue reading The Coase Theorem Is Alive and Well in East New York
Policy Shop Weekly Digest: Liberty, Basic Income
I had 2 posts over at Demos’ Policy Shop this week. Here is a rundown with links: How the Left Sees Liberty. Excerpt: The problem with the libertarian and right-wing notions of liberty is not just that they self-implode; it’s also that there is a more plausible notion of liberty offered up by the left-wing… Continue reading Policy Shop Weekly Digest: Liberty, Basic Income