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
Author: Matt Bruenig
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
I beg anyone to tell me how I am wrong, please
I want to win one very narrow point. I want to win it and have it killed because I am tired of seeing it. So I am begging anyone and everyone to tell me how I am wrong. The Opponent’s Argument Right now, some college graduates wind up doing federal income-based repayment (IBR) because they… Continue reading I beg anyone to tell me how I am wrong, please
More bad Pay It Forward arguments
American Federation of Teachers has a bad track record of throwing out contradictory arguments about Pay It Forward. In fact, a lot of the left literally has no idea what to do with it. It is a policy idea that they can’t really put into their usual scripts. Some try, but it is elusive. I… Continue reading More bad Pay It Forward arguments