Rethinking the Economy

Here’s the question I need to answer :
If our economy isn’t “natural” and wasn’t inevitable, then what?
What is the alternative that would actually work?

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Does pushing for cleaner energy kill jobs & growth? No, says Google (via Grist’s Stephen Lacey). In fact, waiting will cost us dearly:
Google, a leader of innovation in the digital economy, says that without a private and public focus on innovation in renewables, storage, and electric vehicles, the cost of delaying the clean energy [...]

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When I finished Version 0.17 of my model, I realized that I needed a bucket for holding the complexities behind “everyone should have a real say.” Turns out to be a bit more complicated than I thought. So, here’s a dump of the pieces that I think should end up in this bucket.

 
Consumer choice versus [...]

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After wrestling with That Nagging Feeling, another stab at a model.
 
Myth: We Don’t Have the Power to Shape the Economy
Most of us believe we have the power to make major decisions that shape our individual lives. But we feel powerless when it comes to the economy. Each of us can play the hand we’re dealt, [...]

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Working on Part 2 of Speaking to That Nagging Feeling, I realized that if I gave my argument a little tweak here and there, I’d have the next version of my model. So, I’m going to skip writing Part 2 of Speaking to That Nagging Feeling and go right to the main event.

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I think I’ve figured out a way to reframe my theory as a response to That Nagging Feeling. This Reframe isn’t how I’d explain the theory to someone. It feels more like going at it from an angle. But that’s okay. If you know how you’d handle a tough question about an idea, it tells [...]

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Of all the emotions I need to address, one of the biggest challenges is what I call That Nagging Feeling. It’s the feeling a lot of people, including liberals and progressives have, when they hear about plans to create a more just economy, to stop global warming, or any other bold plans to change [...]

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The Guardian’s Elliott Ross has been mucking around in Big Pharma’s never-ending quest to make sure that research is slanted their way. It isn’t pretty.
When doctors are deciding which drug to prescribe a patient, the idea behind evidence-based medicine is that they inform their thinking by consulting scientific literature. To a great extent, this [...]

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Great article in the Huffington Post about the epic battle in DC between retailer lobbyists and bank lobbyists over the fee retailers pay when you use your credit card. My favorite quote:
One frustrated moderate Democratic senator asks to remain anonymous so he can speak freely about his legislative education. “I’m surprised at how much [...]

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Exhibit A of why passing good policy isn’t enough, courtesy of Think Progress:
According to an analysis by the Wall Street Journal, the banks’ spending on lobbying in the first quarter of 2011 was actually higher than it was in the first quarter of 2010, when Dodd-Frank was actively being debated:
Wall Street and the financial [...]

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