"Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%" by Stiglitz

There is a fantastic piece in Vanity Fair by Joseph Stiglitz about wealth distribution in America. Stiglitz won the Nobel prize in Economics in 2001, so the article is not just the semi-coherent rantings of an under-qualified progressive (such as, some argue, myself). He even gives a shout to transportation:

Third, and perhaps most important, a modern economy requires “collective action”—it needs government to invest in infrastructure, education, and technology. The United States and the world have benefited greatly from government-sponsored research that led to the Internet, to advances in public health, and so on. But America has long suffered from an under-investment in infrastructure (look at the condition of our highways and bridges, our railroads and airports), in basic research, and in education at all levels. Further cutbacks in these areas lie ahead.

Further, Stiglitz offers a critique of trickle-(not-very-far-if-at-all)-down economics. Returning to my under-qualified opinion, I think that, exactly as Stiglitz says, it is the need for "collective action" is precisely what makes the decadence and inequality of America especially troublesome.

Full article here, via BoingBoing.

New York Times article: How Flaws Undid Obama’s Hope for High-Speed Rail in Florida

The March 11 edition of the New York Times features the article How Flaws Undid Obama’s Hope for High-Speed Rail in Florida which offers the following in its analysis of the demise of the Florida HSR project:

"The story of the line’s rise and fall shows how it was ultimately undone by a tradeoff that was made when the route was first selected.

The Tampa-to-Orlando route had obvious drawbacks: It would have linked two cities that are virtually unnavigable without cars, and that are so close that the new train would have been little faster than driving. But the Obama administration chose it anyway because it was seen as the line that could be built first. Florida had already done much of the planning, gotten many of the necessary permits and owned most of the land that would be needed."

Propaganda

In all of our discussions, we have been pushed to consider "problem framing" because it shapes the solution set and to remember that "words matter." For example, consider Prof Coughlin's last post with the quote

I'm not an activist, an alarmist, a Democrat, environmentalist or anything like that.

Not an activist??! What is wrong with being an activist! Ms Gant is deliberately invoking contemporary propaganda in order to distance herself from popular caricatures that she fears some may use against her to discredit her claim. BoingBoing linked to this site: http://propagandacritic.com/, which provides a fascinating history and summary of propaganda, and, perhaps most importantly, tips to help citizens think critically about issues rather than fall victim to the propaganda.