The House of Representatives didn’t know what hit it.The Green New Deal, introduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in February, energized politicians on both sides of the political spectrum with its twin goals of carbon neutrality by 2030 and the promise of jobs for every American. It also polarized them. Critics have one main question: How the hell are we going to pay for it?As the guy responsible for the plan’s “jobs guarantee,” Andrés Bernal, 32, has a lot to answer for. And...
Read More »Zero Hedge Ivanka Starts Cat-Fight With AOC: “People Want To Work For What They Get”
Hilton asked Trump: "You’ve got people who will see that offer from the Democrats, from the progressive Democrats, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: ‘Here’s the Green New Deal, here’s the guarantee of a job,’ and think, ‘yeah, that’s what I want, it’s that simple.’ What do you say to those people?" To which Ivanka responded: "I don’t think most Americans, in their heart, want to be given something. I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around this country over the last 4 years. People want to work...
Read More »Paul Mason — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal is radical but it needs to be credible too
The backers of Ocasio-Cortez’s bill released and then withdrew an FAQwhich seemed to suggest the investment would be paid for using the methods advocated by Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). MMT rightly argues, as against free-market economics, that a state with a sovereign currency cannot go bust. The state can create growth, and thus the means to pay back money borrowed; and it can create money, via the central bank, which can be used to lend to government.For many people on the radical left,...
Read More »Jerri-Lynn Scofield — AOC Campaign Finance Primer Goes Viral
Wow. 16 million hits, and counting. Leave it to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) to show how to turn a campaign finance primer into a viral video. Certainly the first time a congressional hearing on strengthening ethics rules for the executive branch reached such a huge audience. This is a must-watch clip. I hesitate to add much commentary, as anything I write will likely not add all that much, and might instead only distract from the original.Nonetheless, full speed...
Read More »David Von Drehle — That Green New Deal has some seeing only red ink
Which brings us to the common ground that Trump shares with Ocasio-Cortez: Neither one believes in budgets. Central to the Green New Deal is a formulation known as modern monetary theory, which holds that the spending power of a sovereign government is limited only by its productive resources. Trump's fiscal insanity - massive spending along with pleas for lower interest rates - is modern monetary theory in all but name, and his trillion-dollar deficits are inspirational for the authors of...
Read More »Ted Nolan — ‘Cum Laude’
Physician Ted Noel first admits that AOC went though rigorous math training to obtain her undergrad degree in International Relations and Economics, and then accuses her of making trivial math mistakes. He then shoots from the hip himself, cooking up an off the cuff model of why AOC is clearly wrong. Dr. Nolan thinks he can just extemporize a response off the top of his head based on his undergrad math degree as part of his pre-med training when we are talking about launching another...
Read More »Kathryn Krawczyk — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants to pay for her Green New Deal by essentially printing more money
Essentially, Ocasio-Cortez is continuing to argue for Modern Monetary Theory — something she said "absolutely" needs to be "a larger part of our conversation" in a recent Business Insider interview. The theory says that because governments can literally print money, "they can spend as much as they like," Politico explains. "Inflation is the only obstacle" that should stop the presses, The Week details here. In short, it's a big, untested idea for a big, untested plan. Read more two...
Read More »Victoria Guida — Ocasio-Cortez boosts progressive theory that deficits aren’t so scary
Fair and balanced. Stephanie Kelton speaks for the MMT view. The other side is presented, too, but I would say that the debate goes to left in this article. For Politico, overall positive, and that says something of itself. MMT is getting harder to dismiss offhandedly.PoliticoOcasio-Cortez boosts progressive theory that deficits aren't so scary Victoria Guida
Read More »Zero Hedge — Ocasio-Cortez Formulates “Green New Deal” To Fix Climate And “Repair Historic Oppression” Tyler Durden
The talking is over. A legislative proposal is being prepared and will be put on the table "next week." Politically, the big news is demographics. The millennial generation is now the most populous and the boomers are beginning to die off. Young politicians are staking their claims to the future — AOC and Tulsi Gabbard, for example. How successful they will be how quickly is uncertain. What is certain is that they are going to be around for a long while and they will be joined by...
Read More »This Time Is Different: Wray on Modern Monetary Theory
Michael Stephens | February 4, 2019 Public interest in Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) is undergoing a new growth spurt, and progressive politicians are playing a key role in the current phase. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez recently referenced the heterodox framework to push back against the assumption that her ambitious policy proposals must, as a matter of financial necessity, be made budget-neutral (an assumption, as Brendan Greeley...
Read More »