Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Noah Smith - Coronavirus Brings American Decline Out in the Open

 Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades.


But the consequences of U.S. decline will far outlast coronavirus. With its high housing costs, poor infrastructure and transit, endemic gun violence, police brutality and bitter political and racial divisions, the U.S. will be a less appealing place for high-skilled workers to live. That means companies will find other countries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere a more attractive destination for investment, robbing the U.S. of jobs, depressing wages and draining away the local spending that powers the service economy. That in turn will exacerbate some of the worst trends of U.S. decline -- less tax money means even more urban decay as infrastructure, education and social-welfare programs are forced to make big cuts.

Bloomberg 

10 comments:

pjkar said...

"Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades."

Within a few decades??? Where's this guy been? It resembles one right now.

Peter Pan said...

Sleepy Joe will restore the soul of an un-developing nation.

Peter Pan said...

Where's this guy been?

He's been comfortable.
It's practically a requirement for the chattering classes.

Matt Franko said...

“ Coronavirus Brings American Decline Out in the Open”

LOL we’re leading in vaccinations and therapies...

This guy needs to get out of NYC Democrat hell once in a while... whole place is corrupt and incompetent... headed back to 1970s decrepitude again GOP is going have to come back in and fix it as usual... not hitting bottom yet...

Unknown said...

"GOP is going have to come back in and fix it"

and there are fairies at the bottom of my garden too!

Unknown said...

Mitch McConnell announced yesterday that Congress had provided enough pandemic aid shortly after taking a peak at his checking account to see government had deposited his usual pay check. What a Republican Party ass-hole!

Matt Franko said...

They’ll get the 2,000 through eventually... have to deal with some political stuff first...

Peter Pan said...

Fairy dust is a must for a blooming garden.

Joe said...

I've wondered how long until businesses quit investing in the US. Why invest here when other nations have better infrastructure, better educated populations, healthier populations, far lower health care costs and have functioning governments? Maybe the US could become the cheap labor country after another decade of decline, full of people willing to work in terrible conditions for almost no pay cause freedumb.

Peter Pan said...

Small businesses started by Americans tend to be located in the US. Few of them are able to globetrot around the world.

Big business will invest when the price is right.