Climate Equity: What Is It? — Peter Dorman

The limitations of AOC-Harris become clearer when you consider what the centerpiece of any meaningful climate policy has to be: suppressing the use of fossil fuels, which will entail putting a steep price on them. (This can be done either with a permit system or taxes, quantity controls or price controls; permits are by far the better option.) We are talking hundreds of dollars per metric ton of carbon, which translates to several dollars per gallon of gas at the pump and similar added costs for heating, electricity and other energy uses and sources. Will this have a devastating effect on low income communities? Absolutely, and it will be nearly as unbearable for everyone below the top fifth or so. Fortunately, we also know the solution: rebate the carbon money back to the public, using the progressive formula of equal rebates to all households. This approach does the best possible job of protecting the living standards of the majority of the population, at the same time assuaging, as much as any program can, the fears that might make a stringent carbon policy politically unattainable.

This is not everything a carbon policy has to do, but it is the one part that is non-optional....

Econospeak

Climate Equity: What Is It?
Peter Dorman | Professor of Political Economy, The Evergreen State College

Alexander Douglas — The Big Modern Monetary Theory Debate

Philosopher Alexander Douglas on the monetary debate, with particular reference to Jonathan Portes and Simon Wren-Lewis. About economic models and modeling. 

I used to think I agreed with MMT by and large. But when I write things on what I think is wrong with macroeconomic theory, MMTists seem to disagree with me. I think I’m more comfortable with the high levels of abstraction and conceptual shorthand rampant in economic models, even if they’re literally untrue. My problem is with the logical puzzles that emerge even taking the shorthand as read. But never mind; here I’ll just say what I think about the policy debate.

The debate that most interests me is over what Portes and Simon Wren-Lewis have called ‘The Consensus Assignment’. Portes describes it thus in the article linked:

Medium
The Big Modern Monetary Theory Debate

Alexander Douglas | Lecturer in Philosophy, University of St. Andrews

Peter Cooper — Fairness and a ‘Job or Income Guarantee’

Of the various criticisms leveled at a combined ‘job or income guarantee‘, ones appealing to fairness usually go along the lines that it would be unfair for healthy individuals outside the workforce to receive an income while others are occupied in jobs. In considering this objection, a number of points come to mind:

heteconomist
Fairness and a ‘Job or Income Guarantee’
Peter Cooper

Daniel José Camacho — Can We Afford Economic Justice In The United States?

If the government is not as broke as some say it is, then the inability to invest in things like public education is due to a lack of political will and not some natural law written into the fabric of economic reality.

Sojourners
Can We Afford Economic Justice In The United States?

Daniel José Camacho | Associate Web Editor

Jake Johnson — Viral Video of Hospital Dumping Woman Into Freezing Cold Stirs Demand for 'Medicare for All'

Say again which countries are "shit-hole" countries.

Seriously, there are reasons that hell hole countries are the way they are. That is overlooked in the push to emphasis that the developed world cannot accommodate immigrating from the undeveloped world.

Regarding undeveloped countries, the pressing questions involve 1) development economics, and 2) historical reasons and current policy of developed countries that contribute to the problems.

However, there is no good reason for hell holes in developed countries with the resources and expertise to solve the rampant problems of under-devlopment domestically.

This post illustrates the issue within the continental US, and the plight of Puerto Rico reveals the problems for American citizens on US territory.

Again, which countries are the shit-holes?

Oh, and there is an uproar over what the president said about this. Well, he said that he was going to do away with the PC hypocrisy. How many people either say or think precisely what he is willing to say? 

Just about everyone in the elite and well-off? I thought so.

Common Dreams
Viral Video of Hospital Dumping Woman Into Freezing Cold Stirs Demand for 'Medicare for All'

Jake Johnson

See also

Some countries truly are sh—holes — and that’s why the citizens who live there want to come to America so badly.

Of course, we can’t take everyone who wants to come. Our country would be overrun.

The Washington Times

Borders aren’t racist, and some countries are sh—holes

Cheryl K. Chumley

Peter Dorman — Social Justice: Debt, Solidarity or Care?

And there is a third way to think about justice. For this we can go back to Mozi, the legendary philosopher, political activist and opponent of offensive war who lived in China in the years surrounding 400 BCE. As he looked at inequalities of power and wealth, Mo argued that the core problem was “unequal love”, that people cared more for those in their own family or other social group than anyone else. In an extreme form, this led to wars of domination or conquest, since the rulers valued the soldiers and the population of the regions they were attacking less than their own kin. War, he thought, was obviously mass murder, and yet it was viewed as glorious. His remedy was to promote an equality of caring; given this, he thought, injustice could not be possible.

I realize there have been many formulations of this universalism in the intervening 2500 years, with greater sophistication over time, but it’s relevant that the equality-of-care basis for social justice goes back a long, long way. Perhaps more activists have drawn on it than on any other frame.

Universal love requires a high level of collective consciousness. While it is the ideal that perennial wisdom proposes, few individuals and groups achieve it, let alone entire cultures.

This is the Vedic ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, "the world is a family." It is also found Buddha's emphasis on wisdom (prajna, panna) and compassion (maitri, metta). It is Confucius's ren, which can be rendered as "benevolence" or "humaneness." It is found in the Torah passages that Jesus quoted when asked to summarized the Law (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18). It is the basis for the Golden Rule found in virtually all wisdom traditions.

This state of being in love is excluded by narrow individualism, although it is compatible with a liberalism recognizing individual good as bound up with the good of the whole. This is "enlightened self-interest." In Utilitarianism, this is expressed as "the greatest good of the greatest number."

Living a good life in a good society — achieving an ideal society of enlightened individuals — involves aiming to achieve this state of "being in love" personally and socially.

Econospeak
Social Justice: Debt, Solidarity or Care?
Peter Dorman | Professor of Political Economy, The Evergreen State College

Jean Pisani-Ferry — The Abandonment of Progress

Elites are starting to wake up and are realizing there is a pressing problem they had better get busy solving if they want to stay in power. At least some of them are.

I would not call it the abandonment of progress as much as the stalling of progress and that is the problem. If the progress were distributed there would not be these issues.

There seems to be a prevalence of linear thinking and a dearth of dialectical thinking.

Project Syndicate
The Abandonment of Progress

Jean Pisani-Ferry | Professor at the Hertie School of Governance (Berlin) and Sciences Po (Paris), currently serving as Commissioner-General of France Stratégie, a public policy advisory institution

Timothy Taylor — Charles Dickens on Seeing the Poor

Economists might also wince just a bit at the reaction of some economists to poverty, who Dickens calls "the unreasonable disciples of a reasonable school." Dickens writes: "I know that the unreasonable disciples of a reasonable school, demented disciples who push arithmetic and political economy beyond all bounds of sense (not to speak of such a weakness as humanity), and hold them to be all-sufficient for every case, can easily prove that such things ought to be, and that no man has any business to mind them. Without disparaging those indispensable sciences in their sanity, I utterly renounce and abominate them in their insanity ..."

Group insanity or Scrooges?

Conversable Economist
Charles Dickens on Seeing the Poor
Timothy Taylor | Managing editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, based at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota

teleSUR — The Pope Hails Communism for Focus on 'Poor' and 'Marginalized'

Asked if his pursuit and for a more egalitarian society meant he envisioned a “Marxist type of society,” the pontiff quipped "it is the communists who think like Christians.”…

teleSUR
The Pope Hails Communism for Focus on 'Poor' and 'Marginalized'

David F. Ruccio — Vampires and capitalism

On the vampire motif in political economy.

Vampires are also, as it turns out, familiar as a critical trope within economics.
Terrell Carver (in Postmodern Marx) notes that Marx used the vampire motif three times in Capital—in the chapter on the working day…

Matt Taibbi applied it to Goldman, and now the pope is using the term, "bloodsuckers."

Occasional Links & Commentary
Vampires and capitalism
David F. Ruccio | Professor of Economics, University of Notre Dame

Paul Goble — In Advance of Elections, Putin Preparing to Move Against Oligarchs, Martynov Says

Paul Goble and The Interpreter are antagonists of the Putin regime, but occasionally come up with some things that are interesting. I think this may be some of the story behind the creation of a Russian National Guard that reports to the Kremlin, in addition to the officially announced reasons of fighting corruption and crime, terrorism, and foreign manufactured color revolution.

The first piece is about Chechnya and the second about harnessing the oligarchs.

The political advantages of such a strategy, the commentator suggests, are obvious. Russia will not only be “a world capital of sport, a protector of ‘the Russian world,’ and the defender of the planet against global terrorism.” It will become “the world capital of social justice.”

The horror of it.

The Interpreter
In Advance of Elections, Putin Preparing to Move Against Oligarchs, Martynov Says
Paul Goble

Sputnik International — Orthodox, Catholic Leaders Meeting Vital to Protect Christians

Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill may transform the focus of the ecumenical movement to concentrate on protecting Christians persecuted around the world and to promote social justice, eminent US Catholic and Orthodox scholars told Sputnik.…

Sputnik International
Orthodox, Catholic Leaders Meeting Vital to Protect Christians

Philip Pullella And Sarah Marsh — Pope calls for new economic order, criticizes capitalism

Pope Francis on Thursday urged the downtrodden to change the world economic order, denouncing a "new colonialism" by agencies that impose austerity programs and calling for the poor to have the "sacred rights" of labor, lodging and land. 

In one of the longest, most passionate and sweeping speeches of his pontificate, the Argentine-born pope also asked forgiveness for the sins committed by the Roman Catholic Church in its treatment of native Americans during what he called the "so-called conquest of America." 

Quoting a fourth century bishop, he called the unfettered pursuit of money "the dung of the devil," and said poor countries should not be reduced to being providers of raw material and cheap labor for developed countries. 

Repeating some of the themes of his landmark encyclical "Laudato Si" on the environment last month, Francis said time was running out to save the planet from perhaps irreversible harm to the ecosystem.… 

Francis doubles down.

"This system is by now intolerable: farm workers find it intolerable, laborers find it intolerable, communities find it intolerable, peoples find it intolerable … The earth itself – our sister, Mother Earth, as Saint Francis would say – also finds it intolerable," he said in an hour-long speech

Referring to "Mother Earth" is especially significant in Latin America where indigenous Andean peoples have traditionally worshipped Panchamama. This, along with apologizing for previous since of the Church against indigenous peoples will go a long way to making Francis the Latin American pope.

Reuters
Pope calls for new economic order, criticizes capitalism
Philip Pullella And Sarah Marsh

See also

In an exclusive interview with teleSUR, President Morales described his relationship with Pope Francis and highlighted the importance of his message

teleSUR

The Pope of the Poor: Bolivian President Praises Pope Francis

“I humbly ask for forgiveness, in the name of the Church, for the crimes committed during the conquest era (Spanish colonization)...not only for the offenses made by the Church itself, but for the crimes against the indigenous people during the colonization of America,” said the Pope in his second day visiting the Andean nation.…

Francis criticized the capitalist system and the neoliberal “trickle-down” ideology, which he described as contrary to Jesus' teachings. “Its not enough to let some trickle down, when the poor shake that cup that never trickles down over by itself,” said the Pope, referring to the predominant neoliberal axiom. The leader of the Catholic Church urged the social movements to continue working with their communities in the benefit of the common good.

Pope Asks for Forgiveness for Church's Crimes in Latin America


The pope is lending huge moral assistance to Bolivarismo. Between BRICS and this activist pope, seizing on liberation theology, the tide may be turning.

Maduro Talks to teleSUR Part 1: Guyana Border Dispute
Maduro Talks to teleSUR Part 2: On Greece and Economic War

The summit also progressed the New Development Bank and condemned unilateral military interventions.

Update: BRICS Announces New University for the South

Philip Pullella And Daniel Ramos — Pope lauds Bolivia's social reforms as relations thaw

Pope Francis on Wednesday praised Bolivia's social reforms to spread wealth under leftist President Evo Morales and urged the world not to view prosperity as material wealth, which he warned only breeds corruption and conflict.

Morales' strained relations with the Catholic Church have begun thawing under the Argentine-born pontiff's papacy, and he warmly embraced the pope seven years after denouncing the Church as "an instrument of domination".…

Reuters
Pope lauds Bolivia's social reforms as relations thaw
Philip Pullella And Daniel Ramos

teleSUR — Pope Francis to Correa: 'You Can Always Rely on the Church'

“Mister President, you will always be able to rely on the Church to support your people who stood up with dignity,” said the Pope to the Ecuadorean leader.

Pope Francis landed at the airport of Quito, the Ecuadorean capital, on Sunday, where President Rafael Correa and other officials welcomed him. Upon leaving the plane, the pope continued his campaign to uplift the poor in his first speech, saying that as a representative of the Catholic Church, he cannot disassociate himself from the struggles of the underprivileged. “The Ecuadorean people has stood up with dignity,” he said, as Pope Francis has been holding a continued discourse of social justice toward the poor.

The Pope’s visit to the South American country comes amid a series of month-long opposition protests, which have been at times violent. The opposition took to the streets after President Correa announced two tax laws aiming to redistribution wealth....

Big shift. The Church has always remained officially non-political in Latin America, often taking criticism for it.

teleSUR
Pope Francis to Correa: 'You Can Always Rely on the Church'

Also

Pope Francis to Promote Social Justice in Latin America Tour

Pope Francis — Laudato Si'

ENCYCLICAL LETTER

LAUDATO SI’

OF THE HOLY FATHER

FRANCIS

ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME

“The 21st century, while maintaining systems of governance inherited from the past, is witnessing a weakening of the power of nation states, chiefly because the economic and financial sectors, being transnational, tend to prevail over the political.” (p. 128)

ht/ Bill Moyers & Co.

telesur — BREAKING: President Rafael Correa Halts Tax Projects

The opposition has staged a series of demonstrations throughout the week allegedly in rejection of both tax laws. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa announced Monday night in a televised address that two controversial tax bills that have sparked protests throughout the week will be halted.

According to the head of state, the decision is rooted in the best interest of the people, to launch a debate and avoid violence.

“We can wait. This is not for our government, this is for future generations,” explained Correa.

In a televised message to the nation, Correa criticized inequality and excessive wealth, saying “Every excessive concentration of wealth is unjust.”

The president claimed that the opposition is not trying to debate these laws, but to oust him. This is why a national debate would show that they do not have real arguments and are trying to use the tax laws as an excuse to topple him...

telesur
BREAKING: President Rafael Correa Halts Tax Projects

Sister Simone Campbell — Why a “Faithful” Federal Budget Must Address Inequality

Then social justice faction is raising its voice on economic policy.

It is now almost a cliché when religious leaders state that the federal budget is a test of our nation’s moral values because it reflects our fiscal priorities. We have been saying that individually and collectively for decades.

How are we doing in this measure of morality?

A key moral issue of our times is extreme wealth inequality in the U.S., along with structures that block people from accessing what they need to rise out of poverty, such as a lack of affordable housing or access to healthcare. Like Pope Francis, we at NETWORK believe there is an urgent need to address these twin injustices. The federal budget is one of our country’s most important tools to make that happen.

However, most major budget proposals coming from Capitol Hill do little or nothing to address inequality – or, even worse, they exacerbate it. This is not a partisan view. In fact, powerful and wealthy voices motivated by self-interest have seen their influence greatly increase across party lines in recent years. Their voices drown out those of millions of people with less clout.

In 2011, appalled by years of skewed budget priorities, my organization joined a coalition of 37 faith groups representing Jewish, Muslim and Christian traditions. Our goal was to formulate a new budget plan rooted in our faiths’ teachings about compassion and justice....

Talk Poverty
Why a “Faithful” Federal Budget Must Address Inequality
Sister Simone Campbell | Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, and author of A Nun on the Bus: How All of Us Can Create Hope, Change, and Community

Vox — Read: Hillary Clinton’s huge new speech on criminal justice reform

Hillary Clinton spoke about reforming criminal justice at Columbia University on Wednesday. Here's the full text of her remarks, as delivered.

Vox

Read: Hillary Clinton’s huge new speech on criminal justice reform

Costas Douzinas — A Very European Coup

This is why Syriza’s negotiating strategy has to play to the European gallery and not just to the suits in the conference room. The aim is to persuade people to put pressure on their own governments or change them in the coming elections.

Insightful article that covers a lot of ground.

Greece Reporter
A Very European Coup
Costas Douzinas | Professor at the Birkbeck College of the University of London and the Director of Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities

ht Clonal