A Progressive's Guide to Populist Economics

[cryofan]

From Alternet.org

Makes the case that Bushco has gone baldy corporatist in a time when the American economy has been disrupted by corporate capitalism in a way that Americans have not seen for many decades. This is the chance for Progressives to move to the forefront of the Democratic Party. Buit how can the Dems present the Progressive solution, which has tax increases at its core, as attractive? New ideas are needed, it seems...

SOme excerpts:
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The end of the '90s boom marks a return to an older populist style of challenging corporate power. In such attacks, progressives are finding an audience. Witness the revulsion against the greed and irresponsibility of top executives and the widespread lawlessness in the fields of finance, for instance.


Overall, corporations are less popular today than anytime since the late 1960s and early 1970s, when populist economics reached a high-water mark in the second half of the last century. In states where job losses are marked and continuing – such as California, South Carolina and Ohio, to name a few – the audience for corporate bashing cuts across ideologies and is truly bi-partisan.




First, Democrats must recognize that corporate bashing is a useful beginning but only that. Today's economic populists must be armed with an alternative program that promises to empower government, create jobs and narrow economic difference between Americans, not widen them. To gain credibility with voters, today's economic populists ought to root their campaign in an intelligent assault on corporate privilege, while at the same time shoring up government finances through tax increases under the banner of economic nationalism.


Through better enforcement of existing taxes on corporations, for instance, the federal government can raise at least another $100 billion a year. Beyond more revenues, corporations ought to be challenged to provide greater security and more training to their workers. Unions ought to be assisted in their struggle to resist givebacks to employers and to expand the pool of organized employees.



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long article; more here:

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17758


Not many answers in this long article, and most DUers are already familiar with the issues, but it may be useful to some. I agree that populist economics is on the way back, but the EU should be our model.