Economics Is Not A Morality Play.

I Believe In A Relatively Equal Society, Supported By Institutions That Limit Extremes Of Wealth And Poverty. I Believe In Democracy, Civil Liberties, And The Rule Of Law. That Makes Me A Liberal, And I’m Proud Of It.

In Fact, I'd Say That The Sources Of The Economy's Expansion From 2003 To 2007 Were, In Order, The Housing Bubble, The War, And - Very Much In Third Place - Tax Cuts.

On The Political As On The Economic Front It's Important Not To Fall Into The "not As Bad As" Trap. High Unemployment Isn't O.k. Just Because It Hasn't Hit 1933 Levels; Ominous Political Trends Shouldn’t Be Dismissed Just Because There’s No Hitler In Sight.

The Key Reason Executives Are Paid So Much Now Is That They Appoint The Members Of The Corporate Board That Determines Their Compensation And Control Many Of The Perks That Board Members Count On. So It's Not The Invisible Hand Of The Market That Leads To Those Monumental Executive Incomes; It's The Invisible Handshake In The Boardroom.

What Our Economy Needs Is Direct Job Creation By The Government And Mortgage-debt Relief For Stressed Consumers. What It Very Much Does Not Need Is A Transfer Of Billions Of Dollars To Corporations That Have No Intention Of Hiring Anyone Except More Lobbyists.