Gerson's column gets to the heart of the weakness in the GOP economic argument

[shira]

What right-wing ideologues continue to overlook is that growing the economy doesn't necessarily correlate with more and better jobs for the middle class. As Michael Gerson points out in his column yesterday in the Washington Post, as the American economy has grown the past 30 years, jobs have gone overseas and wages for middle class Americans have stagnated. So advocating policies that advance economic growth isn't the same as supporting policies that will advance the economic state of ordinary Americans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...283-11e2-bfd5-e202b6d7b501_story.html?hpid=z2

The retreating economic tide also exposed some barnacled problems that had existed under the surface for a generation. As Americans have grown dramatically more productive, technology has replaced many jobs and globalization has put downward pressure on wages. So middle-class Americans work harder for stagnant incomes in an economy with fewer employment opportunities.

And I might add, economically-growing businesses have been cutting wages and benefits, including health-care benefits.

Here's the "punch line," as it were:

For Republicans, the problem runs deeper than Romney’s persona. The GOP’s economic message is well past its 1980 expiration date. It is not enough to promote growth in an economy where a personal benefit from overall growth is far from assured. Economic mobility is increasingly connected to education, skills and strong families. The traditional, Republican, pro-business agenda is necessary, but it does not adequately grapple with these human needs — the prerequisites for personal prosperity.

Republicans like to defend economic success. They need to show more creativity in making economic advancement a realistic prospect — by promoting, say, high school and college completion, or increasing the rewards for work, or providing practical help to families with children. Moving forward, the GOP’s task is not only to make capitalism more efficient; it is to make capitalism work for everyone.

 

[Matt1970]

The problem with that article is they are forgetting the 70's when this shit all began. American companies have to compete with cheap BS from overseas. We were warned not to buy that crap but we did it anyways and now it is convenient to blame it on Capitalism/Businesses. You can't have northwards of a $1 Trillion trade deficit and not expect to lose jobs.

 

[cwjerome]

There is truth to what Gerson says, economic growth (while generally a very good thing) does not automatically equate to a better economy or better lives for people. Economic growth without benefits is pretty meaningless. Trust me, I believe economic growth is essential AND completely possible, yet we do need to be smart about how this growth takes place.

 

[shira]

The problem with that article is they are forgetting the 70's when this shit all began. American companies have to compete with cheap BS from overseas. We were warned not to buy that crap but we did it anyways and now it is convenient to blame it on Capitalism/Businesses. You can't have northwards of a $1 Trillion trade deficit and not expect to lose jobs.

Gerson's not "blaming" capitalism or business. The point Gerson is making is that simply growing the economy is no guarantee that unemployment will go down or wages will improve. Yet all the Republicans do is argue for policies that (they claim) will encourage economic growth, ignoring policies that would help the middle class. To repeat some of what I quoted above:

Republican, pro-business agenda is necessary, but it does not adequately grapple with these human needs — the prerequisites for personal prosperity.

Republicans like to defend economic success. They need to show more creativity in making economic advancement a realistic prospect — by promoting, say, high school and college completion, or increasing the rewards for work, or providing practical help to families with children.

 

[nehalem256]

Gerson's not "blaming" capitalism or business. The point Gerson is making is that simply growing the economy is no guarantee that unemployment will go down or wages will improve. Yet all the Republicans do is argue for policies that (they claim) will encourage economic growth, ignoring policies that would help the middle class. To repeat some of what I quoted above:

Republicans like to defend economic success. They need to show more creativity in making economic advancement a realistic prospect — by promoting, say, high school and college completion, or increasing the rewards for work, or providing practical help to families with children.

Yeah. Because money isn't enough of a reward for working