Class warfare

Although I try to be patriotic and celebrate Labor Day (today it was bluegrass at Minnehaha Park), I'm still more of a May Day guy at heart. I just can't countenance the fact that Labor Day was created in order to placate workers and distance them from socialism (with its alleged Haymarket-terrorist connotations).

Still, Labor Day 2004 was Veep Day in Minnesota, let the Strib sort it out for you. Dick Cheney at the State Fair reached back deep into those ancient Haymarket fears when he dismissed John Edwards' "Two Americas" theme as a "class warfare approach". See, Dick's not saying that the two-Americas framework is wrong, but that it shouldn't be discussed due to its inflammatory nature. Or rather, because any paycheck-to-paycheck worker with half a brain will vote for Kerry because they know that's their only chance to keep their job and/or get a decent break in the next four years.

This brings me to the Economic Policy Institute's State of Working America 2004/2005 report, released just today. Inequality has increased at an absurd rate, and we've got some serious explaining to do when comparing ourselves with the world. Recent economic indicators -- which prompt media jubilation over the most trivial increments these days -- are summarily dismissed in the press release. Working folks have been shafted. Really, the only pro-labor policy Bush ever initiated was the steel tariff, which he hastily repealed once the WTO declared it illegal.

Anyway, you see the name Jared Bernstein mentioned a lot in the above links, so definitely check out this amusing feature, where Jared is forced to roam D.C. and argue politely about economics with that blinkered snark Kevin Hassett.

Inspirational thought (from Hassett): "Misery makes the GDP go up."