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More Than Vibes: Why Harris-Walz Should Embrace Debt Relief

Anand Giridharadas The.Ink
Organizer and anti-debt campaigner Astra Taylor explains how a Harris-Walz administration could transform Americans’ lives through debt relief, replacing the old idea of a welfare state with the idea of a “solidarity state.”

$3.5T Isn't That Expensive. It's a Drop in the Bucket.

Ben Davis The Guardian
Biden's Build Back Better budget reconciliation bill amounts to only 1.5 percent of US gross domestic product. If it were to pass as is, the US social support system would still be small by world standards.

2018 Elections - How to Win; What are the Lessons of Lamb's Victory

By Kate Aronoff; Robert Borosage
Conor Lamb ran as an anti-establishment, labor-backed candidate who defended the welfare state. To keep winning, Democrats will need to embrace a bold, redistributive program. If anything, the problem is that the progressive efforts are too weak, not too strong.

Reform or Divorce in Europe

Joseph E. Stiglitz Project Syndicate
The worst-performing eurozone countries are mired in depression or deep recession; their condition is worse in many ways than what economies suffered during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The best-performing eurozone members look good, but only in comparison.This system cannot and will not work in the long run: democratic politics ensures its failure. Only by changing the eurozone’s rules and institutions can the euro be made to work.

What Americans Don't Get About Nordic Countries

Anu Partanen The Atlantic
When U.S. politicians talk about Scandinavian-style social welfare, they fail to explain the most important aspect of such policies: selfishness. The choices Nordic countries have made have little to do with altruism or kinship. Rather, Nordic people have made their decisions out of self-interest. Nordic nations offer their citizens - all of their citizens, but especially the middle class - high-quality services that save people a lot of money, time, and trouble.
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