New Economic Perspectives

William K. Black
February 8, 2016     Bloomington, MN

This is second article in my series on the AEI and Brookings report on how to fight poverty.  In my first article I dealt with their plan to oppose any material increase in the minimum wage being hyped by Eduardo Porter in the New York Times as a “bipartisan” plan to “champion an increase in the minimum wage.”  Indeed, Michael Strain, an AEI member of the group continues to attack the minimum wage on the AEI web pages after the release of the report.  I explained that the group was chosen to ensure that it was dominated by New Democrats and hard right Republicans who shared a core belief that poverty was caused by the poor choices of poor people, that it was verboten to even discuss how the economic and political system was rigged, and that a “new paternalism” aimed against the poor was essential.  The word “rigged” never appears in the report though it is a dominant feature of any progressive critique of poverty.

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William K. Black
February 7, 2016     Bloomington, MN

The New York Times has produced a wonderful, unintended, juxtaposition in their pages on February 6, 2016.  Two articles report on think tanks calling for the government to engage in right-wing propaganda campaigns to restore “manly” men.  One article discusses the Chinese think tanks that have convinced the (Communist) government to engage in a massive propaganda campaign.

Worried that a shortage of male teachers has produced a generation of timid, self-centered and effeminate boys, Chinese educators are working to reinforce traditional gender roles and values in the classroom.

This is how the article begins:

FUZHOU, China — The history class began with a lesson on being manly.

Lin Wei, 27, one of a handful of male sixth-grade teachers at a primary school here, has made a habit of telling stories about warlords who threw witches into rivers and soldiers who outsmarted Japanese troops. “Men have special duties,” he said. “They have to be brave, protect women and take responsibility for wrongdoing.”

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