Employment

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Big news on the wind power front. First, it has emerged in the US as the number one renewable energy source, generating more electricity than hydro-electric for the first time. This milestone came in 2016 after 8,727 megawatts (MW) of new wind installations were activated. For […]

Employment

The Rural-Urban Divide in the US in 6 Charts!

contributors

By Brian Thiede, Lillie Greiman, Stephan Weiler, Steven C. Beda, Tessa Conroy | (The Conversation) | – – Editor’s note: We’ve all heard of the great divide between life in rural and urban America. But what are the factors that contribute to these differences? We asked sociologists, economists, geographers and historians to describe the divide […]

Employment

Even in the Trump Era, Inequality can be Reduced

contributors

By Josh Hoxie | (Otherwords.org) | – – With Washington looking hopeless, it’s up to local communities to close the gap between the richest and the rest. In a lot of ways, 2016 was a big year for reducing inequality. Five states raised their minimum wage through citizen-led ballot initiatives. A job-killing free trade agreement, […]

Employment

It’s the Economy, Stupid: Ending ‘Religious’ Violence in the Middle East

contributors

Moha Ennaji | (Project Syndicate) | – – FEZ – The escalation of radicalism, violence, and civil wars in the Middle East since the so-called Arab Spring revolts began in 2010 has exacted a massive toll in human lives and welfare. The need to build effective states that support peace, provide greater opportunity and prosperity, […]

Employment

Can America’s Middle Class make a Comeback?

contributors

By Munir Moon | (Informed Comment) | – – The middle class is getting crushed. But there is hope. The most common argument about the middle class destruction is the declining or stagnant income, which is true. However, the main culprits are the costs of healthcare, education, and housing that have increased at a much […]

Employment

US Elites Abandoned their Workers: Trump is their Revenge; & You ain’t seen Nothin’ Yet

contributors

By John Feffer | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – The voters vowed to take their revenge at the polls. They’d missed out on the country’s vaunted prosperity. They were disgusted with the liberal direction of the previous administration. They were anti-abortion and pro-religion. They were suspicious of immigrants, haughty intellectuals, and intrusive international institutions. And […]

Employment

Aside from Super-Rich, All Americans are poorer this century

contributors

TeleSur | – – Soon, researchers predict, the middle class will no longer be the largest class in the United States. Households in the United States made less money in 2014 than they did in 1999, according to a study released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, a decline that transcends class. According to the […]

Employment

Saudi Arabia’s Vision: Cut Subsidies to Workers, Middle Class, put Women to Work

contributors

Courtney Freer | (The Conversation) | – – Saudi Arabia has released details of its Vision 2030 – an immensely ambitious plan which Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says will end the Kingdom’s dependence on oil by 2020. To help reach that goal, the plan details major targets, such as the establishment of a […]

Employment

Why Americans are Angry: The Minimum Wage Trap

contributors

By Peter Van Buren | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – When presidential candidate Bernie Sanders talks about income inequality, and when other candidates speak about the minimum wage and food stamps, what are they really talking about? Whether they know it or not, it’s something like this. My Working Life Then A few years ago, […]