Middle Class

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – CBS News reports that jobs in the wind energy field will grow 108 percent in the next 7 years. Working on wind turbines, in short, is the fastest-growing job sector in the United States now and in the foreseeable future. One of the characteristics of wind […]

Democratic Party

It’s the wrong time to mock Republican voter outrage

contributors

By Ian Berman | (Informed Comment) | – – The Waking of the American Voter As voters express their anger at Republican politician town halls, Democrats are rejoicing saying I told you so. The desire to mock these voters for being shortsighted is understandable, but this outrage is half of exactly what the country needs. […]

Elections

Iran: Will Voters’ Economic Gloom Doom Rouhani’s Reelection Bid?

contributors

By Nader Habibi | (The Conversation) | – – Markets breathed a collective sigh of relief after Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency. But there’s another vote this month that’s just as consequential yet has received far less attention: Iran’s May 19 presidential election. If the incumbent moderate Hassan Rouhani doesn’t win a second term, […]

Donald Trump

Can Progressives Mobilize to Save the Middle Class?

contributors

By James A. Haught | (Charleston Gazette-Mail) | – – The progressive vision for America — to make life better for all families, not just the privileged elite at the top — has suffered setbacks. After the 2016 election, Republicans control the White House, both chambers of Congress and more than half of state governments. […]

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 […]

Green Energy

Renewables now creating more jobs than Coal, Oil and Gas

contributors

TeleSur The findings of a new U.S.report bolster climate justice movement arguments that transitioning to renewables will not only save the planet but save the economy. The U.S. Department of Energy found that in 2016 solar and wind industries created more electricity generating jobs than coal, oil, and gas combined, despite the fact that renewables […]

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, […]

Democratic Party

Election Postmortem: Did the Labor Unions get Taken for a Ride?

contributors

By Andrew Kolin | (Informed Comment) | – – According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Labor Unions Step Up Presidential Election Spending,” labor unions contributed to Hillary Clinton at a scale that is without precedent. The article pointed to $108.2 million contributed in this presidential election cycle. These contributions raise questions […]

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 […]