by Hank Van den Berg
UNL Professor of Economics
I am writing this column on the airplane while returning from a conference at the University of Massachusetts organized by the “International Coalition of Associations for Pluralism in Economics” (ACAPE). This is an idealistic organization that brings together economists from a wide variety of fields and perspectives in order to help the profession escape from the narrow cultural bias that currently dominates economic thinking. This organization is the polar opposite of the mainstream economics organizations which mostly propound the same failed ideas that led to the Great Depression, the 2008 Great Recession—and the next failure of our economic system. I found it stimulating to experience the defiant mood among these economists from the Marxist, libertarian, institutional, historical, structural and other heterodox schools of economic thought. Their defiance no doubt stems from the fact that many of them foresaw the current economic crash and recession.
Now, while mainstream economists continue to ignore reality and ‘cautiously’ suggest that economic recovery is underway, the economists assembled in Amherst were not so blind. They saw that unemployment is not getting better, government debts are still growing, investment is insufficient to maintain critical infrastructure, education was being cut at all levels, incomes were not growing for most people, and carbon emissions were still rising rapidly. They were not afraid to point out that the economic system has failed. These heterodox (non-orthodox) economists accordingly voted overwhelmingly to “occupy economics.”
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BY MICHAEL BAKER
MONday, October 23, 2011
This article was originally published by the Lincoln Journal Star.
As media pundits debate myriad reasons why the various "Occupy" movements around the country are happening, I am drawn to a chapter in the late historian Howard Zinn's book, "A People's History of the United States."
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by Hendrik Van den Berg
UNL Professor of Economics
Several bills that would eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees worked their way through the Nebraska Unicameral this spring. This legislation was similar in spirit to the draconian bill introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature earlier this year. You no doubt remember the news coverage of the demonstrations of over 100,000 people outside the capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, protesting that bill.
Unfortunately, the demonstrations had no effect on the final outcome, and the anti-union legislation banning collective bargaining by Wisconsin public employees was passed and signed into law. There was talk of a general strike to shut the entire state economy down in protest. But, instead, the demonstrators went home and, presumably, back to work. It seems that workers were not (yet) willing to take such drastic action. They were pacified, in part, by politicians and union leaders who called for a campaign to recall the governor and the Republican legislators responsible for the denial of their basic labor rights.
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The State of Nebraska set a June 14th execution date for Carey Dean Moore. Our friends at NADP are launching a state wide petition calling for an end to executions in Nebraska. Please take a moment today to sign this petition and to send it to your friends, family, and co-workers.
Nebraska has a long history of moving away from the death penalty. In 1979, the Nebraska Legislature was the first in the country to pass a bill to end the death penalty. Again in 1999, Nebraska was the first state to pass a bill placing a moratorium on executions. Both of these attempts to re-evaluate our state’s death penalty were met by a governor’s veto. These efforts to address the application and fairness of Nebraska’s death penalty were a good idea in the 1970s, the 1990s, and are an even better idea toda
Whether one supports, opposes, or is uncertain about the use of the death penalty, serious questions remain about the system's fairness, cost, and effectiveness.
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On Wednesday, May 11, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and 32 cosponsors reintroduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or “DREAM Act,” legislation that, if passed, would provide undocumented youth who were brought to the U.S. as children a path to citizenship if they attend college for two years or serve in the military. This came only one day after President Obama gave a speech in Texas, saying “we should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents. We should stop denying them the chance to earn an education or serve in the military. And that’s why we need to pass the DREAM Act.”
Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives. This legislation, which has been introduced in every congressional session since 2001, has received widespread support from the business, labor, education, and faith sectors, and enjoys high public approval ratings.
This bill cannot come quickly enough for the young men and women - and children - whom it affects. Every day, talented young people are deported away from the only country they know as home.
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