Rob Shapiro: Candidates need to create economic narrative
In this short video, NDN Globalization Initiative Chair Dr. Robert J. Shapiro expands on his quote from John Heilemann's recent piece in New York Magazine on Barack Obama's economic argument, entitled "Econobamanomic Theory."
From the article:
Robert Shapiro, another veteran of the 1992 Clinton economic team and author of a new book on globalization, agrees. "The narrative is: The U.S. is way ahead in the global economy, but we need to make basic changes so that everyone can prosper," Shapiro says. "We need to get control of health-care and energy costs, because without it, American workers will never see rising wages-since the burden on businesses is otherwise too great." As for training, Shapiro has proposed giving grants to all the community colleges in the country to keep their computer labs open on nights and weekends so that anyone can show up and learn (for free) the skills they need to compete in a tech-centric economy. "We can do it for $125 million a year, and even if it costs twice that much, it would be worth it."
In the video, Dr. Shapiro discusses the necessity for Presidential candidates to explain the vast global changes that are affecting the economy and to provide real plans to make globalization work for all Americans. He argues that John McCain has created an unrealistic economic narrative focused on tax cuts for corportations, but that Senators Clinton and Obama must create a truly compelling one.
Take a look:
As Heilemann notes in his article, Obama has already adopted the NDN proposal that Dr. Shapiro mentions: providing free computer training for all Americans through the community college system.
For more of Dr. Shapiro's far-reaching work on the economy and globalization, check out:
- His critically acclamined new book, Futurecast: How Superpowers, Populations, and Globalization Will Change the Way You Live and Work.
- The New Landscape of Globalization - an analysis of the fundamental dynamics of globalization and how they affect U.S. growth, wages, and job creation.
- The Idea-Based Economy and Globalization - an examination of how and why US companies and workers lead the world in developing new intellectual property and why these leads in innovation constitute a critical U.S. advantage in globalization.
- A short video from Dr. Shapiro on the globalization of capital.
- A recent interview of Dr. Shapiro on the current state of the economy by NDN President Simon Rosenberg. His narrative covers the economic slowdown, the financial and housing crisis, and the failure of policy makers to make globalization work for all Americans.
- Jake Berliner's blog
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