...if you didn't already know. Today he argues for a New New Deal from progressives. Conservatives help the rich; liberals raise the standard of living of everyone else he says. Now, arguably, FDR and Congress raised the standard of living for many people. Even conceding that point, it couldn't have been done without the technological development that preceded the social works and welfare programs. This development is in large part a result of capitalism, not wealth redistribution.
Dionne's complaint is that labor markets are increasingly competitive. His solution to this condition, predictably, is not to be more competitive. Nope, Americans need the government to protect them from the market. Ironically he quotes the head of the UAW in his plea. The UAW is in large part responsible for the inability of American car companies to compete with foreign companies. American companies are staggering under their labor agreements and all the wonderful benefits they provide. Guess what? If you pay labor much more than it is worth, your company can't compete. As a result your company will never have new jobs to give out.
But Dionne doesn't want those kind of jobs. Jobs that don't coddle people until the grave aren't "well-compensated" jobs.
