Lead us not into temptation...

By Libby

Robert Kuttner has a good op-ed in the Boston Globe today looking at the collapse of conservatism and the growth of economic inequality.

Now, the third era of conservative Republican rule is collapsing -- with the most spectacular mélange of overreach, incompetence, economic distress, and sheer corruption of all. But who, and what, will succeed Bush? The forces of privilege and inequality are now so deeply entrenched in America that it will take a Democratic successor at least as bold as FDR or LBJ to change course.

Kuttner finds someone with a pragmatic view and a good solution.

Stiglitz argues that America, then and now, needs a more progressive tax code, with new revenues spent not on budget balance but on neglected social needs that pay dividends in higher growth -- quality pre school, research and development, universal health care.

Unfortunately, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, former chair of Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, is not running for president. Kuttner also offers his own solutions.

To change course, America would need to change the terms of global trade and to re-regulate Wall Street, so that deals would no longer be done mainly to enrich financial insiders and squeeze ordinary workers. We would restore taxation based on ability to pay and use the proceeds to create a more secure America of broad opportunity. Labor law would be reformed so that the more than 50 percent of American workers who'd like to join unions could do so without fear of being fired.

Unfortunately, Kuttner isn't running for president either, so we're left with politicians who are beholden to big money interests and will be unlikely to revamp the system at the expense of their deep pocket contributors. Kuttner rightly points out that the gap has been growing for decades and the blame can't be attributed solely to one administration or to one party and we do indeed need a president of bold vision and impeccable integrity to restore the American dream. I only wish I could see one in our current crop of candidates. I don't.