Why Obamacare Can’t Lower Costs

President Obama and the Democratic Party dug themselves into a deep hole by claiming the Affordable Care Act would cut the nation’s health care costs when in fact it will raise them. It’s the gift that will keep on giving to opponents of the law. The ACA cannot cut costs because its proponents subscribed to the ... Read more

This Generation of Med Students Wants a Truly Just Healthcare System for All

Medical students are acutely aware of the continuing barriers to health care that our patients face, and I can tell you – based on firsthand experience – that my fellow students are not about to give up the quest for truly universal, comprehensive care that’s readily ... Read more

The S&P Downgrade Market Plunge Myth

By Dean Baker Huffington Post, August 15, 2011 The Wall Street crew that wants to cut your Social Security and Medicare benefits are sensing that victory is in sight. They have managed to knock jobs completely off the agenda and have made deficit reduction the near exclusive focus of economic policy in ... Read more

The Economic Illiterates Step Up The Attack On Social Security and Medicare

By Dean Baker Truthout, August 9, 2011 Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgrade of US debt should be seen as the joke it is. The rating agency, which gave investment grade ratings to hundreds ... Read more

Reading the Debt Ceiling Tea Leaves to Predict the Future

The Worst is Yet to Come By Jack Rasmus Z Net , July 14, 2011 A few weeks ago in late June it leaked out that Vice-President Biden had secretly agreed with Republicans to $1 trillion in spending cuts in an effort to get them to agree to raise the debt ceiling. That was soon upgraded in ... Read more

Will the Ceiling Fall In? Disastrous Outcomes From an Orchestrated Crisis

By Paul Craig Roberts Counterpunch, July 29, 2011 With the world concerned about US financial credibility and the poor outlook for the US economy, now is not the time for the Republicans to grandstand on the public debt. The debt ceiling needed to be quietly raised.? ... Read more

The Weird Battle Over the Debt Ceiling

Washington, DC is Exaggerating Debt Issue to Push an Agenda to Please Campaign Contributors and Hide the Real Causes of Debt By Dean Baker Al Jazeera, July 28. 2011 Policy debates in Washington are moving ever further from reality as a small elite is moving to strip benefits that the vast majority need and ... Read more

Solution to the Budget Shortfall: The ‘R.A.T.S. TAX PROGRAM’ To Make the Rich and Corporations Pay

By Jack Rasmus June 30, 2011 COMMENTARY: As the deficit-debt debates intensify it is becoming increasing clear that Teapublicans want only draconian cuts in spending, social security-medicare-medicaid and public education in ... Read more