Having been outspoken against Trump since before the election, I am encouraged to see that we may have found a particularly effective form of protest in #TakeAKnee (or #TakeTheKnee). We have the initiative of Colin Kaepernick and those who followed his lead to thank for that. I realize that this started out as a protest against police violence as part of the Black Lives Matter movement during the Obama administration. I believe it has the potential though to morph into a broad and effective p...

Having been outspoken against Trump since before the election, I am encouraged to see that we may have found a particularly effective form of protest in #TakeAKnee (or #TakeTheKnee). We have the initiative of Colin Kaepernick and those who followed his lead to thank for that. I realize that this started out as a protest against police violence as part of the Black Lives Matter movement during the Obama administration. I believe it has the potential though to morph into a broad and effective p...

There are a lot of outright lies (at worst) / profound misunderstandings (at best) on all sides circulating around health insurance at the moment. Today’s post is about the most fundamental one: the relationship between health insurance and redistribution and what it means for social consensus. Redistribution is a toxic word in US political discourse, but one I want to reclaim. So let’s be up front: Much of what we do as a society is about redistribution. For instance, public roads and public...

There are a lot of outright lies (at worst) / profound misunderstandings (at best) on all sides circulating around health insurance at the moment. Today’s post is about the most fundamental one: the relationship between health insurance and redistribution and what it means for social consensus. Redistribution is a toxic word in US political discourse, but one I want to reclaim. So let’s be up front: Much of what we do as a society is about redistribution. For instance, public roads and public...

I was happy to see Emmanuel Macron solidly defeat Marine LePen in yesterday’s French elections. What is most interesting about his victory is that he started his movement En Marche! only last year. The received wisdom in the United States is that it is impossible to get past the two party system. If someone wants to become President, they have to run either as a Democrat or a Republican. I am not sure this is true anymore and arguably Trump, while running as a Republican, did so – at least in...

I was happy to see Emmanuel Macron solidly defeat Marine LePen in yesterday’s French elections. What is most interesting about his victory is that he started his movement En Marche! only last year. The received wisdom in the United States is that it is impossible to get past the two party system. If someone wants to become President, they have to run either as a Democrat or a Republican. I am not sure this is true anymore and arguably Trump, while running as a Republican, did so – at least in...

The publication of the budget is a good moment to revisit my personal opposition to Trump. If you have read my draft book “World After Capital” you know that I want a lot of change. Much of the changes that I am looking for are more radical than anything in the Trump budget. And yet I supported Hillary who was a status quo candidate. Why? Because even though I would love to see a smaller federal government there is always a price of change. And I was not and am not willing to pay the price of...

The publication of the budget is a good moment to revisit my personal opposition to Trump. If you have read my draft book “World After Capital” you know that I want a lot of change. Much of the changes that I am looking for are more radical than anything in the Trump budget. And yet I supported Hillary who was a status quo candidate. Why? Because even though I would love to see a smaller federal government there is always a price of change. And I was not and am not willing to pay the price of...

I am an immigrant. I came to the US first in 1983 as an exchange student when I was 16. I stayed with a wonderful family in Rochester, Minnesota and fell in love with this country. I returned to Germany to finish school there but knew that I wanted to study here. I returned first for college and then in 1993 for graduate school. I have lived in the United States ever since and became a citizen in 2004. I have been fortunate to always feel incredibly welcome here. These days re-entering the US...

I am an immigrant. I came to the US first in 1983 as an exchange student when I was 16. I stayed with a wonderful family in Rochester, Minnesota and fell in love with this country. I returned to Germany to finish school there but knew that I wanted to study here. I returned first for college and then in 1993 for graduate school. I have lived in the United States ever since and became a citizen in 2004. I have been fortunate to always feel incredibly welcome here. These days re-entering the US...

I have not been writing a lot because I am still digesting much of what the outcome of the US election and Trump’s presidency may bring. One thought that is forming though is that States will play a much bigger role going forward. If federal legislation in healthcare, labor, environment, etc. is rolled back that creates an opening for States to step in. That may be an opportunity as much or even more than a threat. We can have more variety of policies which at a time of great change will prod...

I have not been writing a lot because I am still digesting much of what the outcome of the US election and Trump’s presidency may bring. One thought that is forming though is that States will play a much bigger role going forward. If federal legislation in healthcare, labor, environment, etc. is rolled back that creates an opening for States to step in. That may be an opportunity as much or even more than a threat. We can have more variety of policies which at a time of great change will prod...

You may have noticed that my posting here on Continuations has been sporadic at best these past few weeks. The reason is simple. I have felt downbeat by what’s been happening in the world and the United States. The rolling back of democracy across the globe in favor or populist authoritarians is depressing. I am asking myself how I will judge in the future what I did personally to try and stop it. And for now I am not happy with the answer. I grew up in Germany at a time when many young peopl...

You may have noticed that my posting here on Continuations has been sporadic at best these past few weeks. The reason is simple. I have felt downbeat by what’s been happening in the world and the United States. The rolling back of democracy across the globe in favor or populist authoritarians is depressing. I am asking myself how I will judge in the future what I did personally to try and stop it. And for now I am not happy with the answer. I grew up in Germany at a time when many young peopl...

I have been openly critical of Trump as a president going back to before the election. While I want radical change I do not believe the price for this ought to be going backwards on foundational issues such as the rule of law, press freedom and science. Nonetheless it has been fascinating to observe how Trump’s potential or actual irrationality has opened the door for progress on some issues that were previously deemed intractable, such as North Korea. It is well known that even in relative s...

I have been openly critical of Trump as a president going back to before the election. While I want radical change I do not believe the price for this ought to be going backwards on foundational issues such as the rule of law, press freedom and science. Nonetheless it has been fascinating to observe how Trump’s potential or actual irrationality has opened the door for progress on some issues that were previously deemed intractable, such as North Korea. It is well known that even in relative s...

Senator Elizabeth Warren yesterday proposed a wealth tax. It is a way of dealing with the rising inequality issue that I also discuss in World After Capital. I propose a longer term way of getting to a similar place via demurrage, but I am supportive of a wealth tax. I believe it will have to be broad based though and include all large accumulations of wealth, including in trusts, foundations, endowments and all other pools that don’t have clear existing offsetting obligations (such as pensio...

Senator Elizabeth Warren yesterday proposed a wealth tax. It is a way of dealing with the rising inequality issue that I also discuss in World After Capital. I propose a longer term way of getting to a similar place via demurrage, but I am supportive of a wealth tax. I believe it will have to be broad based though and include all large accumulations of wealth, including in trusts, foundations, endowments and all other pools that don’t have clear existing offsetting obligations (such as pensio...

At our house we were all refreshing our computers furiously starting at 8pm with ever increasing excitement as the evening progressed. We were absolutely thrilled when Doug Jones victory was certain. If Doug Jones can win in Alabama, the state where Trump had his biggest victory, after Trump endorsed his opponent, well then Trump too can be defeated. I have come to think of Trump’s candidacy and presidency as the last hurrah of a past that we need to leave behind for good. Trump, and the mone...

At our house we were all refreshing our computers furiously starting at 8pm with ever increasing excitement as the evening progressed. We were absolutely thrilled when Doug Jones victory was certain. If Doug Jones can win in Alabama, the state where Trump had his biggest victory, after Trump endorsed his opponent, well then Trump too can be defeated. I have come to think of Trump’s candidacy and presidency as the last hurrah of a past that we need to leave behind for good. Trump, and the mone...