By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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Ebola and Inequality (Liberian Observer)
Roosevelt Institute Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz says the Ebola crisis reveals the absolute need for a government role in health care. Drug companies aren't creating cures for diseases that primarily impact the poor.
The Ebola episode holds further lessons. One reason that the disease spread so rapidly in Liberia and Sierra Leone is that both are war-ravaged countries, where a large proportion of the population is malnourished and the health-care system has been devastated.
Moreover, where the private sector does play an essential role - vaccine development - it has little incentive to devote resources to diseases that afflict the poor or poor countries. It is only when advanced countries are threatened that there is sufficient impetus to invest in vaccines to confront diseases like Ebola.
This is not so much a criticism of the private sector; after all, drug companies are not in business out of the goodness of their hearts, and there is no money in preventing or curing the diseases of the poor. Rather, what the Ebola crisis calls into question is our reliance on the private sector to do the things that governments perform best. Indeed, it appears that with more public funding, an Ebola vaccine could have been developed years ago.
Follow below the fold for more.
Don't Forget the Kinda Unemployed (U.S. News & World Report)
Mike Cassidy points out the workers who are missed by the traditional unemployment rate: involuntary part-timers and marginally attached workers. While unemployment has improved, underemployment is still elevated.
Is Wage Stagnation Killing the Democratic Party? (Vox)
While Ezra Klein agrees that wage stagnation is a major issue today, he doesn't think it impacted the midterms as much as the difference between midterm and presidential year electorates.
VW to Allow Labor Groups to Represent Workers at Chattanooga Plant (NYT)
Steven Greenhouse reports on Volkswagen's new policy, which will create formal structures for groups representing at least 15 percent of plant workers to meet with company officials.
If Democrats Want to be the Party of the People, They Need to Go Full Populist (The Week)
It's time to reject neoliberal commitment to markets and convince the American people of the power of economic populism and income transfer programs, writes Ryan Cooper.
- Roosevelt Take: Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Richard Kirsch points out that the populist narrative was key in Democratic midterm wins.
Did Obama Shoot Himself in the Foot on Net Neutrality? (MoJo)
Erika Eichelberger suggests that the president may have lost the fight on net neutrality back in 2013, by appointing a Federal Communication Commission chairman who is so friendly to the industry.
Study: Social Welfare Programs Help Fight Poverty in America (The Guardian)
Jana Kasperkevic looks at a new study showing just how important social safety net programs are in reducing poverty; without food stamps, another 8 million Americans would be in poverty.