Published Articles by Jack Rasmus:

by Jack Rasmus, copyright 2013
Both wings of mainstream economics (Hybrid Keynesian and Retro-Classicalists) have been unable to explain and predict the origins and current trajectory of the US and global economic crisis that still continues to unfold. Left (of Keynesian) and traditional Marxist economists have fared no better. Pluto Press in the UK, publisher of my books, has asked I participate in a debate on the causes and evolution of the crisis. What follows are my first two contributions to that debate. The first outlines why both mainstream and Marxist economic analysis consistently fails to predict the crisis. The second contribution is a brief summary of my alternative analysis in 20 basic propositions, which explain why the global economy continues to drift toward another financial crisis and, this time, a bona fide global depression.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright 2013
The following article, written just days before Obama announced his 2014 budget, summarizes the history of deficit cutting in the US (aka ‘Austerity American Style’) from the summer of 2011, when Obama proposed his $4 trillion ‘Grand Bargain’ to US House Republicans, up to his most recent budget proposals. From the beginning, Obama planned to cut Social Security and Medicare by $700 billion or more, and he continues to offer the same even though $2.8 trillion of the $4 trillion have already been ‘deficit cut’. What has appeared, therefore, as Obama’s incredible poor bargaining skills since 2011 may, in fact, represent a collusion between Democrats and Republicans to cut social security and medicare all along.

by Dr. Jack Rasmus, Chair of ‘Shadow’ US Federal Reserve
copyright 2013
On April 22, 2013 a ‘Green Shadow Cabinet’ for the US was formed, comprised of nearly 1oo members. Unaffiliated with any political party, the purpose of the ‘Green Shadow Cabinet’, of which I, Dr. Jack Rasmus, am a member as the ’shadow’ Chairman of the US Federal Reserve’, is to produce, publicize, and promote alternative solutions to the dysfunctional and failed US government and two political parties, Democrats and Republicans. For more information on the ‘Green Shadow Cabinet’, read the statements of cabinet members at: http://greenshadowcabinet.us/statements. Access the video at: http://youtu.be/m3zNyEIR-Ww. And sign up for the newsletter at: http://greenshadowcabinet.us/subscribe-our-newsletter. The Following article, ‘The Failures of Fiscal-Monetary Policy, 2008-2013′ is my initial Oped Statement as the shadow chairman of the US Federal Reserve.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright 2013
In this second follow up article on the Cyprus government debt and banking crisis, the theme of conditions likely rapidly to deteriorate (predicted in the prior piece on Cyprus below) is considered. The possible ‘contagion’ of the Cyprus situation is being underestimated by Euro policymakers. The recent Dublin meeting of Euro Finance Ministers is analysed. As the situation in Cyprus further deteriorates, depression there is inevitable, leading to requiring even more Euro bailout funding, more Cyprus austerity (and thus deeper depression), and a revisiting of the scope of the ‘bail in’ of depositors savings. Either more than 60% of savings of depositors with more than 100,000 Euros will be necessary or those with less deposits, previously exempt, will be called upon to begin to forfeit their savings as well. as a condition of future bailouts to come. The piece concludes with noting that the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC, and the Bank of England, apparently also had a meeting last December to discuss the necessity of ‘bail ins’ and confiscation of depositors savings in the US and UK in the event of another banking crisis. As this writer raised in a piece months ago: ‘Are central bankers globally preparing for another possible banking crisis’? (see my blog, jackrasmus.com, for that analysis in 2012).

by Jack Rasmus
copyright 2013
Written in the days immediately following the eruption of the Cyprus debt and bank crisis, this article considers the possible significance of the crisis beyond Cyprus’s borders, and in particular its potential meaning for growing instability in the Eurozone and UK banking system. The ‘bail in’ of depositors’ savings may represent a harbinger of options being explored for future bank bailouts across the EU, as it becomes clearer that a true ‘banking union’ (and even a ‘banking supervisor’) is not on the Euro agenda as politically possible the remainder of this year, at minimum.

by Jack Rasmus
Available for public viewing and distribution is my recent 35 min. presentation to the Progressive Democrats of America in San Francisco on the true condition of Social Security and Medicare in the US, delivered on the eve of the March 1 sequester deficit cuts and Obama’s subsequent budget calling for $620 billion in cuts to these programs. The video not only explains how social security and medicare finances are not part of the deficit but offers policy suggestions how minor ‘tweaks’ to the programs can provide funding until 2075, and how little it would ‘cost’ to convert these programs to ‘medicare for all’ and retirement at 62 with two-third pay. Readers are encouraged to view the video or audio versions of the presentation on this website, under the ‘videos’ page or the ‘interviews’ page (audio only)

by Jack Rasmus
The Following is the transcript of an Interview with Radio Russia Today’s host, Carmen Suchansky, on March 1 on the topic of the Sequestration spending cuts, including why they will have a greater negative impact on the US economy than most mainstream commentaries estimate.

by Jack Rasmus
Z magazine, March 2013
Income Inequality in the US is not only growing but increasing at a faster rate. The implications of this trend as a cause of the faltering US economy are often overlooked. As the rest of the world economies follow the US federal reserve in relying more heavily on QE (quantitative easing) and monetary policy as the prime economic tool to boost a slowing global economy, the US in turn drifts toward the ‘austerity’ fiscal solutions that are failing as well in Europe and elsewhere. Austerity + QE is the current formula for capitalist global policy makers–and is failing everywhere. QE ensures recovery for financial markets and ‘austerity’ is argued will result in a return to business confidence and thus investment and jobs. Nowhere in the formula for recovery the recognition that consumption, the overwhelming largest part of the economy, is being undercut by both QE and Austerity. In the article that follows, publish March 1 in ‘Z’ magazine, I explain the full dimensions of inequality in the US and how it is contributing to the drift toward ‘double dip recession’ I have been predicting since 2010 would occur in 2013-14.

by Jack Rasmus,
copyright 2013
Europe is moving towards a FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS TAX as a counterpoint to continuing ‘austerity’ and budget cutting that is driving it deeper into recession. Read my latest article how a US robust version of the same could bring in $1 TRILLION of tax revenue EVERY YEAR by simply taxing stocks and bonds at 1%, derivative trades at 0.1%, and retail foreign exchange trading at 1%. No need for austerity programs. No need for incessant budget cutting. No need for gutting social security, medicare, and other programs. Just tax the banks that caused all the problems in the first place. Check out my proposal for a US-version FINANCIAL TRANSACTION TAX.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright 2013
Economic data in early 2013 show economies are either in recession or slowing across the globe. Monetary policies of zero interest rates and QE are failing to stimulate recovery, while creating speculative bubbles and precipitating a renewed currency war. Meanwhile, fiscal policies of ‘austerity’ are driving economies deeper into recession setting off deflationary pressures that policy makers use to justify still more failed QE and monetary injections. In the fourth quarter 2012 the US economy came to a standstill. Debate rages whether it is an aberration or whether the US is now on the same trajectory as Europe, Japan, and elsewhere, inexorably drifting into a global double dip recession this writer has been predicting for 2013-14 for the past two years. The following article reproduces this writer’s past 15 months (5 quarters) of analyses of US GDP trends, through the most recent 4th quarter US GDP. Details of the components of GDP are examined quarter to quarter, showing the fundamental trend in the US is toward a slowing, a ’stop-go’, ‘bumping along the bottom’ recovery that this writer has in previous works described as an ‘Epic Recession’.

by Jack Rasmus
‘Z’ magazine, January 2013, copyright Jack Rasmus
In a 6,000 word feature article, Jack explains the historical signficance of Fiscal Cliff, as the return to ‘Austerity American Style’ deficit cutting of 2011 that was temporarily suspended by the 2012 election year. Fiscal Cliff (aka Austerity American Style) represents a retraction of fiscal stimulus of 2009-10 in the US, as central bank monetary policies take the lead in policy. Fiscal Cliff represents the phase in which taxation and incomes of wealthy are protected at the expense of the dismantling of social programs representing ‘deferred wages’ (social security & medicare). Income protection for the rich and corporations paid for by (deferred) wage reduction.

Seven radio interviews November-December 2012 on the Fiscal Cliff negotiations,
Follow Jack Rasmus daily on the Fiscal Cliff discussions on Twitter, at #drjackrasmus

by Jack Rasmus, copyright 2012
Following in chronological sequence are 6 articles published on my blog, jackrasmus.com, from mid-November to December 31, 2012, in which I forecast the evolution and predict the eventual outcome of Fiscal Cliff negotiations between Congress and Obama since the November 2012 elections, through the ‘first phase’ partial agreement on January 1, 2013. Read the 7 predictions in the lead article, and their eventual outcome in the remaining 2 through 6 entries.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright November 2012
With the national elections over, now the ‘real economic program’ of Obama and political elites is being forged, and soon to result in the ‘American version of Austerity’. Jack makes seven specific predictions about the content and timing of the current ‘Fiscal Cliff’ negotiations, providing arguments why this time a deal will be struck–but one that will mean more tax cuts for corporations, more spending cuts except Defense, more middle class tax increases, and a ‘backloading’ of the impact to 2014 and beyond. (For a background to the Deficit Cutting now culminating in the Fiscal Cliff negotiations, see the COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Chapter 7, of Jack’s April 2012 published book, “Obama’s Economy: Recovery for the Few", which is also available on this website, “Deficit Cutting on the Road to Double Dip". The book is also available for purchase on this website, singly or bundled with a video DVD presentation with a 66 powerpoint slide show. (For short updates on the ‘fiscal cliff’, follow Jack on twitter at #drjackrasmus.)

Jack Rasmus, copyright November 2011 & 2012
DEFICIT CUTTING ON THE ROAD TO DOUBLE DIP
With ‘Fiscal Cliff’ (i.e. ‘austerity US style) negotiations underway in November 2012, readers may find the following COMPLIMENTARY CHAPTER 7, from Dr. Jack Rasmus’s most recent book, ‘Obama’s Economy’, of interest as background evolution from 2009-2011 to the current deficit cutting negotiations between Obama and Congress. The ‘Obama’s Economy Book may be purchased from this website, in individual copy, or bundled with a 66 powerpoint slideshow and video presentation of the book. See the icon for the book with DVD, or just book icon, below for ordering online via Paypal with a credit card. Listen also to Jack’s recent public presentations on the ‘Fiscal Cliff’ on the ‘Interview’ tab on the toolbar of this webpaage.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright November 2012
Jack provides an analysis of the recent US national elections, indicating that it was the US working class voter who put Obama in for a second term; specifically, the minority voters (especially Hispanic), young workers 18-29 yrs old, and union labor in the key swing states of Ohio to Minnesota. Jack predicts Obama will ‘repay’ their vote with at best minimalist programs in his second term. ‘Austerity’ US style is coming, which here they call ‘fiscal cliff’.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright November 2012
Ohio and Florida are generally referred to by press and pundits as the ’swing’ states up for grabs that will determine the election outcome. But the states to watch are Virginia and Colorado, if Ohio-Florida are split between Obama and Romney which looks increasingly like the case. Obama needs to win either Colorado or Virginia; Romney needs to win both. But the real wild-card is voter turnout. Everyone may be quite surprised of the final outcome, based on Obama’s potential failure to turn out voters again who supported him in 2008.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright October 2012
Jack explains how the quarter’s 2% GDP growth figure is grossly overestimated, once the quarter’s one-time big surge in defense spending is backed out of the number. It appears the defense surge was planned by politicos for the eve of the election, given that prior quarters in 2012 registered deep declines and that government spending had fallen each quarter for more than two years. The real GDP rate 3rd quarter was likely 1.5%-1.7%, the average for the past year. More ominous is the recent trend of decline in business spending and consumer spending based on credit and dis-saving with no real income growth, now or on the horizon.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright September 2012
The following article, which appears in an abbreviated from in the October 1, 2012 issue of ‘Z’ magazine, summarizes the similarities and differences between Obama’s and Romney’s economic programs during the current election period. It considers how they compare in terms of jobs, taxes, budget deficits, healthcare, housing, trade, and other economic programs. While some definite differences do exist between the candidates, as in healthcare and some tax proposals, there are nonetheless disturbing and striking similarities in other areas between the two: cutting corporate taxes, an historic expansion of free trade, and little specifically new about how to create jobs and resurrect the homeowner.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright September 2012
The Federal Reserve, the US Central Bank, announced last week an ‘open-ended’ new Quantitative Easing 3.0 program of still more money injection into the US banking system. This time it was ’sold’ by claiming the $40 billion a month program (with no defined end) would create jobs and boost the housing sector. Not explained was why more hundreds of billions would accomplish what the preceding $2.7 trillion in QE1, QE2, and QE 2.5 have not to date. As the following article shows, QEs are designed to boost stock and other financial securities and thus profits of banks and investors. The latest QE will prove no different. The hand outs to banks and investors just keep coming–while politicians debate how much of economic stimulus to ‘take back’ after the elections in November.

Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 2pm, New York time, and every wednesday thereafter, Jack Rasmus’s Show, ALTERNATIVE VISIONS, on PRN.FM

by Jack Rasmus, copyright September 2012
On Monday, September 10, the state of California signed into law a new pension ‘reform’ bill, that will likely serve as a template for other states also intent on reducing their spending at the expense of the benefits and standard of living of its public employees. The following article looks at the real causes of pension fund shortfalls for states, which have little to do with the costs of benefits for the vast majority of state workers, and much to do with rip-offs by banks, investors, and negligence by fund managers and state politicians now for more than a decade.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright August 2012
Despite the current economic problems in Europe and the slowing China and global economy, the longer term trend for US global economic dominance is one of inevitable decline. In the following brief overview of this topic, Jack Rasmus focuses on relative currrency shifts, the twin deficits (trade and budget) in the US and their relationship, and domestic fiscal-monetary policy limitations as major forces long term, beyond the current epic recession, that will inevitably result in loss of the present degree of US global economic dominance.

The following are two consecutively placed reviews of Jack Rasmus’ new book, ‘Obama’s Economy: Recovery for the Few’, by Zoltan Zigedy and Carl Finamore, respectively. Zigedy’s review reflects a progressive socialist assessment and Finamore’s a long time local union president of the Machinists union.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright July 2012
Readers have repeatedly asked this writer why my forecasts for the US and global economic crisis have proven largely accurate, in particular those made last December that predicted the US economy would undergo a serious third ‘relapse’ (rapid economic slowing) this summer, that the Eurozone economy would experience a more severe banking crisis, and that the China economy was headed for a ‘hard landing’. The following piece summarizes in a very brief 1000 word article how my approach to economic analysis differs from mainstream economics, in both its ‘Retro-Classicalist’ and ‘Hybrid Keynesian’ schools of analysis. The summary was written on request of a OWS study group attempting to better understand the current course of the economy, which mainstream approaches have largely failed to explain.

Jack Rasmus
copyright July 2012
The June jobs report from the US Labor Department showed a third month of an average of only 80,000 jobs created–about a third of the monthly gains reported this past winter. The now obvious third ‘jobs relapse’ in as many years (predicted by this writer last winter) is being explained as due to exceptionally good weather last winter, that ‘brought forward’ extra jobs into the winter months, resulting in lower job growth this summer. But this ‘weather hypothesis’ to explain poor job creation again this summer is just ’spin’ and an excuse for more serious analysis. That analysis is offered in lieu of weather ‘metaphors’.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright July 2012
This article provides a follow up to the first, ‘Are Central Banks Preparing for a Global Banking Crisis’, in June. Banking conditions in the Eurozone and in London are showing increasing instability. Central banks from Europe to the UK to UK and China appear to be moving toward a more coordinated effort to stabilize their banking systems, as instability indicators rise with JP Morgan’s losses, the ‘Libor’ scandal affecting Barclays and others, the banks in Spain deteriorate, etc. But monetary policy cannot rescue the greater economy, even if it does temporarily the banks.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright June 2012
While the most pressing problem today for the U.S. economy and polity is the emerging 3rd economic ‘relapse’ in as many years that is now underway in the U.S. economy this summer 2012, in the long run the U.S. faces 10 Major Crises in its economic system and political structure. Articles by this writer on this website have largely focused on shorter run topics and issues; the following article represents the broader economic crisis confronting the US, including issues such as ‘chronic inability to create jobs’, ‘an inverted tax system’, a collapsing retirement system, a predominantly employer-insurance health care system that will implode beginning 2014, a clear decline of the US and its currency as the sole global economic power, historic and escalating income inequality, the corporatization of its education system, and the growing corporatization of democracy and accompanying decline of civil liberties, as well as other topics. Any one or two of these would constitute major challenges. The ten occurring almost simultaneously–in the context of inability to generate a sustained economic recovery in the short run–mean that social changes are coming in America that few now anticipate.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright June 2012
Central banks around the world appear to be moving toward a coordinated global effort to synchronize new multi-trillion dollar ‘quantitative easing’ moves, in anticipation of a major banking crisis emerging in the Eurozone. The U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England, European Central Bank, and Bank of Japan are all involved. Will further massive liquidity injections halt the accelerating deterioration of banks in the Eurozone, U.K. and U.S? Not likely, and certainly not stop the drift toward a global double dip in 2013.

Jack Rasmus, copyright June 2012
On Friday, June 1, reports for May jobs, revised 1st quarter US GDP numbers, and the Eurozone crisis were released. Together they confirm what this writer has been saying since last November in his book, ‘Obama’s Economy’ (published April 2012) and numerous articles and blog contributions: namely, the US economy will fade this spring 2012, the Eurozone will descend into a deeper crisis, and China-India and the BRICs will head for a ‘hard landing’. The following article summarizes the points concerning jobs, GDP, and the Eurozone this writer has been emphasizing for the past half year. A third ‘relapse’ of the US economy is clearly underway this summer, to be followed by a bona fide double dip in 2013 (as predicted) as US elites will agree to cut deficits by several trillion dollars more immediately after the upcoming November 2012 elections.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright June 2012
The past four years banks, hedge funds, money funds and other financial institutions have been bailed out to the tune of $9 trillion by the Federal Reserve and Congress. Pension funds are also financial institutions, but now that some are in trouble due to risky financial speculation and partnering with hedge funds and private equity firms since 2006 there is no talk of financial assistance to pension funds. Instead the focus is on making workers pay more, reduce their retirement benefits, or dismantle the funds turning them into 401ks that banks get to charge fees to manage. The following article identifies 12 causes of the pensions crisis, and 17 solutions–none of which require penalizing the victims (the workers) whose pensions represent their deferred wages over decades.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright May 2012
What are the connections between JP Morgan Chase’s $2billion and rising losses in its London speculative ‘trading’ desk, the deepening Eurozone banking crisis, and US banks and stalling US economic recovery? Why JPM is ‘deja vu’ to pre-2008 financial instability, as the Federal Reserve’s and Obama policy since 2009 bring the US and global economy full circle once again to the original sources of financial crisis–unlimited, unregulated financial institution speculative investing chasing bank superprofits.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright May 2012
The trend of a slowing GDP and US economy that began to appear in the first quarter 2012 has its roots in the temporary factors underlying GDP growth in the fourth quarter 2011, hyped in the press this past winter as evidence of US economic recovery. Both 4th quarter and 1st quarter GDP elements are dissected in this article, and the further evidence of a ’stop-go’ US economic recovery is linked to the insufficient policies of the Obama administration since 2009.

The following is the Introductory Chapter to this writer’s newest book, OBAMA’S ECONOMY: RECOVERY FOR THE FEW’, published April 2012 by Pluto Books worldwide and distributed by Palgrave-Macmillan in the USA. It states the major themes of the book, which analyzes why the latest US economic ‘rebound’ will not last and why the Eurozone, China and the global economy are on track to a deeper, more serious crisis. (The book may be ordered from the front webpage book icon of this website or purchased online or from the distributor.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright 2011
The following short piece is the summary-abstract of the author’s new book, OBAMA’S ECONOMY: RECOVERY FOR THE FEW, the Table of Contents of the Book, and early endorsements by senior labor leaders in the USA. The book may be purchased on this website’s front page at discount via Paypal credit card payment. The book is also available online, and may be purchased in the USA from the distributor, Palgrave-Macmillan, and from the Publisher, Pluto Books, in the U.K for rest of world locations. It may also appear in local bookstores.

Jack Rasmus, copyright April 2012
This article will appear in abbreviated from in the May 2012 issue of ‘Z’ magazine. It contains an initial update to the author’s book, ‘Obama’s Economy: Recovery for the Few’, just released April 2012, which discusses the themes: why the US recovery since 2009 has been the weakest of all 11 previous recession recoveries in the U.S., why it has benefited the wealthy ‘few’ and their corporations and not the rest, and why traditional fiscal-monetary policies of the past four years have failed to generate a sustained economic recovery and will continue to do so. The author predicts the third, current ‘rebound’ of the US economy will once again fade sharply in 2013 leading to a double dip recession as Congress adds another $2-$4 trillion in deficit cuts to its already $2.2 trillion immediately after the election, as the Eurozone crisis intensifies again, and as China and the other ‘Bric’ economies’ economies continue to slow. The current article picks up where the data in the book leave off in late 2011.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright April 2012
Jack explains why, for the last three years, jobs numbers reported by the labor department have always improved over the winter, only to stagnant once again in the summer as the US economy underwent ‘relapses’. The reasons are both statistical methodology and ‘real’ economic factors behind annual jobs and economic recovery faltering.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright 2012
The European Central bank, the ECB, in the past few days pumped another $1 trillion into the European banks, an indication that the so-called Euro sovereign debt crisis is in fact, beneath the surface, a bank crisis. The ECB’s massive liquidity injection follows in the footsteps of the U.S. central bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Bank of England and Bank of Japan. All have pumped trillions of dollars into the global banking system to prevent a second global banking crisis and, this time, global depression. The trillions have amounted to ‘free money’ provided by the central banks to the global banking system. The massive free money injection may have temporarily prevented a second banking collapse, but it hasn’t resulted in a recovery of the global, Euro, or US economies. It has, however, created a growing dependency on the capitalist financial system on ‘free money’, a new financial addiction, that has resulted in repeated stock market and commodity market price bubbles, consequent inflation and falling real incomes for households, a dampening of consumption, and a major break on economic recovery. The following article, appearing in ‘Truthout’ and other public blogs, analyzes this new ‘free money addiction and what it means for continuing global financial instability, austerity programs, and the progressively slowing global economy.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright February 2012
Shifting to analyses of the global economy, in particular the European debt crisis, the following article looks at the latest events in the Greek debt crisis. The point is made the crisis is really, below the surface, a crisis of european banks and speculators–not the Greek nation, which is being required to pay for the crisis. Similarities between austerity programs to resolve the crisis in Greece-Eurozone and the U.S. are made, and predictions for US austerity policies in 2013 are offered.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright February 2012
As a follow up to Obama’s claims about jobs in his January State of the Union address, below are two entries from Jack Rasmus’ blog on the condition of jobs in the US at the start of 2012.

A dissecting of Obama’s January State of the Union speech and his claims concerning job creation.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright January 2012
An inside look at fourth quarter 2012 and Annual 2012 statistics on GDP, showing that the ‘recovery’ in 2011 was anemic at best and showed no indication of sustained recovery. The US economy remains mired in little to no growth, despite the hype of final months data.

by Jack Rasmus, ‘Z’ magazine, January 2012
The following article is an expanded version of a same entitled article published January 2012 in ‘Z’ magazine. It consists of two parts. The first explains why mainstream economists have failed, and continue to fail, to predict the major events and turning points of the US and global economies: first, the onset of the epic recession of 2008, the erroneous prediction there would be a ‘V’-shape’ rapid recovery in 2009, and now the failure to foresee the coming impact of the Eurozone bank crisis and the hard landing of the China economies in 2012-13. In contrast, the unorthodox approach to analyzing the trajectory of the economy used by this writer, summarized as a theory of ‘epic’ recession, has forecast the two preceding major developments and the imminent third. In the second part of the article, the writer provides 13 specific forecasts for the US and global economies in the coming 12-18 months in 2012-13.

by Jack Rasmus, Z Magazine, December 2011
The following article is a definitive quantitative analysis showing how the $9 trillion in additional deficits and U.S. federal debt added from 2001 to 2011 was the result of the Bush tax cuts’ reduction in federal tax revenues, excess inflationary war-pentagon spending, bailouts of banks and corporations, failed jobs recovery since 2009, price gouging by health insurers and providers, and related interest charges. The primary targets of Supercommittee and still continuing Congressional-Administration budget cutting–i.e. medicare, medicaid, social security, education, unemployment insurance, etc.–are a fiction created to divert public attention from the true causes of deficits and debt, more than three-fourths of which is the consequence of Bush tax cuts overwhelmingly benefiting the wealthy and their corporations, runaway war-pentagon costs, and corporate-bank bailouts.

Jack Rasmus, copyright 11-23-11

Jack Rasmus, copyright 11-7-11

by Jack Rasmus, copyright 9-21-11

by Jack Rasmus, copyright, 9-9-11

Jack Rasmus, copyright 9-6-11

by Jack Rasmus
Z Magazine, September 2011

Is the union labor giant stirring in response to the deepening economic crisis in the US? The following article briefly summarizes the crisis, then reviews some of the emerging responses by labor. Some early grass roots stirrings, like the Emergency Labor Network, actions by the Nurses, and others are described, as well as the cautious, incremental steps taken by the officaldom of the AFL-CIO.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright 2011
It is appropriate this labor day 2011 to offer an assessment of one of the most important developments affecting American workers for more than three decades now–concession bargaining. Begun in the late 1970s, intensified in the 80s and 90s, it is now expanding and deepening into new areas. The devastating results in terms of union membership, bargaining power, and real income decline that is the legacy of concession bargaining in the private sector, has now begun to penetrate the public sector as well, where workers are giving back gains of decades in exchange for the false promise to save their jobs. Jobs will not be saved in the public any more than they were in the private sector. Moreover, concession bargaining in 2011 is morphing again, this time in an attack on the ’social wage’–social security, medicare, etc. The lie is that cutting the social wage contained in these benefits will ’save’ these programs. Concession bargaining didn’t save jobs; and it won’t save social security or medicare. Concession bargaining results only in more concessions.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright July 2011
There has never been a recovery from the current recession, notwithstanding official declarations that the recent recession ended more than two years ago in June 2009. It all depends how one defines and measures recession, and ‘GDP’ analysis and even the NBER’s broader analyses, are notoriously deficient in defining an end to recession. Since June 2009 the housing market has already experienced a double dip, as has the jobs market. The latter is now well on its way to a triple dip. The jobs, housing, and local government crises have together prevented any sustained recovery. And now Congress and the President, with their myopic fixation on deficit cutting, are all but guaranteeing a double dip. Add to that the progressive slippage of other economies deeper or into recession and the rapid slowdown of growth in China, Brazil, India and the EU’s slouching toward a banking implosion–and you get the overwhelming drift toward global double dip. Here’s the facts why.

Jack has been providing a running in depth commentary on the intensifying debates in Washington on the debt ceiling-default issue, predicting the moves by Obama-Boehner-Gang of Six-Reid/McConnell, and the Teaparty-Democrats respective bases in Congress. These views have been published on the noted blogs: Truthout, Znet, Talking Union, and Common Dreams. Readers can access these contributions by accessing Jack’s blog on the main webpage of this website.

Jack Rasmus, copyright July 5, 2011
Last spring Jack predicted in a published article (see below) that the hype around the March-April job numbers was false, and that jobs would once again collapse starting this summer. The June jobs numbers showed only 18,000 net net jobs following an almost dismal May 54,000. (130,000 new jobs are needed each month just to absorb new workers entering the labor force). This article confirms that earlier prediction, and warns the US is now headed into its third, ‘triple dip’, jobs crisis in the past three years.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, June 26, 2011
Jack was keynote speaker at the historical labor conference, ‘The Emergency Labor Network’, that met in Ohio, June 23-26. He was asked to develop and present a program for creating jobs, saving homeowners, ending the fiscal crisis of local government, and making those who caused the crisis to pay for it. This short article summarizes how to finance jobs, housing, government services and make the rich and corporations pay the bill.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, June 4, 2011
One of the most well-known economists, Paul Krugman, who writes a column for the New York Times has been progressively migrating ‘left’ as he sees the Teaparty and the idiocy of balanced budget politics in Washington deepen. Paul has been becoming increasingly frustrated, even frantic, as he correctly warns of the deeper crisis this will provoke. In his latest, he acknowedges Obama’s job programs have failed and he, Krugman, calls for direct government job creation. But he never spells this out. Jack challenges him to do so in this article published on several blogs in June.

by Jack Rasmus, June 5, 2011, Truthout blog and jackrasmus blog
Reviewing the growing economic evidence, the prediction of a double dip recession is made with supporting data. Housing is in depression, manufacturing has begun slowing in the US and globally, Japan-UK-Australia have entered recession, the EU periphery is sinking further, and China-India-Brazil are all cutting back economic growth to deal with speculators and commodities inflation. The US consumer, 70% of economy, is retrenching with falling home prices, rising gas and energy prices, declining real incomes, and rising foreclosures and joblessness. The government sector is about to escalate cuts at all levels in the near future.

by Jack Rasmus, May22, 2011, Truthout blog and jackrasmus blog
While Obama administration, business press, and economists continued to hype the job gains of March-April 2011, this article looks behind the numbers to predict a weakening jobs market and predicts a collapse of jobs once again this summer 2011 as it did last summer 2010.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright June 2011, Z magazine
This article traces the evolution of the economic class war that has been growing in America since the 1980s and discusses how ‘new fronts’ in that war are now being opened by corporate interests and their political allies. New are the growing attacks on ’social’ and ‘deferred’ wages and the destruction of public sector unions, collective bargaining, and benefits. Current budget cutting debates are initially reviewed and the central role of protecting the last three decades of tax restructuring in favor of corporations and investors is addressed.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright April 2011
The business press reported last week that multinational corporations eliminated 2.9 million jobs in the US while hiring 2.4 million offshore. With all the talk about budget deficits, no one is asking how these corporations are responsible for the the trillions of dollars in lost federal tax revenue and therefore contributing significantly to deficits and the US debt. Their contribution comes in several forms: lost jobs and taxes paid by workers, tax credits by the US government to move jobs offshore, and various ways in which the multinationals avoid paying taxes. It comes to over $1 trillion. The article calculates the numbers.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright April 2011
Teaparty and Republicans take defense spending and tax hikes off the table, refuse to consider their role in US budget deficits and the $9 trillion added to the debt since 2000. But a look at the data shows the cost of mideast wars, defense spending escalation, and Bush tax accounts account for 70% of the $9 trillion addition to the US debt since 2000. The remainder of the $9 trillion can be traced to runaway health care costs and their impact on Medicare and Medicaid, and the bailouts of mostly businesses with Obama’s 2009-10 budgets. Here’s the facts not reported in the mainstream press.

Jack Rasmus
Z Magazine, April 2011
Jack provides detailed data showing why public workers’ wages and benefits are not responsible for the current budget crises of states and cities. He shows how poor job growth in the last decade, the failure of Obama jobs creation programs, problems and costs in municipal bond markets, and speculative investing losses by local government in mortgages and derivative securities since 2007 are the main causes.

Jack Rasmus
April 2011 (also available on the blog, jackrasmus.com)
Jack shows why the jobless numbers are really quite worse than the much hyped 216,000 jobs created in march 2011. He also outlines and forecasts why the jobs numbers are about to get much worse later in 2011-12, both in the public and private sectors.

Jack Rasmus
March 2011
Jack explains why the gap in public pensions funding is not due to worker benefit increases, but a result of pension managers’ failure to make contributions to the funds, the pension act of 2006 and speculative investing by pension managers, and the sluggish job recovery and deep recession of the past decade.

Jack Rasmus
February 2011
Jack critiques Obama’s speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, arguing the President’s newest ‘jobs’ program is to stimulate manufacturing exports and provide more subsidy for multinational corporations, in the hope that manufacturing sector will stimulate the moribund recovery. He explains why it won’t work, however.

Jack Rasmus
January 2011
Jack provides a critical analysis of President Obama’s State of the Union Address

Jack Rasmus
‘Z’ magazine, February 2011
This article explains how to raise $14.7 trillion in progressive taxation on wealthy investors, corporations, and business and use the funds in direct government job creation. Eight specific tax proposals are defined and amounts raised noted. Seven specific job programs are then described and how the tax revenues are allocated to each to create how many jobs is then explained.

Jack Rasmus
January 2011
The December jobs and unemployment numbers are masked by a variety of statistical assumptions and manipulations, as explained in this article. The true condition of the labor market in the US continues to deteriorate by a number of alternative measures. Here’s the details of analysis and data.

Jack Rasmus
December 2010
A rebuttal to Paul Craig Roberts’ (Reaganite turned ‘liberal’) recent piece in Counterpunch online, defending Reagan’s economic record. Jack takes apart his logic and provides extensive data showing the impact of Reagan policies on wages, jobs, pensions, and workers’ benefits. Republican no-nothings today look back in false nostalgia on Reagan, with no policy for recovery of their own.

Jack Rasmus, December 2010
This short piece explains, and provides data, to show how a payroll tax INCREASE on capital incomes above the current ceiling could provide funding for creating six million jobs and save 3 million homeowners as well without adding a dollar to the budget deficit–in contrast to Obama’s payroll tax cut.

Jack Rasmus
December 2010
The Bush Tax cuts extension is just the first of three phases of Obama policies in the next Congress designed to continue to ensure corporations and investors maintain profits, while the remainder of the economy pays for the deficits caused by the subsidization of capital incomes. The dominant elites in both parties are growing closer in terms of policy as the economic crisis drags on. Phase two will be general austerity in the US budget. Phase three will be a general revision of the US tax code in 2012 to benefit corporations and the permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts.

Jack Rasmus
December 2010
This short oped piece shows how historically business tax cuts have not created jobs, and explains why the extension of the Bush tax cuts by Obama will fail to do so as well.

Jack Rasmus
copyright November 2010
Jack considers the two major dilemmas to Obama’s economic policies: jobs and foreclosures, and how Obama policies have failed to address these central problems to economic recovery. US economic recovery as a result has been for investors, banks, and large corporations only. Obama’s forthcoming 3rd recovery plan will also fail without proper focus on jobs creation and the simultaneous rising foreclosures (and falling home construction and prices). The article ends with extended forecasts and predictions for the US and global economy in 2011 and beyond.

Jack Rasmus
copyright November 2010
Jack interprets the recent midterm Congressional elections in the US in terms of parallels with past midterm elections. This is not 1994, as conservatives argue. Nor is it 1937, as liberals like Paul Krugman maintain. Jack argues it is most like 1978, and then Democratic party president, Jimmy Carter’s midterm debacle followed by an even sharper turn to corporate policies. Jack contrasts Obama’s and the Democrats’ failure in 2010 to Roosevelt’s turn toward his base of worker and farmer supporters in the 1934 midterm election, igniting even more support after 1932 and two years of economic stagnation, 1933-34. With Tea party developments ‘reforming’ the Republican party on the right, a Labor party on the left is for the first time in more than seven decades becoming a practical alternative.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright October 2010
As predicted in his recent book, Epic Recession, the US economy’s recovery, already the weakest on record in the post-1945 period despite a $4 trillion bank bailout and $812 billion stimulus, has begun to fade this past summer. Jack assesses the core of that weakness, the jobs dimension and housing dimension. He explains why tax cuts don’t create jobs, why banks are sitting on $1 trillion surplus and not lending, and why large US corporations are hoarding $1.84 trillion without creating jobs. Jack concludes with historical parallels, arguing the current crisis is most similar to 1934, and not 1937 as liberals maintain or 1994 as conservatives would like us to believe. Given the obvious failure of the Obama recovery, the President is headed toward a 1978, Jimmy Carter-like fiasco.

copyright July 2010 Jack Rasmus
Jack sums up the economic crisis over the past three years, commencing with the financial implosion of August 2007, the emergence of recession in late 2007, its spread globally, the banking panic of Sept-Oct. 2008, the onset of the Epic phase of the recession, and the failed Obama recovery. Jack explains why the Obama policies failed to generate recovery of the general economy–jobs and housing in particular–after the banks were bailed out, and why recovery in the second half of 2010 will still not occur.

Jack Rasmus, copyright May 2010
In a forthcoming article in Against the Current magazine, Jack examines the U.S. jobless picture as of the month of May 2010, and explains how the actual jobless numbers are far greater that officially reported by either the US Dept. of Labor’s U-3 (official) unemployment numbers or even its broader U-6 unemployment gage. How the BLS manipulates statistics is uncovered, and a view of the broader jobs trend from January 2010 is presented. Whatever jobs gains have occurred, Jack notes, are involuntary part time in the private sector and temp jobs by the federal government–both of which will soon quickly fade.

by Jack Rasmus
copyright April 2010

In the forthcoming next issue of CRITIQUE magazine, Jack discusses Epic Recession from a more theoretical perspective. Criticizing academic economic theory approaches to price, in which price is a system stabilizer, Jack provides historical evidence and argument that price (and the market system) is instead a destabilizing force causing repeated financial implosions, now growing in frequency. Jack then shows how this thesis might be explained using classic Marxist economic categories so long as major revisions to those categories are developed.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, March 2010
Third in a three part series summarizing Jack Rasmus’s new book, Epic Recession: Prelude to Global Depression. Part 3: Program for Recovery. Jack offers a critique of the Bush-Obama bank and economic programs, explaining why they fail to produce a sustained economic recovery, how bank bailouts only temporarily stabilize the financial system but cannot lead to general recovery, how traditional fiscal policies fail to generate sustained recovery, and why a fundamental restructuring of the economy is necessary. Jack’s 28 point alternative program focuses on housing, jobs, tax and bank restructuring, long term income redistribution programs, and proposals to ‘tame’ the global money parade and speculative excesses behind the current crisis.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, February 2010
Jack Rasmus’s second in three part series summarizing the main themes of the book, Epic Recession: Prelude to Global Depression. Part 2: The History. Jack examines depressions in the 19th century USA, and the key financial-economic crises of the early 20th century: The Financial and Economic crisis of 1907-1914 (A ‘Type I’ Epic Recession), and the Epic Recession of 1929-1931 (A Type II Epic Recession). Both ‘types’ are compared to the current epic recession of 2007-2010. Type I leads to extended stagnation periods while Type II descends further into a classic depression. 2007-2010 is a Type I but with risks rising it may transition to a Type II circa 2012.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, January 2010
Jack Rasmus’s first of a three part series in ‘Z’ magazine summarizing the book, Epic Recession: Prelude to Global Depression. Part 1: The Theory. The quantitative, qualitative, and dynamic characteristics of the current epic recession, 2007-2010. Jack explains in new terms how the current crisis is different from both prior ‘normal’ recessions and classic depressions. Why current Obama policies will fail to generate sustained economic recovery. The roots of the downturn in global speculative investing, the global money parade, debt-deflation-default processes, and growing financial and consumption fragility.

Jack Rasmus, copyright November 2009
Jack offers 15 predictions for the course of the current economic crisis and the U.S. and global economies for the coming year, 2010, and beyond. Jack reviews the events of 2009 and his January 2009 predictions, then provides new predictions for both the state of the economy and financial system, including jobs, foreclosures, bank lending, defaults, state and local government, sovereign debt crises, the Federal Reserve, stimulus bills, financial regulation, and fate of the dollar.

Jack Rasmus, copyright October 2009
One year after the banking panic of September-October 2008, Jack reviews the condition of the banks and shadow banks in the U.S. He concludes a small number of too big to fail banks have been temporarily stabilized by trillions of Federal Reserve dollar injections, zero interest rates, and rising bank stock prices enabled primarily by suspension of accounting rules. In contrast, hundreds of smaller banks and ’shadow’ bank institutions are continuing to deteriorate, lending to nonbank companies and consumers continues to contract, new speculative ‘bubbles’ are beginning once again to appear globally, and government debt problems are rapidly growing.

Jack Rasmus, copyright July 2009
This article explores the ideological proposition that ‘tax cuts always create jobs’ that is common among policymakers in the U.S. since the late 1970s. It explores how in the history of economic thought this was not always the case. In the course of the critique, the meaning of ideology in economic policy is more deeply examined, calling on a synthesis of the meaning of ideology in the works of the philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and of Karl Marx.

By Jack Rasmus. copyright June 2009
18 economic reasons why the economic recovery has not yet begun. Jack debates the prevailing ’spin’ by press and economists maintaining that the current Epic recession has ended this summer and the economy will snap back in a ‘V-shape’ recovery. There can be no recovery, Jack argues, until the 22 million jobless and continuing housing foreclosures problems are effectively addressed, which has not yet been done by the current Obama administration.

Dr. Jack Rasmus provides two in depth interviews with WERC (Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign), organizers of the recent May 9 ‘Teach In’ on the economic crisis, sponsored and organized by the five AFLCIO Central labor Councils in the San Francisco Bay Area. Jack was a keynote speaker at the May 9 event, explaining why the current Obama bank and economy bailout will not succeed and why neither the banking sector nor the non-financial economy is now stabilizing, contrary to claims by politicians and bankers. Jack clarifies the current downturn and how it is similar and different from the depression of the 1930s. He suggests alternative ideas for a new jobs and housing sector bailout in lieu of bailing out the banks

Jack Rasmus, copyright April 2009
Jack Rasmus explains the many approaches to bank nationalization that have arisen since last September. He explains what Wall St. and Alan Greenspan mean by ‘nationalization’ and alternative, non-capitalist versions of the proposal. Why Obama-Geithner-CEOs of the Big Banks are downplaying the idea, and why it will be a topic high on the public agenda within months once again as the current Geithner-Bernanke bank bailout proposals eventually fail.

Jack Rasmus, copyright March 2009
Jack Rasmus explains how the recent Geithner bank bailout plan will not result in the sufficient sale of ‘bad assets’ as planned, will enable bankers and wealthy investors to ‘game the system’, and will cost taxpayers trillions more. Jack explains why Geithner shifted the PPIF to a PPIP and how the Fed is turning to the shadow banking system and hedge fund and private equity speculators to bail out the financial system they helped destroy. Finally, how the key drivers of the real economic downturn, job losses and housing foreclosures, are inadequatley addressed in the Geithner plan.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright February 2009
Jack Rasmus explains in detail his 20 point alternative recovery program submitted in January to the House of Representatives Finance Committee. Jack critiques the Obama $787 billion fiscal stimulus package passed in February by Congress as ‘too little too late’. Jack’s 20 proposals call for an immediate $1 trillion jobs focused spending and another $1 trillion to stabilize the housing markets by providing interest and principal resets and nationalizing the residential mortgage and small business property markets. His plan includes long term income redistribution to maintain consumption, by means of single payer health care, a national 401k pool, deprivatizing student loans, and restoring unionization rights.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, January 2009, CRITIQUE Journal
Jack Rasmus provides an initial theoretical analysis of the origins of the current financial crisis and deepening global epic recession in the structural changes in finance capital and shift to speculative forms of investment in particular since the late 1970s; Why traditional fiscal and monetary measures to check the crisis are destined to fail; and why the current debt-deflation driven cycle has still a long way to go and may yet transform into a classic Depression-like event.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, December 2008
Jack shows how current government statistics grossly underestimate the unemployed and how, when properly calculated, 1 million new unemployed were created in each of the past two months, November and December 2008. Since the recession began in November 2007, 5.3 million more have lost their jobs, for a total of 13 million jobless and an unemployment rate today just under 9%. Jack shows how 5-7 million more, 20 million total, and 13% may be jobless by the end of 2009 if the Obama recovery program proves too little-too late.

Jack Rasmus, copyright December 2008
In the following article Jack Rasmus relooks at predictions made last May that mass layoffs and banking failures would occur by the end of 2008, resulting in a new kind of ‘Epic’ recession, that was far worse and qualitatively different from typical post-1945 recessions with 10 characteristics shared with classic Depression events. Read Jack’s more in depth analysis of Epic recession

Jack Rasmus, copyright November 2008
Obamanomics 1 was the president-elect’s campaign economic program. That has been eclipsed by the banking panic of 2008, credit crash, mass layoffs and collapsing real economy after september. Obamanomics 2 is now in preparation. Will it be enough to contain the crisis, or ‘too little too late’. Jack Rasmus evaluates the limits of Obama’s first program and raises questions about its subsequent version.

Jack Rasmus, copyright November 2008
A summary of the disastrous economic legacies of George W. Bush after eight years, including the accumulation of $21 trillion of debt since 2000, the resulting financial crisis, emerging epic recession, coming trillion dollar government deficits, the destruction of health care and retirement, and the historic stagnation of incomes for 110 million workers.

Jack Rasmus, copyright, October 2008
How the real economy is now accelerting into ‘Epic Recession’ behind the intensifying financial crisis and ‘Banking Panic of 2008′ events of September-October. Jack explains how the Paulson ‘TARP’ bailout is fundamentally flawed. will lead to $1 trillion dollar deficits and fiscal crisis in 2009, and the coming of a general ‘austerity’ program after November. The new motto of Finance Capital: “From each according to his balance sheet; to each according to is Portfolio".

Jack Rasmus, copyright September 2008
How the current, real (nonfinancial) U.S. economy is really in much worse shape than reported by US government data, and how US GDP figures are overestimated while unemployment underestimated. Where the financial and real economies in the US are going after the Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac bailouts of early September.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright August 2008
What the near collapse of the two mortgage giants in July means for the deepening financial crisis. Why the crisis of Fannie/Freddie has just begun and will eventually cost more than $200 billion. Their risk to global banking instability. Why Fannie/Freddie should be nationalized.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright July 2008
In this end of June 2008 update to the continuing economic crisis, written for the South African Journal, Amandla, Jack Rasmus tracks the latest evidence of the U.S. economy drifting toward a condition of ‘Epic’ Recession.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright June 2008
Recent economic data for April is being touted as indicating the recession has been averted and the financial crisis stabilized. But more fundamental and widespread data looking beyond just one month indicate both financial crisis and recession are still in development. Rather than the ‘beginning of the end’ the data, and a deeper analysis, show only the ‘end of the beginning’. Read how politicians and bank CEOs are once again manipulating the numbers and why the current crisis will be with us for some time to come.

Jack Rasmus, copyright May 2008
As the current financial crisis deepens beneath the apparent hiatus of events since the Bear Stearns Investment bank bailout in March, the recession continues to develop in ways unlike prior postwar recessions in the U.S. How is the present recession different from preceding recessions? What characteristics does it share with major Depressions? Will conditions evolve in the direction of the latter? What’s a recession, Epic recession, and Depression? are key questions discussed in the article, appearing June 2008 in “Z” magazine.

by Jack Rasmus, copyright January 2008
The following is a lengthy article, published April 2008, in the British journal, CRITIQUE, which summarizes the financial crisis through early 2008, and begins to analyze the crisis from a more theoretical perspective by considering it from the perspective of ideas on finance capital and money in Marx and the notable financial Keynesian economist, Hyman Minsky. In it Jack Rasmus explores how ‘classical Marxist’ categories of organic composition of capital and falling rate of profit might be revised to more accurately account for the new role of finance capital in the 21st century.

Jack Rasmus, copyright January 2008
Explains the origins of the current financial crisis from the subprime mortgage collapse through the end of 2007 and its spread to other credit markets. Compares the present financial crisis with events of the 1920s and 1930s and explains how the present crisis is increasingly more like those events than like less severe financial instability during the 1980s and 1990s.

Jack Rasmus, copyright March 2008
Continues the analysis of the origins, consequences and evolution of the financial crisis from January 2008 through March, and explains how the crisis and massive credit contraction is leading to the deepest and longest recession in the U.S. since the 1930s.

Jack Rasmus, copyright 2007
How the big three auto companies are dumping their health care funds and $50 billion of liabilities on the autoworkers and their union–the new ‘pattern’ for health care benefit negotiations in the U.S. and the final chapter in employer-negotiated health care insurance.

Jack Rasmus, copyright 2007
Traces the history of the rise and fall of employer provided health insurance plans in the U.S. from the late 1940s to the present

Jack Rasmus, copyright 2007
How to finance $1.6 trillion a year to pay for universal health care, by eliminating insurance companies and middlemen, restoring the tax system to pre-1980 levels, and cutting the payroll tax for social security by 7.7% and taxing capital incomes

Jack Rasmus copyright 2007
‘Z’ Magazine, February (Part 1), April (Part 2), May (Part 3) 2007

How more than a $trillion a year is now being shifted from 90 million working/middle class families in America today to the wealthiest 1% households and corporations, as a result of two decades of corporate-government policies radically restructuring jobs, tax system, free trade, health benefits, pensions, social security and other policies. How income distribution in the U.S. is now super concentrated at ‘the top’ and back where it was in 1929 on the eve of the Great Depression.

Jack Rasmus copyright 2006
‘Z’ Magazine, December 2006

How 44 million workers in America now no longer have regular full time permanent jobs; how nearly 60 million or roughly 40% of the work force are either unemployed, part time employed, temporary or contract labor, and how this radical structural change in job markets in the U.S., driven by corporate America, is behind stagnating hourly wages and tens of million uninsured.

Jack Rasmus copyright 2006
“Z” Magazine, October 2006

How the Pension Act of 2006, U.S. court, and Government Agencies together are working to bring about a collapse of defined benefit pensions that will require a massive taxpayer bailout of a $1 trillion in the next two years.

copyright 2006 by Jack Rasmus
‘Z’ Magazine, July-August 2006

A new structural proposal for reunifying the AFL-CIO and Change To Win unions that creates a new union membership concept and closer integration between labor and community allies.

copyright 2006 by Jack Rasmus
‘Z’ Magazine, April 2006

How corporate managers in America raised their pay from 35 times to 500 times the average pay of the average worker in their company between 1980 and 2005, a 350% increase, while 100 million American workers got a 1.2 cents per hour per year raise the past 25 years.

copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
ILWU ‘Dispatcher’ October 2005

About to pass Congress, Bush’s latest proposed cuts in Estate Taxes for the wealthiest 1% will mean another $700 billion minimum handout for the rich

coyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
‘Z’ Magazine, November 2005

After $4 trillion in tax cuts for the rich in his first term, Bush continues to beat the drum for $trillions more for the wealthy with a radical restructuring of the entire tax code

copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus

Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans laid bare the growing class divisions in America. In its wake, Corporate America is poised to reap super-profits in the aftermath.

copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
‘Z’ Magazine, September 2005

What are the real organizational causes of the recent split in the AFL-CIO?

“CAFTA and THE LEGACY of FREE TRADE”
copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
“Z” Magazine, July 2005

This past April debate began in Congress on the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA. Currently pro-Free Trade forces, notably …

“CRASH LANDING: United Airlines Ditching of its Pensions
May Well Precipitate a National Crisis“
copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
“In These Times” Magazine, June 2005

On May 10, 2005 a federal court announced United Airlines could pocket $3.2 …

“UNITED AIRLINES’ PENSIONS GO BUST”
copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
The ILWU “Dispatcher", May 2005

On May 10, 2005 a federal court announced United Airlines could pocket $3.2 billion of contributions it owed its 134,000 workers’ pension plans, …

“WHO BENEFITS–THE BIG WINNERS
OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS”
copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
“In These Times” Magazine, March 2005

George W. Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security has nothing to do with enhancing workers’ retirement income. Rather, …

“MEDICAL MT. ST. HELENS: HEALTH CARE CRISIS IN AMERICA”
copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
“Z” Magazine, March 2005

In America, the richest county in the world, millions of workers and their children face the human and economic …

“STEALING SOCIAL SECURITY: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE”
copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
“Z” Magazine, December, 2004

With Bush’s recent election victory, privatizing Social Security is once again on the agenda—in fact high on the agenda! If not …

“THE ROAD BACK TO 1929”
copyright 2005 by Jack Rasmus
“Z” Magazine, November, 2004

For the first time since 1929, more jobs were lost than created under a sitting President. Officially, more than a million jobs disappeared …