The ‘free market’ is the product of laws and rules continuously emanating from legislatures, executive departments, and courts. – Robert Reich
Walmart is so huge that a wage boost at Walmart would ripple through the entire economy, putting more money in the pockets of low-wage workers. This would help boost the entire economy – including Walmart’s own sales. – Robert Reich
Nations are becoming less relevant in a world where everyone and everything is interconnected. The connections that matter most are again becoming more personal. – Robert Reich
Yes, the rich will find ways to avoid paying more taxes, courtesy of clever accountants and tax attorneys. But this has always been the case, regardless of where the tax rate is set. – Robert Reich
Obviously, personal responsibility is important. But there’s no evidence that people who are poor are less ambitious than anyone else. In fact, many work long hours at backbreaking jobs. – Robert Reich
To get back to the kind of shared prosperity and upward mobility we once considered normal will require another era of fundamental reform, of both our economy and our democracy. – Robert Reich
The liberal ideal is that everyone should have fair access and fair opportunity. This is not equality of result. It’s equality of opportunity. There’s a fundamental difference. – Robert Reich
Over the long term, the only way we’re going to raise wages, grow the economy, and improve American competitiveness is by investing in our people – especially their educations. – Robert Reich
A leader is someone who steps back from the entire system and tries to build a more collaborative, more innovative system that will work over the long term. – Robert Reich
We never used to blink at taking a leadership role in the world. And we understood leadership often required something other than drones and bombs. We accepted global leadership not just for humanitarian reasons, but also because it was in our own best interest. We knew we couldn’t isolate ourselves from trouble. There was no place to hide. – Robert Reich
The only way to grow the economy in a way that benefits the bottom 90 percent is to change the structure of the economy. At the least, this requires stronger unions and a higher minimum wage. – Robert Reich
It’s true that redistributing income to the needy is politically easier in a growing economy than in a stagnant one. – Robert Reich