For
those of you who attended last Thursday's Bernard L. Schwartz Economic
Symposium, thank you for helping to make it such a thoughtful,
provocative discussion.
For those who weren't able to attend -- or who now simply want to revisit a particular panel or presentation -- video, transcripts and MP3 audio recordings of the entire event are available on NewAmerica.net.
Highlights from the symposium included:
- Laura D'Andrea Tyson, while
allowing that it will be very difficult to get the health I.T. stimulus
spending into the economy quickly, declared healthcare reform central
to long-term recovery: "[If] you're trying to find a systemic solution
to the world economy, and a systemic solution... to the government
deficit and debt in the United States, you actually have to start with
health."
- Martin Wolf argued
that this financial meltdown is just a manifestation of a much larger
systemic crisis: "This is not because a few regulators screwed up in
the U.S. I think it's extremely important to understand that. It's the
end game of a series of massive bubbles, which we have needed to
balance the whole world economic system during this particular
globalization episode."
- George Soros explained
his concept of reflexivity, and why market prices do not merely reflect
underlying supply and demand. He also gave the Obama Administration
"very high marks in every area except one. That is the recapitalization
of the banks."
- Bernard L. Schwartz
criticized the Obama Administration for timidity, calling the economic
recovery plan "too small, too unfocused, and too short term" -- and
"woefully short of meeting the nation's infrastructure deficit."
For all the insights from Thursday's discussions, please see the videos and transcripts.
Yet as Steve Coll noted in his introductory remarks, the challenge of rebuilding the world economy is a core focus for the New America Foundation
-- and this symposium was not an end unto itself, but rather a
jumping-off point for sustained work and transformational thinking on
these issues. So while there's much to highlight from last week's
discussions, we'd also like to call your attention to an important
addition that's followed:
This new online journal -- a joint venture of New America's
Economic Growth Program, Next Social Contract Initiative, and Smart
Globalization Initiative. It's an invaluable source for the best and
most timely thinking on surmounting the global financial crisis,
adopting a strategy for long-term economic growth and a rebalanced
world economy, investing in the nation's infrastructure and restoring
the link between productivity growth and wages.
Thank you again for your interest in last week's symposium and these
issues more broadly. We look forward to continuing the conversation.
Media interested in follow-up interviews with New America staff and fellows should contact Kate Brown at 202-596-3365 or brown@newamerica.net.