Barry C. Lynn

Cornered

Erin Drankoski — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:34:00 -0500

Regular Harpers and Financial Times contributor Barry C. Lynn paints a genuinely alarming picture: most of our public debates about globalization, competitiveness, creative destruction, and risky finance are nothing more than a cover for the widespread consolidation of power in nearly every imaginable sector of the American economy.

How Detroit Went Bottom-Up

Erin Drankoski — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:47:00 -0400

In the spring of 2005, David Stockman at last reaped the reward of the monopolist.

Stockman, who once served as Ronald Reagan's budget director, spent two decades on Wall Street preparing for this moment. After stints at Salomon Brothers and the Blackstone Group, Stockman in 1999 set up his own private investment fund, Heartland Industrial Partners. He then used Heartland to shape a set of companies -- mainly in the automotive sector -- each dedicated to dominating a particular group of production activities.

Beyond the Free Trade Agreement Impasse

Cecille Isidro — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:48:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/07/2009 - 12:15pm

Please join Lori Wallach and Todd Tucker in a discussion of their book The Rise and Fall of Fast Track Trade Authority.

The digital version of the book is available at www.FastTrackHistory.org.

The Policies That Ruined the Auto Industry

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:03:00 -0500

A lot of people are angry at the Detroit Three automakers, including many members of Congress. And why not?

GM, Ford and Chrysler seem still too bloated and old-fashioned, their workers too pampered. For too long the carmakers have failed to design and bring to market the smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles we now want to buy. Yet it is important to put the blame where it really belongs, not on management or labor, but on Congress.

The Predator State

Communications — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:15:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/06/2008 - 12:15pm

As the myth of the free market is overcome by current events, James K. Galbraith's new book explains both its rise and fall. His description of the dynamic and troublesome interaction between the public and private sectors is timely, instructive, and ultimately devastating. The rise of a free market ideology blurred both the distinction between these sectors and the growth of government. It did so in ways that not only contributed to greater wealth and income inequality, but also directly… more

POSTPONED: The Monopolist Assault on Entrepreneurs

Communications — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:15:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/29/2008 - 3:15pm

**This event has been postponed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience.**

The yeoman tradition—in which the small property owner and the entrepreneur represent an American ideal—inspired many of the nation’s founders, Thomas Jefferson most notably. Yet today, deregulation and a lax interpretation of anti-trust law make it increasingly difficult for small businesses to even access local markets. Mega chains may be ruthlessly efficient in driving down prices, but their near-monopoly positions create tremendous barriers to entry and… more

America's Fate in the Coming Era of Chinese Hegemony

Communications — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
03/12/2008 - 3:00pm

With the United States and China, who will rule whom? That's the central question of In the Jaws of the Dragon by Tokyo-based journalist and writer Eamonn Fingleton. His own answer is sobering. As American leaders fixate on the Middle East, China quietly consolidates both its geostrategic vision and its economic and military power. What is at stake is far more important than manufacturing jobs or the transparency of Sovereign Wealth Funds. It is a matter of which nation will… more

Barry Lynn on Marketplace Applauds Europe's Antitrust Stand

Communications — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:12:00 -0400

KAI RYSSDAL: As Congress weighs electronic surveillance, the Europeans have been taking aim at another slice of the American high-tech pie: Last month, the European Commission won a landmark case against Microsoft. The commission charged the company with maintaining a monopoly on computer operating systems and media players. Commentator Barry Lynn says Washington ought to think like the Europeans if it's serious about technological innovation.

Trade Imbalance

Communications — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:15:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/05/2007 - 12:15pm

In the coming months, the U.S. Congress will vote up or down on trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Korea. These elected officials will not examine these agreements solely on their commercial or foreign policy benefits to the American people. They will also weigh whether or not each agreement advances particular human rights abroad. However, these Representatives proceed with little information about how trade agreements, and even trade per se, affect human rights at home or abroad. Although… more

The Next Catastrophe

Communications — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:15:00 -0400

A New America Event
06/06/2007 - 12:15pm

Is America ready for the next September 11 or Hurricane Katrina? Is our nation really safer now than it was when Al Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center towers? Have the billions of dollars we spent on Homeland Security prepared our industrial and financial systems for real shocks? Have we even managed to identify what the real threats to our society actually are?

Charles Perrow is one of America’s preeminent experts on disasters and disaster preparedness, and… more