Re: NYTimes: Capitalism vs. Democracy

From:HBoushey@equitablegrowth.org To: hms@sandlerfoundation.org, sdaetz@sandlerfoundation.org, ses@sandlerfoundation.org, james@sandlerfoundation.org, SKnaebel@sandlerfoundation.org CC: john.podesta@gmail.com Date: 2014-01-30 18:51 Subject: Re: NYTimes: Capitalism vs. Democracy

This is great. I've done a short review of the book for the American Prospect and have been in talks with the publisher about getting a second, more in-depth one placed. I'm happy to connect the publisher to Bob, if it's okay to reveal I know he's interested. We're also planning a book event in April and some high-level meetings with Thomas while he's in town - maybe we can get Bob to come. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Heather Boushey Executive Director and Chief Economist Washington Center for Equitable Growth 1333 H Street, NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20005 hboushey@e<mailto:hboushey@americanprogress.org>quitablegrowth.org<http://quitablegrowth.org/> Desk: (202) 741-6247 Twitter: @hboushey PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD. Dear Herb, I know Piketty abit; he was my colleague at MIT for a couple of years, 20 years ago, and I wrote a recommendation for him when he wanted to return to France. Remember that he is Emmanuel Saez's co-author in a lot of research on very high incomes in US and elsewhere. Somehow I missed the review of his book that is quoted by Edsall. I had heard that the book was coming out, and I have asked Leon Wieseltier if he would like me to review it for the New Republic. Piketty is very smart. I'm familiar with part of the argument he seems to be using (in fact I invented some of it 60 years ago!). Part of today's inequality problem could be reversible, part may indeed be deep in what is happening to advanced economies, and I hope Piketty can help with that. I have occasionally written that we may need to somehow democratize capital (like funded social security etc) so that profit income is more widely distributed. Apparently Dick Freeman agrees. On the whole I am very suspicious of "inevitability" arguments, but you don't have to interpret Piketty's data that way, even if he does. I hope Leon wants me to review the book, it would give me a chance to think more about this, which has always interested me. We're still here. Bob ________________________________ Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: http://nyti.ms/1i9dP7P Is deepening inequality inevitable? The case for a global wealth tax.