Wednesday, November 26, 2008

More from the NY Galbraith Conference

More from the Nov. 14 conference in New York organized by James Galbraith, as promised.

Bernard Schwarz called for the government to take over basic R&D for the Big Three automakers to come up with a truly green engine and to help reduce their expenses.

Bill Black supported bringing back the Glass-Steagall Act. I opposed this, but now seeing the collapse of Citibank am more open to the idea.

Pierre Calame called for the formation of regional monetary systems around the world.

Ping Chen called for a new relationship between the US and China in which the US would relax its restrictions on industries and firms that China can invest in, while China invests more directly in the building of US infrastructure and also in financially supporting its educational institutions.

George Papandreou, former foreign minister of Greece and president of the Socialist International, thanked James Galbraith for his father having saved the life of George's father, who was an economist and later prime minister, who was nearly executed by the junta. Papandreou called for a redistribution of wealth and power with green development to combat "barbarism on the planet."

(Happy Thanksgiving everybody)

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