From the article: "Growing income inequality 'is a national story, but the South may show it most dramatically because they pushed the low-wage strategy most successfully,' says Joseph Persky, an economist at the University of Illinois in Chicago, who has studied the economy of the South. He believes the region’s low-wage, anti-union model won’t survive as the economy moves away from traditional manufacturing industries. '[The South] can’t compete with Mexico, let alone China.'

and

"'Conservatives maintain their faith in the Southern model. The South’s economy may be struggling now, but in the long-term, it is more likely to be successful,' says Patrick Fleenor, chief economist at the conservative Tax Foundation in Washington.

'The way to fix this economy is to invest in human capital and encourage people to invest in themselves. The state can’t fix the wage gap through income transfers,' he says.'"

A rebuttal of the "government can't do anything right" argument.

Man, this is a good piece. Best explanation I've seen for the current American cynicism and how Obama might be blowing it. From the column: "It’s in this context that Obama can’t afford a defeat on health care. A bill will pass in a Democrat-controlled Congress. What matters is what’s in it. The final result will be a CAT scan of those powerful Washington interests he campaigned against, revealing which have been removed from the body politic (or at least reduced) and which continue to metastasize. The Wall Street regulatory reform package Obama pushes through, or doesn’t, may render even more of a verdict on his success in changing the system he sought the White House to reform." h/t to Ed Cone for the link.

Great post by a rabbi in Greensboro about the need for civility in the healthcare debate, and the nasty effect of using the terms "nazi" and "national socialism" in comparison to the healthcare plans being proposed by the Democrats.

Winston-Salem Journal's editor writes about criticism the paper has received as a result of its coverage of the National Black Theater Festival. Basically readers are complaining that the paper is too "black." Ken does a nice job of addressing the issue.

Sarah Palin takes the same passage from the House healthcare bill that Rep. Foxx got in trouble for misrepresenting as a way for the government to kill the elderly and adds her own level of misinterpretation.

Winston-Salem's Bookmark book festival is being held downtown in the arts district this year after being held at Bethabara Park for the last few years. Date is September 12, 2009 and time is 9:30 to 5:00.