Tough Times

The evidence on U.S. income mobility is documented as well as intuitive. On the latter, other things equal, the U.S. is immigrants' first choice -- and has been for a long time.

Nevertheless, the dynamics-opportunity-mobility story is routinely denied. Cognitive dissonance? The simple story undermines an uncountable mass of intellectual capital (baggage) that so many carry with them for a lifetime. What would they do for a living without it?

It is bad to be unemployed. But, this morning's NY Times' page-one features yet another rendition of how bad it is to be on the job in modern America -- and, this time, in other wealthy places too. Medical researchers here and abroad find nothing but stress and woe.

Medical researchers here and abroad have discovered policy wonkiness and they like it. Watch out.