(本文篇幅不短，不習慣閱讀英文的朋友、鄉親與同志們請把英文文
三
歐巴馬政府似乎也注意及重視民眾就業機會的增加與創造，在他任內
美國的民主政治的基礎富厚，在國家與社會發生重大的問題之後，它
我們現在來讀一篇現任美國財政部長Jack Lew在去年發表的一篇文章:
Put job creation at the heart of the global recovery
---The G20 must pursue policy that boosts domestic demand and employment, says Jack Lew
By Jack Lew
Wall Street Journal
7/19/2013
The US is again a source of strength in the world economy, only five years after it was the centre of a global crisis. This has not happened by accident. While we have more work to do, this shows that, with good macroeconomic policy, a resilient economy can bounce back and create jobs. (透過宏觀經濟的政策，一個有堅軔生命力的經濟可以止跌回升，同
When the finance and labour ministers of the Group of 20 leading nations gather in Moscow, getting people back to work must be top of the agenda. In many parts of the world, such as Europe, growth is too weak to drive job creation, and it is critical to take steps to bolster private hiring. Elsewhere, as in China, it is critical to speed reforms to shift towards demand-led growth. (在G20於莫斯科開會時，讓民眾再度回到工作崗位一事，應在會
Back in 2008 the US promised to address the vulnerabilities in our economy. And we did. President Barack Obama s administration reformed, repaired and recapitalised the financial sector, and introduced rigorous stress tests to make sure our banks have the capital needed to start providing credit again. The Federal Reserve has provided the US economy with vital support tied to its dual mandate of full employment and price stability. [歐巴馬行政團隊進行金融與財政改革，聯邦儲備機構對美國經濟提
When the economy was in free fall, Mr Obama acted decisively to provide fiscal support for jobs and privatedemand through, for example, tax credits and extending the duration of unemployment benefits. While long-term fiscal policy requires tough decisions, we knew we could not cut our way to prosperity. When it became clear that the private sector needed further time to gain strength in the face of headwinds from Europe, we acted again through a temporary cut in the payroll tax.
Our businesses have created more than 7m new jobs since the depths of the crisis, and private demand is strong enough to sustain momentum. Challenges remain but there is broad strength throughout the economy, including in housing, cars and the fast-growing energy sector. Health reform is expanding access and making care more affordable and helping to reduce our deficits.
To remain on the path of continued growth, we need to avoid self-inflicted wounds while we are still trying to make up lost ground.
America s commitment to pay its bills should not be brought into question with a debate about whether or not to extend the debt limit. And job growth would be faster if the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration were replaced by a more balanced path of fiscal consolidation.
We need to continue to invest in reforms to strengthen the middle class. The US needs investments in centres of excellence for advanced manufacturing, in job training, in education and in clean energy. Comprehensive immigration reform is necessary – not just because it is the right thing to do but because it is a smart way to grow our economy. And more work remains to be done to bring down the number of long-term unemployed.
Similarly, for global growth to be sustainable, other G20 nations must pursue macroeconomic policies that are centred on increasing domestic demand and employment.
The eurozone s first priority is to maintain financial stability, which it is doing through the establishment of new instruments, the implementation of difficult reforms and a commitment to move to a banking union. As a result, Europe is now in a position where it can put greater priority on boosting demand and addressing unemployment levels that have reached historic highs. Demand in the eurozone has shrunk for eight consecutive quarters and is now 5 per cent below its 2007 levels, while in southern Europe it is 15 per cent lower.
We have learnt difficult lessons from our own crisis. And now there are lessons to be learnt from our recovery. The G20 meeting this weekend provides an important opportunity to put jobs at the centre of macroeconomic policy.
(The writer is US Treasury secretary)
四
接著我們來讀紐約時報最近發表的一篇社論: 「沒有工作機會的經濟成長」。
Growth Without Jobs”
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
The New York Times
8/2/2014
In a statement last Wednesday just hours after the government reported headline-grabbing economic growth of 4 percent in the second quarter the Federal Reserve said it would continue to stimulate the economy because, despite overall growth, the labor market remained weak. In a speech the same day in Kansas City, Mo., President Obama echoed the Fed.Im glad that G.D.P. is growing, and Im glad that corporate profits are high, and Im glad that the stock market is booming, he said, (which it was before profit-taking at weeks end dented its performance). But what I really want to see is a guy working 9 to 5, and then working some overtime. [在歐巴馬行政團隊於上星期三公佈2014年第二季的經濟成長率
Those cautionary views were validated on Friday, when the employment report for July showed slower job growth, flat earnings, stagnant hours and stubbornly high long-term unemployment. The challenge now, as always, is to translate official concern over the job market into change for the better.
The economy added 209,000 jobs last month, a decent enough figure in and of itself, but a slow start to the third quarter compared with the average monthly gain of 277,000 last quarter. Worse, July s relatively slow pace of growth may not be sustainable. Many of last month s job gains were in automobile manufacturing, which could reflect a statistical blip from shorter-than-usual factory shutdowns in July rather than new positions added.
Moreover, the upswing in the auto industry is tied to a surge in high-cost auto loans to uncreditworthy borrowers, an unstable foundation for future growth. In addition, the sectors that generally add the most jobs each month all slowed in July from their pace in June, including bars and restaurants, retail, health care and temporary services. As for the president s vision of a 40-hour week plus overtime well, if only. For the fifth straight month, the average workweek for most of the labor force was stuck at 33.7 hours. Factory overtime, once a mainstay in the lives of working-class Americans, dropped in July for the second straight month. Average hourly wages have, at best, kept pace with inflation over the past year. Pay is languishing, but working longer hours is not an option.
In its statement, the Fed said it was basically a tossup whether the economy would speed up or slow down. Faster growth, however, generally requires a healthy real estate market and that requires a healthy job market, especially for younger workers.
But in July, the jobless rate for workers ages 25 to 34 was 6.6 percent, compared with 6.2 percent over all. Among young people who are working, many are in low-wage or part-time jobs, or jobs that otherwise do not make use of their education or experience. So it is not surprising that the sale of new homes plummeted recently at the fastest pace in nearly a year. Sales of existing homes have risen, a positive sign but a questionable trend given the still-ailing job market.
The most likely scenario is for the economy to continue to muddle along at an overall annual pace of 2 percent to 2.5 percent. The Fed has affirmed its commitment to keep interest rates low until the labor market recovers, but the real test of its resolve will come if and when inflation meets or exceeds its preferred annual rate of 2 percent. In a sluggish economy with significant employment slack, continued stimulus policy would be called for even if inflation exceeded the target, but whether the Fed will oblige is unknown. [聯邦準備機構已重申它要維持低利率直到勞動市場恢復之後的承諾
As for Mr. Obama, he seems to understand that with a Republican-dominated House and Republican senators keen on winning a majority in the Senate, he is on his own to push for change. He can and should continue to issue executive orders to improve pay and working conditions for the federal contract work force. He should work with the Labor Department on upcoming rules to re-establish a broad right to time-and-a-half for overtime. And he should continue to rally public support for Democratic legislation to raise the minimum wage and to combat the growing use of unpredictable part-time scheduling.
None of that is enough to counter significantly the forces responsible for job growth that is too weak, wages that are too low and workweeks that are too short. For that, a functional political climate is needed, one in which leaders find compromise solutions to the nation s problems. Without that, the Fed s modest prediction that the economy has an even chance of getting better may in fact be too optimistic.
五
由於若干歐洲國家的經濟發展遲滯，甚至財政破產，加上美國的經濟
Viktor Orban s illiberal world
By Gideon Rachman
Jul 30, 2014
The Financial Times
Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, has just cemented his reputation as the problem child of the European Union with a speech in which he argued thatliberal democratic societies cannot remain globally competitive. All EU countries are meant to subscribe to a set of values that could broadly be described as liberal and democratic. But Mr Orban suggested that the Hungarian government is now looking elsewhere for inspiration citing China, Russia, Turkey and Singapore as potential role models. [匈牙利總理Orban已淪為歐盟的問題兒童，因為他在一場演說
Mr Orban s speech which was delivered to an audience of ethnic Hungarian leaders, meeting in neighbouring Romania – will exacerbate fears in Brussels that democracy in Hungary is at risk. To be fair to the Hungarian prime minister, he sought to make a distinction between liberalism and democracy, arguing that while Hungary will continue to respect freedom and democracy, it should reject liberalism s stress on individual rightsThe Hungarian nation is not a mere pile of individuals, he asserted.
Nonetheless, some of the countries that Mr Orban cited such as Russia, China and Turkey are hardly encouraging models those who cherish democratic rights. On the contrary, they are all noted for to varying degrees intimidating the press, interfering with the judiciary and harassing NGOs. These are all things that the Hungarian government is also regularly accused of. Mr Orban s defenders furiously deny that press freedom or an independent judiciary are under attack in Hungary. But the prime minister s choice of role models is certainly suggestive.
Hungary s peculiar path under Viktor Orban also has implications beyond its borders. The EU has just agreed on serious new sanctions against Russia. But Mr Orban clearly has some sympathy with President Putin s political style. Hungary has also recently strengthened economic ties with Russia. And Mr Orban has also complained about the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine (as well as elsewhere) which is a little off-message, at a time when the EU is trying to support Ukraine against Russian aggression. The Hungarian prime minister also regularly flirts with the idea that Hungary may one day regain some of the territories that it lost after the first world war.
At a time when the EU faces so many other problems, it has often been easier for Brussels to ignore Viktor Orban. But the Hungarian prime minister looks like a problem who is not going to go away.
(待續)
台灣建州運動發起人周威霖
David C. Chou
Founder, Formosa Statehood Movement
(an organization devoted in current stage to making Taiwan a territorial commonwealth of the United States)
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