Writing in The American Prospect, Lawrence Mishel and Richard Rothstein disabuse readers of the notion that rising inequality can be reversed by improving the educational system. In fact, as the title of their piece - "Schools as Scapegoats" - indicates, the school system is being scapegoated by politicians and economists who refuse to believe that interventions in the private market may be required to reverse the inequality trend. The honesty of our capital markets, the accountability of our corporations, our fiscal-policy and currency management, our national investment in R&D and infrastructure, and the fair-play of the trading system (or its absence), also influence whether the U.S. economy reaps the gains of Americans' diligence and ingenuity. The singular obsession with schools deflects political attention from policy failures in those other realms. If you're interested in inequality issues, this is a must-read article. Below the fold is the nickel version of the piece.

Our friends at Media Matters point out an interesting omission by the Washington Post in a story that ran last Friday, Earmarks Put Candidates On the Spot.

David Broder's Sunday column was infuriating. He essentially endorses health care plans that are friendly to business. But that's not the worst part. He says he endorses them because they're the only way to reduce costs. Converting to such a system would be controversial. Insurers and some of the players in the health system would probably object. But the growing sense in business that only a mass marketplace of individuals can apply the competitive pressure needed to discipline the forces of medical inflation is moving the country in that direction.

Be sure to read a great op-ed by our own Matt Lewis in TomPaine.com today on larger lessons to be learned from the privatization of security services in Iraq. Here's the key passage: Citizens who believe in government as a tool to advance the public interest ought to be concerned about excessive privatization of public services. Contractors like Blackwater USA are alienating would-be friends abroad and the public back home. Instead of rushing to privatize public services at every turn, our government should carefully review the services it currently oursources—keeping in mind the role of government should be to serve the public interest. TomPaine.com: The Other Blackwaters