This guy Davidson is the worst. Such an apologist for capitalism, and constantly ignores economic injustice. Leonard, you should have had some harder questions for him. Especially when he talked about the decline in unionization as if it was just a shift in workers' preferences rather than the result of deindustrialization and aggressive anti-union efforts by businesses and politicians.

I can't listen to Planet Money because they all take the same approach as Davidson. And I think they all try to sound like Ira Glass.

Thanks JR below for that link to the superlative Yves Smith

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/08/project-shame-the-recovered-history-of-adam-davidson.html

Hadn't heard of the SHAME project before. Follow the money at its best.

How about having someone like Doug Henwood, Richard Wolff, or Slavoj Zizek to discuss economic issues?

Oh, that's right, the corporate sponsors...

Even the likes of Dean Baker or Robert Scheer probably couldn't be on too often.

I missed the segment but plan to listen to the mp3.

I think I agree with-- or at least greatly appreciate-- nearly everything that I read in the comments posted thus far.

I can't believe how often I hear - "Oh undocumented workers do the work Americans won't do"

Um, that sentence is incomplete - Americans won't do the work AT THE COOLEY WAGES employers get away with when they have illegals to abuse.

Do undocumented workers benefit their masters(sorry) managers I mean? I refer the reader to "Django Unregulated" for an analysis.

What's the "truth" about the use or abuse by companies of H1B workers?

"Jobs Americans don't want to take" FOR THE PAY COMPANIES ARE WILLING TO PAY.

Can someone do LL's job for half his pay? WNYC may want to try this out. I bet they will find somebody...

Salary bottom feeding cannot be a positive plan to revitalize the US economy. Minimum wage is very important to bring better lifestyle to those who must work at the level of the minimum wage. High school students looking for work should also be paid a minimum wage. It is not a skilled work wage; it's a minimum wage and any work effort should meet this basic threshhold for a living wage.

Adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage is still lower than what it was in the 60s...
And this "we all benefit econmically from illegal/immigrants" is...nonsense.
Here, the problem is Adam AND Leonard's softballing.

Is there any truth to the notion that manufacturers hold off on hiring until they get the government subsidies they want?

Just back from visiting a prospective college with my high school senior. Was told that the Federally-subsidized campus work-study jobs pay $13-$14/hour. Shouldn't the Federal minimum wage be as high the payments for these part-time, generally no heavy-lifting jobs, most of which go to middle-class students not supporting families?

Robots or not in US-based manufacturing, it's still better to have the manufacturing done here vs elsewhere.

I mean, if we are talking about what's best overall for the benefit of our citizenry.

"Amazing." Fewer factory jobs makes Adam happy. Adam needs to change his mind. Or I need to change the channel.

Oh look! An interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin's fatter, balder, fraternal twin in shill.

Anyone that opposes resurrection of Glass Steagal at the earliest possible opportunity is a shill for the banking oligarchy.

I agree with Jim R.

I consider Adam Davidson & the Planet Money team to be an uncredited PR firm for Wall ST & Pete Peterson. Their blind acceptance of DC "conventional wisdom" & dependence on questionable experts with undisclosed employment conflicts does nothing to explain the current economic/finance situation & often provides no actual facts, just opinion.

The Planet Money team accepts as fact stuff which old Wall ST messengers & even most who apply for jobs on Wall ST without Ivy credentials know is BS.

They're another DC distraction device.

For those who have some doubts about either Adam Davidson's competence on economic issues or his honesty, here is Yves Smith of the website "Naked Capitalism": http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/08/project-shame-the-recovered-history-of-adam-davidson.html

Davidson has consistently failed to disclose his ties to organizations he has supported in his work, including the US occupation of Iraq and Wall Street.

Among other things, in 2004, when Davidson was in Iraq for NPR, it emerged he was in tight with American occupation officials.

Davidson has frequently and consistently supported Wall Street, including making false claims about things like the Glass-Steagall Act.