If the US is serious about tackling the biggest challenges facing the country right now, it needs to embark on a new “green” Marshall Plan, says Jeremy Grantham.
Jeremy Grantham, who co-founded US asset manager GMO in 1977, believes the US government should take advantage of historically low interest rates to finance “a long, sustained and massive public works programme”, similar to the scheme that helped to rebuild Europe in the wake of World War II, “at negative real rates”.
While Covid-19 is today’s obvious concern, Grantham is more worried about long-term issues. “I believe income inequality is eating away at the economy from the inside with the lack of economic progress for workers reducing demand.”
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
This problem goes back to the financial crisis, if not beyond. “The great waste in 2009 and 2010... was the use of precious resources to bail out banks,” says Grantham. The decision “was both unjust and economically inefficient: it was a violation of the spirit of capitalism”.
A new Marshall Plan should focus on “green” infrastructure spending: “It is absolutely imperative that the entire economy be greened if we want any hope to maintain a stable global civilisation in coming centuries.” Infrastructure in the US is already “unusually behind schedule on maintenance and subpar quality”, and many of the jobs created would be “industrial and labour-intensive”, helping to address growing inequality. The move would also help challenge China’s “growing dominance” in green tech.
-
Can Rachel Reeves save the City?Opinion Chancellor Rachel Reeves is mulling a tax cut, which would be welcome – but it’s nowhere near enough, says Matthew Lynn
-
Charitable giving and inheritance tax: 7 tips to avoid complicationsGiving some of your estate away to charity can save your family thousands in inheritance tax. But common pitfalls could mean your chosen cause loses out and your loved ones are left with a complex nightmare to unravel. We look at how to do donations right.
-
Can Rachel Reeves save the City?
Opinion Chancellor Rachel Reeves is mulling a tax cut, which would be welcome – but it’s nowhere near enough, says Matthew Lynn
-
Pierre-Édouard Stérin wants to make France great againConservative billionaire Pierre-Édouard Stérin is seeking to lead a political and spiritual renaissance across the Channel. The planning looks meticulous
-
Global investors have overlooked the top innovators in emerging marketsOpinion Carlos Hardenberg, portfolio manager, Mobius Investment Trust, highlights three emerging market stocks where he’d put his money
-
Pinewood Technologies: a drive for growthPinewood Technologies’ platform is one of the best in the business. Investors should buy in
-
'EV maker Faraday Future will crash'Faraday Future Intelligent Electric is failing dismally to live up to its name, says Matthew Partridge
-
Investors should cheer the coming nuclear summerThe US and UK have agreed a groundbreaking deal on nuclear power, and the sector is seeing a surge in interest from around the world. Here's how you can profit
-
8 of the best houses for sale with folliesThe best houses for sale with follies in the grounds – from a five-storey Victorian Gothic tower in Tonbridge, Kent, to a former mill in Oxfordshire with gardens that include a folly on an island in a lake
-
A tale of two Reits – why performance matters for valuationAEW UK and Regional are two Reits that are valued very differently, despite a shared focus on properties outside London
