Latest news with #MatthewHennessey
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
JD Vance Responds to Matthew Hennessey on Markets and Politics
Matthew Hennessey offers readers a confused argument in his op-ed 'Vance Is Wrong: The Market Isn't a 'Tool'' (May 27). He seems to have taken umbrage at a dual characterization I made of the market in a recent interview. I described it as both an exceptionally efficient way of provisioning goods and services, as well as a tool available to lawmakers as they go about the work of governance. Most important, however, I argued that reducing barriers to free markets shouldn't be the ultimate aim of our politics. Instead, we should use them, and other tools, to improve the well-being of our people. Mr. Hennessey disputes the idea that the market can be operationalized. He describes the market simply—as a sort of universal reality 'governed by the laws of economics the way the physical world is governed by the laws of gravity.' It's an unusually mundane characterization for Mr. Hennessey, whose most recent book, 'Visible Hand,' is subtitled 'A Wealth of Notions on the Miracle of the Market.'
Wall Street Journal
07-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Do We Really Need 30 Dolls?
Barbies for sale at FAO Schwarz in New York, April 8. Photo: timothy a. clary/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Regarding Matthew Hennessey's op-ed 'Donald Trump's Two-Doll Problem' (May 6): Although I disagree with much of the president's economic policies, I agree that if we consumed less, we would be better off. Mr. Hennessey suggests we aren't 'too materialistic.' Yet from my vantage I see scores of people waiting in line to buy the latest phone; others who feel compelled to pick up the latest pair of sneakers; some who scroll social media and wonder how people snagged the newest $10,000 designer bag; and more yet who spend hours trying to secure reservations at the trendiest restaurants. Our appetites are never satisfied. In the 2025 World Happiness Report, the U.S. scored 24th, its worst since the list began in 2012. Could it be that this is related to excess consumption and the emptiness that attends pursuing more goods? Ironically, a billionaire like Mr. Trump is helping make this clear.
Wall Street Journal
28-02-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Reduce Remote Workers' Pay
Like Jamie Dimon, employers across the country are eliminating the option to work from home ('Remote Work and JPMorgan's Mole,' by Matthew Hennessey, op-ed, Feb. 20). Managers contend that working in the office will improve productivity, foster camaraderie and save money. Employees see it differently. There might be a win-win solution: Reduce pay for employees who choose to work from home. This would cut employers' costs by increasing productivity and accommodate employees' needs, helping to reduce the cost of child care and transportation, among other expenses. According to one recent study, 40% of workers say they'd accept a pay cut of at least 5% to keep their remote job. Everyone can be happy.
