Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Memory and memorials

Celebrated in a variety of ways, as a day to acknowledge sacrifice by soldiers who went to war, I have always felt conflicted about what to do on this day. It is a day to honor the dead and a day to count your blessings. It is a day to mourn remembered family and a […]

BW on Soc Sec Index: the Baker’s Dozen

By semi-popular demand (or maybe to satisfy my monomania) I created a links list to my thirteen recent posts at my site under the title (BW’s) Social Security Posts on Angry Bear. This is more or less a convenience for me, allowing me to see at a glance what I have covered, but it might […]

The Food Chain…research.

The NYT reports: LOS BAÑOS, Philippines — The brown plant hopper, an insect no bigger than a gnat, is multiplying by the billions and chewing through rice paddies in East Asia, threatening the diets of many poor people. Luis Liwanag for The New York TimesBecause subsidized rice is limited, people must take numbers when they […]

Andrew Biggs answers Bruce Webb

Andrew Biggs responds to Bruce Webb regarding Arne’s seven questions on social security. The site is worth visiting. Thanks Andrew. Over at Angry Bear, Bruce Webb posts a number of questions on Social Security financing and reform put together by Arne. These raise a number of important and interesting issues which deserve treatment at some length, […]

Soc Sec XII: LMS, Solvency and ‘Crisis’

LMS is shorthand for the Liebman-MacGuineas-Samwick Non-Partisan Social Security Reform Plan one of any number of Social Security plans out there but noteable because of its authorship. Maya MacGuineas currently head of CRFB was previously ‘Social Security advisor to the McCain presidential campaign’, Jeffrey Liebman served on Bill Clinton’s Social Security team and is now […]

Gas mileage and driving

I keep hearing on CNBC and reading at some blogs that if cars get better mileage that people will drive more by enough to offset the improved mileage. I can see that people could drive more because of the savings. But to argue that reducing mileage by 20%, for example will lead to people increasing […]

Mundane product, juicy returns

Information Clearinghouse gets a h/t for this article in LA Times — – May 9, 2008: In 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his famous farewell address as president, warned of the “acquisition of unwarranted influence” by what he called the “military-industrial complex” in the United States. Today, however, the “large arms industry” of Eisenhower’s day […]

Soc Sec XI: Seven good questions by Reader Arne

Reader Arne, a long time and well informed commenter submitted to Tuesday’s Social Security post a list of seven deceptively simple in form questions to get my take on them. Which I gave in comments. Unfortunately what HaloScan gives it can take away and a time this morning both his questions and my answers had […]

Credit is scarce but not capital

Bloomberg carries an article noting that credit was tight but there appeared to be plenty of money for commodities. Here is another piece of the action. Credit is scarce but not capital. Mortgage-ravaged banks and Wall Street firms often have to borrow from the Federal Reserve, as lender of last resort, to meet current bills. […]