rdan(hat tip stormy)Robert Hirsch notes the following in Energy Bulletin: The world is now in a period of epic economic chaos. People are disoriented and unsure of what it will take to restore their economies. Many serious economists, financiers, and executives are loath to even forecast when an economic recovery might begin. It’s easier for […]

rdan Boston Review carries an article by Dean Baker that frames regulation in a much more interesting way than is typical to media and political punditry. In my opinion, of course. But it makes talking to my conservative friends much easier when we discuss reality. Dean Baker says: The extraordinary financial collapse of recent months […]

guest post by Coberly A few years ago the Social Security Trustees began publishing a warning that went something like this: “After the year 2040 Social Security will only be able to meet 75% of promised benefits.” You may have gotten this message in the mail, or heard it while waiting to talk to Social […]

rdan Fiscal conservatives that involve two parties is bi-partisan, not non-partisan. And David Walker is hardly objective at this point. A new religion emerges on fiscal responsibility that hardly peeped over the last decade, and appears to be mainly obstructionist instead of responsible. Looks to be the time the battle intensifies. Dean Baker, Bruce Webb, […]

rdan Robert Reich gets it right. Here is the post. Do not confuse American companies with American jobs. The new stimulus bill, for example, requires that the money be used for production in the United States. Foreign governments, along with large U.S. multinationals concerned about possible foreign retaliation, charge this favors American-based companies. That’s not […]

rdan Reader Laurie sent this note from an NPR Morning Edition. The following quoted section caught her attention, and she wondered what was wrong with the explanation. It made me wonder if other readers had similar questions, even though we have covered part of the question of nationalization (as have Roubini and Krugman) here, here, […]

Matthew Yglesias doesn’t share the common view that gerrymandering has caused congress to be more partisan. He notes a recent paper (pdf here) by Princeton’s Nolan McCarty, UCSD’s Keith Poole, and NYU’s Howard Rosenthal and quotes a bit and I quote a bit of that bit Both pundits and scholars have blamed increasing levels of […]

By Spencer. The drop in industrial production is approaching the worse in the post WW II era. The index with 100= peak current ….90.11957-58…86.61974-75…87.01981-82…90.6 So only the 1958 and 1974 industrial production declines are more severe than the current downturn.

by Bruce Webb In comments there were requests for a clear unitary narrative summing up my view of Social Security. This is more difficult than it sounds because of the competing narrative is so simple and compelling: Boomer retirement hits Social Security, the latter itself goes ‘Boom’, lets do something now to mitigate the blow. […]

What my brain wants to do: Bank capitalisation, stress testing, book value, and discussion of other data that clearly indicates the need for the nationalisation of several LARGE banks. What my brain is currently capable of doing: The cheerleader who saves the world? Hayden Pantierre (Heroes) George W. Bush (ex-President of the USA) Christy Carlin […]