by cactus I was going through some old posts of mine looking for something I had written when I stumbled on a gem I had completely forgotten. A few years ago, I had a post that quoted a piece in the American Spectator. Sadly, it seems for some reason they’ve seen fit to take it […]

by reader Sammy Waxman-Markey: Intense Pain, No Environmental Gain I know you guys won’t like the source…. but try to deal with the issue. From this Editorial: If the pending Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill (HR 2454) becomes law, utility bills will soar. Farm and business energy costs will skyrocket — and be passed on […]

Robert Waldmann The unexpected increase in US productivity growth in the 90’s and naughties is an economic puzzle. At the time it was widely argued that investments in information and communications technology had finally finally paid off, that computers and the internet allowed vastly improved corporation wide inventory control and the increased output given inputs […]

rdan Barkley Rosser at Econospeak raises several economic points to consider in the current political turmoil in Iran, stagflation (inflation over 17.1%) and significant unemployment (16.3%) among the whole population and perhaps double among the young (2006 data suggests the median age at 24/25 years). …There are various numbers out there, but after digging around […]

Robert Waldmann The Washington Post just fired Dan Froomkin. This has caused considerable outrage on the web. Interestingly, my personal reaction was that Froomkin doesn’t need the Post — he will get high traffic with a new affiliation or with an independent blog. After the jump a recollection about how Froomkin has been getting in […]

lifted from comments, by reader vtcodger Vtcodger says: You’re right that Single Payer is probably the best answer for the US. And it is probably where we will end up. But apparently, we have to beat ourselves up some more before the Washington-NewYork elite are willing to face up to reality. So, we’re going to […]

Robert Waldmann has been playing hooky. Look it’s the end of the semester. My actual job involves some actual work these days (ETA of a Thesis defense 40 minutes). Also, I note no popular demand for my opinions on the Obama administration plan to reform financial regulation, and I still know jack about finance. So […]

by cactus Via Steve Benen and The Reality-Based Community, an interview in >Foreign Policy with Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Mousavi’s spokesman outside Iran: FP: There has been growing criticism here in Washington that U.S. President Barack Obama hasn’t said or done enough to support those demonstrating in the streets of Iran. Do you think Obama is being […]