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

Women and participation in labor force

Nancy Folbre economist at UMass Amherst speaks to the issue of the participation of women in our economy: Paradoxically, however, the very expansion of paid employment and the success of feminism have weakened gender solidarity. They have also intensified inequalities in family living standards. Relatively few women in the workplace have made it into Ms. […]

Procurement and research are in the ‘gaining’ portion of the budget

Hat tip reader ilsm for this article by Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg.com July 6, 2010 U.S. spending on weapons through 2016 likely will grow faster than the overall defense budget, which will have annual increases of only about 1 percent above inflation, according to Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale. “Our goal would be to get […]

$40,000 civil penalty, class D felony

Deep Horizon Response Unified Command website has the following announcement: NEW ORLEANS – The Captains of the Port for Morgan City, La., New Orleans, La., and Mobile, Ala. , under the authority of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, has established a 20- meter safety zone surrounding all Deepwater Horizon booming operations and oil response […]

Tax Burdens and Economic Growth – Answering the Objections

by Mike Kimel Tax Burdens and Economic Growth – Answering the Objections This piece is cross-posted with the Presimetrics Blog. Consistent with findings in Presimetrics, the book I wrote with Michael Kanell which will be released in August, I’ve had some posts whose results contradict standard economic theory. In some cases, readers have insisted that […]

Two Reductionist Arguments: On Conservatism. On Classical Economics.

by Bruce Webb On Conservatism.Modern Conservatism = Protection of Property Rights. The historical process in Northern Europe and Britain from the mid 17th through the 19th century was marked by a sometimes gradual, sometimes violent collapse in belief in the Divine Right of Kings, and for that matter Popes. Conservatism replaced its traditional appeal to […]

Nation at war

We actually appeared to have forgotten we are a nation “at war” if news reporting is any indication from a personal search, except for the DC centered coverage of Gen. McChrystal. Notice it was a music magazine that got the scoop, more power to them, not mainstream media. Here are some thoughts from Tomdispatch to […]

Social Security: Deficit, Debt and how CBO Scoring Screws the Catfood Comm

by Bruce Webb In response to my Pelosi Rule post of yesterday commenter Darms plays Devil’s Advocate in asking the following shrewd question. Bruce, Since the commision may be looking for a mechanism to delay redemption of those SS trust fund bonds and I’ve read that some of these bonds are routinely redeemed & renewed […]

‘Do it yourself’ fireworks

This July 4th appears to be quite mixed for Americans, depending on both where you are and whether you are on a paid vacation day. Follow the link to some ‘do it yourself’ fireworks. And have a good day no matter what.