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

The chronic problem of exorbitantly expensive weapons is becoming acute

The Economist 28 Aug 2010 unattributed article: Updated correct link: link to article is here, h/t Movie Guy The chronic problem of exorbitantly expensive weapons is becoming acute. Robert Gates, America’s defence secretary, has ordered that production of the F-22 should end this year, capping the fleet at 187—a final cull for the Raptor, whose […]

The wacky world_of American war

From Tom Dispatch a quiz: With President Obama’s announced July 2011 drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in mind, the Pentagon has already: a. Begun organizing an orderly early 2011 withdrawal of troops from combat outposts and forward operating bases to larger facilities to facilitate the president’s plan. b. Launched a new U.S. base-building binge […]

More on Poverty

Robert Waldmann Matthew Yglesias has a post on poverty which is, shall we say, very different from my post on severe poverty below. In particular he wrote We then had a giant reduction in poverty among this group [female-headed households without husbands] in the 1990s which was a combination of strong economic performance, “welfare reform,” […]

Elizabeth Warren posts on her new job

Elizabeth Warren posts on the The White House Blog on her new job: Over the past several weeks, the President and I have had extensive conversations about the vital importance of consumer financial protection. The President asked me, and I enthusiastically agreed, to serve as an Assistant to the President and Special Advisor to the […]

NewsFedEx 1Q profit doubles; will cut 1,700 jobs

by Dan Crawford Via Daily job cuts, this report highlights a problem: NewsFedEx 1Q profit doubles; will cut 1,700 jobs NEW YORK — FedEx says its fiscal first-quarter earnings doubled and the company will cut 1,700 jobs as it consolidates its trucking operations to save money. The company is also boosting its quarterly per share […]

The hypocrisy of most deficit discussions

by Linda Bealecrossposted with Ataxingmatter The hypocrisy of most deficit discussions Congress seems incapable of setting aside electioneering rhetoric and talking straight about taxes and deficits. The GOP claims that it thinks deficits are bad things while at the same time it proposes no spending cuts (except to important safety net programs) and does propose […]

Trade policy stories

by Dan Crawford Stormy asks in an e-mail: At one time, I thought America was supposed to lead the way in green technology, providing jobs for Americans…and sends this quote from the Washington Post. The last major GE factory making ordinary incandescent light bulbs in the United States is closing this month… …What made the […]

Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010

The Project on student debt updates on student loans: Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law took a stand for students and consumers by passing the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010 (H.R. 5043). The bill reverses the unfair and unjustified special protections for lenders of private student loans […]