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

SEC enforcement theater

From Naked Capitalism, Yves continues to point to enforcement theater: One of Teddy’s Roosevelt’s famed sayings was “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” The SEC seems to be hoping that speaking loudly and brandishing a water pistol will be as effective. As we’ve written, the securities regulator made an impressive initial salvo at the […]

Dealing with the Fallout from U.S. Policies

by Joseph Joyce (re-posted from Capital Ebbs and Flows) Dealing with the Fallout from U.S. Policies The divergence of monetary policies in the advanced economies continues to roil financial markets. The Federal Reserve has reacted to better labor market conditions by ending its quantitative easing policy. The Bank of Japan, on the other hand, will […]

Election Puzzle

by Linda Beale Election Puzzle The elections got me down.  I must admit that I am truly puzzled by the American electorate–that is, the very small slice of American voters that actually makes it to the polls and votes.  We know that many of the right-wing efforts at voter repression –claimed as necessary to deal […]

Guest post: 8.2 Miles from Mutuality

by Rev. Nathan Detering (First Parish church, Sherborn, MA, delivered October , 2014) Guest post:    8.2 Miles from Mutuality “We are caught in an escapable network of mutuality, Tied in a single garment of destiny. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice Everywhere.” How many of us have heard the words before, just by […]

Ferguson and policy

Via Daily Kos: …there is a new study from the Economic Policy Institute titled “The Making of Ferguson” which suggests that conditions in towns like Ferguson are not random or accidental, but are instead the result of nearly a century of bigoted public policy and private biases against black people. Follow over the fold to […]

A thought for Sunday: the importance of state-level third parties

– by New Deal democrat   (from Bonddad blog) A thought for Sunday: the importance of state-level third parties [You know the drill. It’s Sunday.  Regular nerdy economic blogging will resume tomorrow.  And be sure to read Bonddad’s latest summary, below] There was a devastating piece about the Democratic Party published about a month ago […]

Kevin Drum and the White Working Class

Lifted from Robert Waldmann‘s Stochastic Thoughts: Kevin Drum and the White Working Class I agree a bit less than usual with Kevin Drum who writes on the problem of Democrats and the White Working Class (which is defined as whites without 4 year college degrees including, as John Quiggin noted, the horny handed sons and […]

Grey Power and Rational Self Interest

Lifted from Robert Waldmann‘s Stochastic Thoughts. Dan here. NDD’s post on voter turnout for older voters being an economic question in general about interest rates and cola rates, Robert points to less “rational” economic behavior. Of course there is quixotic voting such as the lady in Kentucky who was for the KY health exchange and […]