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

Reading articles on federal circuit courts…can a layman follow?

When I forwarded this link to Beverly Mann I was interested in  following the current thread on civil rights, the legalities of state use of torture,  the continuation  in the NDAA exclusion of the prohibition of the use of indefinite detention for domestic ‘terrorism’, etc.  This note is more a lesson for reading newsy items. […]

Let’s cut the crap about Japan’s lost decade

Marshall Auerback, a Director of Institutional Partnerships at the Institute for New Economic Thinking (www.ineteconomics.org) Let’s cut the crap about Japan’s Lost Decade. As Hill notes, we tend to use very narrow metrics to determine a nation’s economic success: “Americans are the only ones who seem to think they need three refrigerators, four televisions and a […]

Bill McBride on private domestic investment

Bill McBride offers: A little holiday cheer … Discussions of the business cycle frequently focus on consumer spending (PCE: Personal consumption expenditures), but the key is to watch private domestic investment, especially residential investment. Even though private investment usually only accounts for around 15% of GDP, the swings for private investment are significantly larger than […]

Norquist and LaPierre: Emperors Losing Their Clothes?

Barkley Rosser at Econospeak offers his take on the current political situation and two players. (re-posted with permission from author) Norquist and LaPierre: Emperors Losing Their Clothes? Two figures have held near-dictatorial sway over a majority of members of Congress for several decades: Grover Norquist and Wayne LaPierre.  However, both may be losing their grip […]

Fareed Zakaria on Social Security, Fareed Hearts Pete Peterson, Disses your mom

by Dale CoberlyFareed Zakaria on Social Security Fareed Hearts Pete Peterson Disses your mom Fareed Zakaria wrote an essay for Time, The Baby Boom and Financial Doom. Dean Baker responded to Zakaria with Fareed Zakaria is unhappy that the American left chooses arithmetic over Peter Peterson. Baker makes the point that the increase in the number […]

Angry Bear new look

This will soon be the new look for Angry Bear, and a switch to the wordpress platform from blogger will add considerably to functions.  Our advertisements are also missing.  The side bar functions will soon be completed (not in picture), and include a blogroll and archives. The top category bar functions can be used to […]

Bring your gun to work 2005

NRA campaigns to bring a gun to work should be remembered: Actually, the NRA’s power has been waning since at least 2005 when it declared a boycott against ConocoPhillips, a major Oklahoma employer with 3,000 workers, for blocking its bring-your-gun-to-work efforts. “ConocoPhillips went to federal court to attack your freedom,” thundered Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive […]