rdan This piece of stormy’s post caught my attention: But ask yourselves–ask Krugman, ask Roubini, ask Martin Feldstein, ask any economist: What will be the engine of our economic recovery? The stimulus package can, at best, only blunt the worst effects of this economic crisis. And, the most overt forms of protectionism may come into […]

rdan Governors are taking a look at the current demands on their National Guard troops. “There is not Congressional authorization for the use of the Guard today,” Vermont State Rep. Mike Fisher told Truthout. “One Guard member improperly called into federal service to fight a war – that’s a real problem. Choosing to go to […]

rdan Lots of opinions are being written using leaked information on Geithner’s announcements today, and Yves weighs in and points us to Martin Wolf. This NYT article may provide guidance on the announcement. (h/t CR) Hold your breath and listen carefully, then breathe.

rdan Juan Cole fills us in on the Iraqi elections. Worth a look folks, lest we forget. The Middle East alliances are changing, and the Russians are gaining influence. Gates and the Joint Chief of Staffs do not have an end game reportedly, which means they did not under President Bush. Surprise. Update: WAPO carries […]

OSO and the fires in Australia. He does not live in the area in the news. quote: “…it is also possible that weather conditions were so severe and sounique that no amount of preparation or skill in command and control orcommunication could have saved the 107+ (rdan here…now 128) confirmed dead. In this case,the disaster […]

These statements caught my eye in Mankiw’s article in the NYT on trade relations between the US and China, cautioning against protectionism, whatever that actually means: Critics of China say it is keeping the yuan undervalued to gain an advantage in the international marketplace. A cheaper yuan makes Chinese goods less expensive in the United […]

rdan Again I apologize for simple links, but my time is being held hostage to circumstances. No one in the hubbub of today linked to Guerby’s post, so I thought it worth a look, along with AB thought on the matter, from Kash and Angry Bear. Maybe another Bear can add more. Kash who provides […]

rdan The Guardian discusses fungibles. Americans are not used to this directness of private company foreign exchanges of workers. We have relied on visas and encouraging low wage illegal immigration to accomplish this task. It seems to me we will have to get used to a greater variety of hiring practices from private, ‘American’ multi-national […]

by cactus Bad Bank Bail-out and A Better Approach E. Scott Reckard at the LA Times writes: The federal government has invested $45 billion in Citigroup and guaranteed more than $300 billion of its troubled loans. Answering complaints that bailed-out banks aren’t lending, Citi said Tuesday that it had committed $36.5 billion “to support U.S. […]