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

Dr. Richard Wolff on the Sequester

I watched  Dr. Wolff (Professor emeritus, UMass) on this past week  episode with Bill Moyers.   At the end of this show, Mr. Moyers invited the viewers to submit questions to Dr. Wolf who has agreed to return in a couple of weeks to answer them. Here is he with an interview by Julianna Forlano of […]

The rest of the dinner table deficit/debt discussion: Equity

I promise, there are numbers here, but lets have some fun first and write a screen play to set up the point. It is long, but…   “Dear, I’m getting nervous. We seem to keep adding to how much money we owe and our income hasn’t changed for the better. What can we do?”   […]

Rep Marsha Blackburn’s snow job. Explains how Social Security money flows

I was watching C span Washington Journal this morning.  Rep Marsha Blackburn was the guest.  I got to listen to her explanation of how the Social Security funds flow and just had to post the clip.   Copied from the transcript of the clip: THEIRS MONEY THAT GOES TO MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY AND I THINK […]

The employment situation

This was another tepid employment report not much different than the reports in 2012. Payroll employment rose 168,000 and the household survey showed a gain of only 17,000   Private payrolls expanded 168,000 while government employment fell 9,000.  Perhaps more importantly the year over year change in employment is showing significant signs of weakness,  Both […]

Hagel for Defense Secretary

I’m actually agnostic on this choice.  The always excellent Charles Pierce makes a good case for Hagel, but why should Obama go for any Republican?  This just continues to promote the canard that Republicans are somehow stronger or more capable on defense issues than Democrats. The irony here is that the greatest opposition is coming […]

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION

At first glance the December employment report shows that the trends throughout 2012 were unchanged in December.  But within the report there were some greater signs of strength. Private payroll employment showed a gain of 155,000 and the household survey reported a much smaller gain of only 28,000.  These changes are about the same  as […]

Economic writing after my own heart

I have just learned of a new book that I believe every AB reader could relate to. DON’T BUY IT: The Trouble with Talking Nonsense about the Economy by: ANAT SHENKER-OSORIO An excerpt from the book summary: This concise, entertaining book shows us how wrong-headed metaphors and deceptive language have muddled our economic thinking, and […]

Links Worth Noting: Stealth (Class) Warfare

by Linda Beale Links Worth Noting: Stealth (Class) Warfare(Op-ed) Paul Krugman, Class Wars of 2012, New York Times (Nov. 30, 2012). When Mitt Romney disparaged ordinary Americans, it was visible, obvious, and clearly an indication of the lack of esteem he held for ordinary Americans. The same arrogance is at work in the class warfare […]

Waldmann’s thoughts on voting districts

by Robert Waldmann I think this is the best post I have read so far on the topic by Kathleen Geier.  Just go read it before reading my comment below. Of course I have my usual comments: Thank you Kathleen Geier  for your excellent post based on good shoe leather (OK leather ear to the phone) reporting.  I […]

One Nation, Divisible

We are a country not just divided, but fragmented along axes of race, age, religion, economic status and geography.  There are now 15 States where citizens have filed petitions to secede from the Union.  “These include Louisiana (which led the charge), the Republic of Texas, Kentucky, Colorado, New Jersey, Montana, North Dakota, Indiana, Mississippi, North […]