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

Nationality Act of 1940: Nipping wingnut memes in the bud

by Bruce Webb Right Wingnuttia is ablaze. Time for some cold water. There are a couple of lawsuits floating around concerning Obama’s alleged non-citizenship. One is Berg v. Obama which was dismissed due to lack of standing on October 24. Berg has appealed that to the Supreme Court which has not to my knowledge taken […]

Bruce Webb on Social Security: The Collection

In honor of Bruce Webb’s “hibernation” post (and reinvigoration of his own blog), a partial retrospective of his 50-part series (for which some enterprising publisher should contract for a book version): Intergenerational Equity, Unfunded Liability and Selfish Boomers Unfunded Liability Bookended Social Security 2027: A date for action? CBO: Updated Long-Term Projections for Social Security […]

Soc Sec XXXVII: Backwards Transfers: Biggs Responds

Soc Sec XXXVI: $17 Trillion Backward Transfer was a response to a comment by Jim Glass (scrivener.net) to a post by Andrew Biggs. Andrew responded with a new post attempting to rebut my argument. You can see the whole thing at Responding to Angry Bear: Where does $17 trillion come from including my response to […]

Andrew Biggs answers Bruce Webb

Andrew Biggs responds to Bruce Webb regarding Arne’s seven questions on social security. The site is worth visiting. Thanks Andrew. Over at Angry Bear, Bruce Webb posts a number of questions on Social Security financing and reform put together by Arne. These raise a number of important and interesting issues which deserve treatment at some length, […]

Bruce Webb’s Take on Social Security: I

Well Reader Dan invited me to submit some posts on Social Security and so here I am. Depending on reader interest this is the first in a series trying to get us to a deeper understanding of what Social Security actually is and where it is likely heading. And that may be a much different […]

Ken Houghton, Bruce Webb, Tom Bozzo, Afferent Input join Angry Bear

In the next few weeks four excellent and dynamic writers will begin posting at Angry Bear on a soon to be determined but regular basis. Many already know the quality of thought and expertise each offers, so it is with great pleasure that we welcome them into the fold of Angry Bear contributors. Bruce Webb […]

Bruce Webb caught this item

…in the course of responding to a linked Fallows piece in theAtlantic in comments at Ezra’s I ran across a very intriguing chartfrom Treasury Fallows was putting out the standard line: We buy toys from China,China turns around and finances our deficit, ultimate end resulttrainwreck. Well oddly enough the numbers don’t support that at leastfor […]

Bruce Webb: The Desperation of the Economic Right

Hoisted from comments, Bruce Webb writes… The Economic Right as represented by Sowell are getting desperate and as such are petulently lashing out. The key to understanding their thinking is that they don’t see inequality as something to be resisted. In their ideology cream rises to the top while the markets allocate returns on productivity […]

The Most Recent Tax Deferral and Social Security: Dean Speaks, You Listen

In their coverage of that $70 billion addition to the Federal debt, the Washington Post adds: House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said that holding the line on spending while allowing the low tax rates to spur the economy will close the gap. But the spending problem lies not so much with the federal […]

Is Social Security the Worst Government Program Ever?

Human Events lists its top ten. I hate to agree with these rightwing zealots but farm subsidies and earmarking should make this list. And I’ll give credit to Human Events for placing some of the blame on the Republican Party. #3 on their lists confuses income tax withholding with income tax rates – and perhaps […]