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

The Trump Tax Cut and Big Pharma

The Trump Tax Cut and Big Pharma CEOs of 7 pharmaceutical multinationals addressed the Senate Finance Committee: Pharma execs offer Senate ideas to lower drug costs – except actually cutting prices. Executives from seven pharmaceutical companies — AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer and Sanofi — are testifying before the Senate Finance Committee. […]

Iran’s Foreign Minister Is Out

Iran’s Foreign Minister Is Out This looks like bad news.  Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, hass resigned.  Apparently he has previously tried to resign several times, but President Rouhani refused to accept it.  This time Zarif did it very publicly on Instagram, ah, the uses of social media.  Anyway, apparently there is a chance he […]

Mars Descending? U.S. Security Alliances and the International Status of the Dollar

by Joseph Joyce Mars Descending? U.S. Security Alliances and the International Status of the Dollar A decade after the global financial crisis, the dollar continues to maintain its status as the chief international currency. Possible alternatives such as the euro or renminbi lack the broad financial markets that the U.S. possesses, and in the case […]

The Eighth Way to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist

by Steve Roth The Eighth Way to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist Asymptosis  February 22nd, 2019 The teams at Rethinking Economics and Doughnut Economics have launched a contest for entries, asking “What’s the 8th Way to Think Like a 21st Century Economist?” It builds on Kate Raworth’s seven ways, here. Here’s my entry: 8. Widespread prosperity both […]

Neoliberalism as Structure and Ideology in Higher Education

Neoliberalism as Structure and Ideology in Higher Education  A few weeks ago I speculated on the structural aspect of neoliberalism at an economy-wide level, the way its characteristic framing of economic decision-making may have emerged from changes in the role of finance in business and the composition of high-end portfolios.  My purpose was to push back against […]

Housing may bottom this spring

by New Deal democrat Housing may bottom this spring Despite yesterday’s poor existing home sales report, which was the worst in over three years, the bottom in housing may be near. This post is up at Seeking Alpha. As always, reading the post should be helpful to you, and renumerates me just a bit for my […]

The Black Bill and the Green New Deal

“When we first came to Washington in 1933,” FDR Labor Secretary Francis Perkins wrote in her memoir, The Roosevelt I Knew, “the Black bill was already before the Congress. Introduced by Senator Hugo L. Black, it had received support from many parts of the country and from many representatives and senators.” The Black Bill was […]

It’s Presidents Day, and we’re still basically flying blind on the economy

It’s Presidents Day, and we’re still basically flying blind on the eoncomy Not only are the markets closed today for President’s Day, but this entire week is about the emptiest I can ever recall for economic data. Literally the only data of note is going to be released on Thursday, and except for weekly jobless […]