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

President Paul Ryan

I’ve said since last winter, when it first became fairly clear that Trump likely would win the nomination, that Trump hadn’t taken over the GOP, but rather that it was the other way around: Trump is the ultimate Paul Ryan/Heritage Foundation/Koch Borthers Trojan Horse. I was right. And it’s now, literally, official. Meanwhile, large numbers […]

ANTITRUSSSSST! (Dear Hillary: In a well-received economics-themed speech in Toledo on Monday, you mentioned ANTITRUST LAW and ARBITRATION CLAUSES. Please, please do so also at Sunday’s debate.)

Clinton also said she would push for new steps to crack down on “forced arbitration” fine print that prevents workers and consumers from suing companies, proposals aimed at reducing market concentration and increasing competition, and curbing tax rules that gave corporations and the super-wealthy, like Trump, tax breaks not available to ordinary taxpayers. — After […]

The Poverty of Fallasophy

In an interview about his new book, The Wealth of Humans, Ryan Avent recommends coordinating reductions in working hours, “maybe from 40 hours working per week to 30 hours working per week…” But, he stammers somewhat apologetically, “that, that sounds a lot like we’re sort of embracing the lump of labour fallacy.” There is, of […]

Kellyanne Conway Admits That Trump’s Domestic Policy Agenda Is Circa 1980s and Early-to-Mid-2000s.

That Is, the Very Opposite of a “Change Agenda.” Clinton Should Quote Her On That. “His last tweet last night was how excited he was, how proud of him he was. They talked last night. I talked to Mr. Trump during the debate several times,” [Kellyanne] Conway said of Trump’s response to Pence’s debate performance. “I think […]

Punctuality Today v. GDP per Capita Tomorrow; A Look at a Few Countries

Authored by Mike Kimel In this post, I want to demonstrate the importance of a specific cultural trait, namely punctuality, on the economy.  The difficulty, of course, is coming up with a good measure of punctuality, and in particular, one that isn’t regularly gamed. Digging around, I found a paper entitled The Pace of Life […]

The Most Effective Ad for Clinton and Congressional Dem Candidates?

One showing Trump’s plane taking off or landing, and a voice and written message saying: You help pay the salaries of the air traffic controllers who ensure Donald Trump’s safe travel in his private Boeing 747 (or whatever it is). BUT DONALD TRUMP DOES NOT. Okayyyy. Since you haven’t been living in a cave the […]