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

PJ Crowley Resigns After Remarks Bashing Bradley Manning’s Detention

The Guardian via Alternet offers this note on the Bradley Manning pre-trial treatment: PJ Crowley Resigns After Remarks Bashing Bradley Manning’s Detention PJ Crowley, the official spokesman at the state department, has fallen on his sword after calling the treatment of Bradley Manning, the alleged source of the WikiLeaks files, “counterproductive and stupid”. The resignation […]

Tradeoffs, Saltwater Edition

In a perfect world, you use distilled HOH to cool and control a nuclear reactor. In a flawed world, you use potable HOH and hope nothing damages the reactor in the longer term. In an emergency, especially one where potable HOH is going to be in short supply and you are near the coast, you […]

Why we don’t need to repay Social Security principal

{Cross posted from dKos Social Security Defenders group. Some parts will be pretty familiar to AB readers} You may have to bear with me here. Because very few people have seriously examined what a solvent Social Security system would actually look like. One of those that has is (thankfully) Steve Goss, the Chief Actuary of […]

McConnel is partially right about Government Employment

McConnell is Partially Right About Government Employment David Weigel listens to Senator McConnell so we don’t have to: Weigel says: I looked at the government employment data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and it is true that most of those working for the government work for state and local government. As our table […]

Justifying Progressive Tax Rates

by Mike Kimel Justifying Progressive Tax RatesCross posted at the Presimetrics blog. The Atlantic’s website carries a blog by a conservative/libertarian who writes very well on a wide variety of topics, and who sometimes covers economic issues with great insight. Of course, I’m talking about Andrew Sullivan. (What, you didn’t think… of course not. Don’t […]

U.S. Civil War 150 years ago

Events 150 years ago should be remembered in 2011. A large re-enactment of scenes of the battle is planned for Gettysburg 1-3 July 2013. There were many event leading up to, and following, the greatest battle fought in the Western Hemisphere and they also should be commemorated. “11 Mar in 1861 is significant; it is […]

Nominations are due by Friday, March 11, 2011.

2011 Hayek Book Prize Nomination Form The Manhattan Institute is currently gathering nominations for our Hayek Prize, which will honor the book published within the past two years that best reflects F.A. Hayek’s vision of economic and individual liberty. The winner of the Hayek Prize will be given a $50,000 cash award and asked to […]