Post Tagged with: "Society"
Links: 2010-01-22
Obama and the War on Wall Street Yesterday’s announcement on bank regulation by President Obama is a key turning point in his Presidency. It means a whole new world of uncertainty for banks and bank stocks and could be just the beginning of a broad-based crack down on Wall Street – and that is bearish
Definition of terms
For those of you who want specifics. Kleptocracy as defined in Wikipedia: Kleptocracy, alternatively cleptocracy or kleptarchy, from Greek kleptes (thieve) and kratos (rule), is a term applied to a government that takes advantage of governmental corruption to extend the personal wealth and political power of government officials and the ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats), via
Robert Rubin’s absurd economic recommendations
Marshall Auerback here with a commentary on Robert Rubin’s recent Newsweek article on getting the economy back on track. As we all know, during his tenure as Treasury Secretary, Robert Rubin laid the groundwork for today’s crisis through his aggressive championing of financial deregulation. Had he at least acknowledged some remorse or recognition of error,
More on Byron Wien’s Ten Surprises for 2010
Byron Wien was amazingly accurate last year in his economic predictions even though his annual list is an attempt to build a non-consensus list of likely outlier events. So, I was eager to see Byron Wien’s 2010 surprises, which were unveiled earlier today. Please read his list in the previous link as background. Reviewing 2009
Byron Wien: Ten Surprises for 2010
I will have some commentary on this in a future post or an updated version of this one. Update 1600 ET: you can see my commentary in the next post here. The Surprises of 2010 The United States economy grows at a stronger than expected 5% real rate during the year and the unemployment level
Obama: Now watch this drive
Back in September I posted “Now watch this drive” to explain voters’ increasing alarm at Obama’s detachment from the economic problems of ordinary Americans. Commenting on a video featuring a famous George W. Bush gaffe, I said: As I see it, the man in video number one shows extreme callousness when switching abruptly from a
The year in review at Credit Writedowns – Kleptocracy
Yesterday, I indicated I would write a few thematic posts as a look back at some of the more important economic topics that this credit crisis has uncovered. Tying posts together in a theme definitely gives a better holistic view of a the themes than the posts do in isolation. But I also enjoy writing
News from around the web: 2009-12-23
Liu Xiaobo: China’s top pro-democracy dissident goes on trial – CSMonitor.com Ruling: Runaway teen doesn’t have to talk to family | The Columbus Dispatch (This is a legal case about a Muslim girl who converted to Christianity. Watch this case.) FBI releases files on Michael Jackson involving child-molestation charges – NYPOST.com How do I know
Hitler flips out over hacked climate change e-mails
I believe climate change is coming and peak oil is upon us. But I have to post the video below anyway. I remind you, this is pure propaganda: Goebbels, anyone? Kind of ironic, isn’t it? But, I love how this scene from “Der Untergang” can get used for any topic. See also Hitler finds out
Greece risks financial Armageddon while Ireland makes cuts
The Irish government announced draconian spending cuts of 6 billion Euros in order to stave off a debt crisis in the worst modern-day downturn in the nation’s history. Even so, Irish government bond yields have been rising relative to German government bond yields, the benchmark for the Eurozone. Over the past five years the spread
A few thoughts about the limitations of government
In this post: A few thoughts about the limitations of government Our founding fathers How large should government be? How policy helps frame the debate Where we are headed In a recent post, “Stop the madness now!” I voiced my growing concern with the direction in which the country is headed. I am not alone
News from 17 November 1930: “we face a winter of hunger and distress”
This excerpt comes from the blog News from 1930 which gives us a day-to-day account of what was being reported in 1930 before the worst of the Great Depression hit. “The unemployment situation in New York is critical. Unless it is speedily met, we face a winter of hunger and distress for families whose bread-earners