Category Archives: Economics and the like

Kevin Drum writes: Out of all the possible problems to address in America, Social Security is probably not even in the top ten. It’s solvent for at least the next 40 years, and possibly the next 50, even if we … Continue reading →

An “Alas” reader – I apologize, but I don’t remember which one – pointed out this excellent British article on how the third world debt crisis harms women. Here, for instance, is a discussion of what happens with the World … Continue reading →

Interesting Washington Post article about the working conditions of hotel cleaners in D.C.; management has been gradually getting them to do more and more work while the pay has only increased enough to keep up with cost of living. A … Continue reading →

A fascinating article from 1945: An economist who was a P.O.W. during WW2 describes the POW Camp economy which developed. We reached a transit camp in Italy about a fortnight after capture and received ¼ of a Red Cross food … Continue reading →

Over at The American Prospect, a centrist democrat and a liberal (Will Marshall and Robert Kuttner) are proposing economic strategy for the Democrats, under the slogan “If these two can agree on a progressive strategy, so can you!” I actually … Continue reading →

The Fifty Minute Hour approvingly quotes from this New York Post columnist: On the issue of affluent Americans paying more income taxes, John Kerry is, as always, consistent in his inconsistency. On the campaign trail, he’s in favor of raising … Continue reading →

This post by economist Brad DeLong is worth reading for a couple of reasons. First, because he quotes a skeptical American Prospect article about outsourcing at length. So go over and read that bit. Second, because of the extraordinary weakness … Continue reading →

Finally, it is not true that the remedy to the problems of globalization is “more globalization.” We often hear, for instance, that cutting trade barriers to farm goods from the Third World is the big solution to many development problems. … Continue reading →