Category Archives: Economics and the like

Red Pills and Ants

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Louise de Rênal's Left Shoulder

Recent events at a blog that rhymes with Shmetal-Moptimized reminded me of the existence of sociobiology and of people who imagine that human beings – and ants and bonobos and every other species — are driven primarily by biological imperatives, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-feminists and their pals, Conservative zaniness, right-wingers, etc., Economics and the like, Feminism, sexism, etc, Fiction, Gender and the Body, Homophobic zaniness/more LGBTQ issues, literature, Men and masculinity, Popular (and unpopular) culture, Rape, intimate violence, & related issues, Sex | 14 Comments

Appeals Courts Issue Contrary Rulings On Affordable Care Act

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Ampersand

An exciting day for ACA-watchers! This morning a three-judge panel from The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that Obamacare’s federal subsidies to help people afford health insurance can be offered to people who buy their insurance … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care and Related Issues | 32 Comments

Corporate Discrimination Against Sex Workers Threatens Everyone’s Freedom

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Ampersand

Some headlines: • Chase Bank Is Shutting Down Porn Actors' Bank Accounts • Porn stars battle stigma with sex awareness amid bank account closures • Amazon is deleting sex workers' wish lists without warning • The Soapbox: How PayPal & … Continue reading →

Posted in Class, poverty, labor, & related issues, Economics and the like, Pornography | 13 Comments

Pelosi didn’t say Congress would have to vote for the ACA to know what’s in it

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Ampersand

In another thread, Ron wrote: The ACA is one example, when even the then-Speaker of the House said that Congress would have to vote for it to find out what’s in it… Ron, regarding that Pelosi quote, here’s how Politico … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care and Related Issues | Comments Off on Pelosi didn’t say Congress would have to vote for the ACA to know what’s in it

Two Reasons The American Action Forum’s New Minimum Wage Study Shouldn’t Convince Anyone

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Ampersand

Fox News reports: A new report from the conservative-leaning American Action Forum, shared exclusively with FOXBusiness.com, shows hiking the minimum wage hurts hiring. The study looks at the 19 states that have minimum wages above the national rate of $7.25 … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and the like, Minimum Wage | 11 Comments

Short-Term Unemployment Is At Normal Levels, But Long-Term Unemployment Is Killing Us

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Ampersand

This graph from today’s 2014 Economic Report of the President is worth considering. The current elevation of the unemployment rate is entirely due to long-term unemployment. In December 2013, the unemployment rate for workers unemployed 26 weeks or less fell … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and the like | 3 Comments

Want Fewer Heroin Deaths And Users? Give Addicts Heroin For Free

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Ampersand

Well, for free under very controlled circumstances. From a blog post by “M.S.” on The Economist: But we do have a good idea of how to stop more people from destroying themselves specifically with heroin injection, which has a higher … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care and Related Issues, Prisons and Justice and Police | 17 Comments

Obama Lied, And He Deserves To Be Slammed For It

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Ampersand

Ezra Klein sums it up well: President Obama promised that “if you like your plan, you can keep it.” This is true for the vast majority of Americans, but the small fraction for whom it isn’t true still represent millions … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections and politics, Health Care and Related Issues, In the news | 80 Comments

Decent Debate About Health Care Going On At Ethics Alarms

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Ampersand

I’m having a surprisingly decent debate about healthcare (Obamacare, etc) over at Ethics Alarms, in a thread called The Ethics Of Demanding Charity. Robert is participating too. Check it out, if you like. Below the cut: One of my comments. … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care and Related Issues | 15 Comments

Cartoon: The Federal Budget Is Just Like Your Family’s Budget!

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Ampersand

[spoiler]Two women are talking, who I will call “Black Dress” and “Sneakers,” respectively. Panel 1 BLACK DRESS: The Federal government’s budget is just like a family budget! SNEAKERS: Really? Your family prints its own currency? Panel 2 BLACK DRESS: Well, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cartooning & comics, Economics and the like | 7 Comments