Category Archives: Economics and the like

On Cato, Libertarians, Freedom, And Social Democracy

So the libertarian Cato Institute may or may not be subject to an unwanted takeover by the Koch family. It’s widely expected that if the Koches take Cato over, they’ll turn Cato into a GOP cheerleader. (If that happens, it … Continue reading

Posted in Class, poverty, labor, & related issues, crossposted on TADA, Economics and the like, Libertarianism | 43 Comments

Why Immigration Hasn’t Hurt Native Wages In California

The Economist’s Wil Wilkinson reports on new research from California (the state with the most immigrants). If it were impossible to tell immigrants and native workers apart — had they no differences that matter to the job market — an … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Economics and the like, Immigration, Migrant Rights, etc | 10 Comments

Political cartoon: See Sue Run

[spoiler] PANEL 1 See Sue (Illustration of small white girl in pigtails running. This is Sue.) See Sue run. PANEL 2 See Sue run to public school. (Illustration of Sue running towards brick building.) Go, Sue, go! PANEL 3 See … Continue reading

Posted in Cartooning & comics, crossposted on TADA, Economics and the like | 147 Comments

I’m Sure This Won’t Come Back to Bite Mitt Romney

Mitt really shouldn’t talk about things. He tends to do poorly. “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there,” Romney told CNN. “If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very … Continue reading

Posted in Economics and the like, Elections and politics | 33 Comments

Health care and non-compete agreements

[Written by Kay Olson, and crossposted from The Gimp Parade with Kay’s kind permission]. Two years ago this week I got caught up in a legal dispute that briefly threatened my life. Obviously, I’m still alive, but a version of … Continue reading

Posted in Disabled Rights & Issues, Health Care and Related Issues | 9 Comments

Pain Medication Comments That Annoy Me

The Agitator is essential reading, one of the best political blogs anywhere. Still, Radley Balko sometimes uncritically parrots libertarian tropes. Government Evil! Liberals Stupid! For instance, today he posted this libertarian boilerplate: Alternet publishes article calling for government monitoring of … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Health Care and Related Issues, Whatever | 24 Comments

When businesspeople take credit for creating jobs, it is like squirrels taking credit for creating evolution

In Bloomburg, venture capitalist and 1%er Nick Hanauer argues that our popular discourse misunderstands where jobs come from. A long excerpt: As an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, I’ve started or helped get off the ground dozens of companies in industries … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Economics and the like | 10 Comments

An Open Letter to the Left

Hello. It’s Jeff. I know, I don’t blog much lately. I’ve been busy. I have a job that’s actually fairly demanding and a 9-year-old kid and a life. Plus, I have to admit, given a choice between writing jeremiads or … Continue reading

Posted in Economics and the like, Elections and politics, Media criticism | 38 Comments

New Cartoon: Government To The Rescue!

[spoiler] Panel 1: A woman, two small children, and a man dressed like an evil landlord from a silent movie (including curly mustache) are standing atop a precariously balanced wedge of land. The underpinnings of the land have been dug … Continue reading

Posted in Cartooning & comics, Economics and the like | 18 Comments

We Are The 99 Percent

Hey, you busy? Not doing much? You feel like sobbing like a baby? Then read the We Are The 99 Percent tumblr. It’s just a collection of personal stories from people who have worked hard within this cruelly rigged system … … Continue reading

Posted in Class, poverty, labor, & related issues, Economics and the like, Education, Health Care and Related Issues | 117 Comments