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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Friday, February 25, 2011

U.S. Pulling Back in Afghan Valley It Called Vital - NYTimes.com

Eisenhower as a lefty politico

Really Bad Reporting in Wisconsin: Who 'Contributes' to Public Workers' Pensions?

This article also highlights the point that defined contribution plans are a really good deal for Wall Street (triple the fees of institutional plans) and really bad deal for most individuals.

tax.com: Really Bad Reporting in Wisconsin: Who 'Contributes' to Public Workers' Pensions?:


Good rules for journalists and for investors.

"And what are these two rules for journalists?
Rule One: Check it out. Be so skeptical that if your mother says she loves you, check it out.

Rule Two: Cross check again and again until you not only know the facts, but can put them in proper context and understand all sides so well that their perspective gets proper weight and lecture, or as I like to say, everyone recognizes their oar in the water."

: Winners & Losers from Free Trade:

Sunday, February 20, 2011

The Expert-Hubris Industries

The Expert-Hubris Industries, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty:

"If you are cautious and self-doubting, you have to act otherwise if you want people to believe you are a good ...
I would say that it is not the fault of the people in these professions that they select for hubris.
 That late-stage medical procedure represents hope. For overcoming disadvantages with which people are born, education represents hope. For getting rich without having to work hard or save obsessively, money managers offer hope. And do I even need to say that people look to politicians to supply hope?


Wisconsin Union Battle:

Public workers are not overpaid when accounting for education levels. States have a revenue problem, not an expense problem.

Wisconsin Union Battle: A Convenient Distraction From the Real Culprit in State Budget Woes � naked capitalism

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Lean Mean, Manufacturing Machine

The Street Light: A Lean, Mean, Manufacturing Machine: "My assessment is that nearly all of the low-hanging fruit that could be gathered by shifting production from the US to low-cost countries like China has already been picked. Companies for which it made sense to shift production to other countries have already done so"

The Street Light: Selling Stuff to China

Exports to China are rising rapidly.

The Street Light: Selling Stuff to China

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

The Weak Heart of Economics - NYTimes.com

Economics and Economic policy; not the same.

Nancy Folbre: The Weak Heart of Economics - NYTimes.com

From the comments: . "Ms Folbre is confusing nationalism with morality"
Corporations acting in their self interest have changed the lives of 100's of millions of Chinese and Indians. The issue of what happens to the US middle class is for the US government policy to deal with, not the responsibility of corporations.