Category: politics

Brad DeLong: Robert Reich Writes About the Debt Scare

Back in 1992 the real interest rate on a ten-year U.S. Treasury bond was 5% per year. Right now the real interest rate on a ten-year U.S. Treasury bond is more or less zero. Borrow back in 1992 thinking that the government is going to repay its borrowings ten years down the road and ten… Continue reading Brad DeLong: Robert Reich Writes About the Debt Scare

frailty, temptation, and common miscalculation

“You knew the risks. Either you felt you were above the law or you had some kind of death wish.” His response was that neither was the case. “It’s a story that has been repeated since our earliest days as a species. It’s both obvious and not susceptible to an answer,” he insisted. “Nonetheless, we… Continue reading frailty, temptation, and common miscalculation

Pot, Meet Kettle

the picture that those Republicans painted of Sotomayor doesn’t seem to be supported by her actions. The Scotusblog examined her court of appeals decisions in race-related cases and found that she rejected claims of discrimination 80 percent of the time. Op-Ed Columnist – Pot, Meet Kettle – NYTimes.com Of the 96 cases, Judge Sotomayor and… Continue reading Pot, Meet Kettle

Apportioning Blame for the Deficit

David Leonhardt’s column breaking down the “causes” of the budget deficit has been widely reported and the bottom line repeated many times: President Obama’s agenda, ambitious as it may be, is responsible for only a sliver of the deficits, despite what many of his Republican critics are saying. Marginal Revolution: Apportioning Blame for the Deficit… Continue reading Apportioning Blame for the Deficit

Socialism

The RNC just adopted a resolution that urges President Obama, “the Congress and the Democratic Party to remember what made our country great and to stop pushing our country toward socialism From GOP won’t rename Democrats, after all – War Room – Salon.com I wonder if the GOP realizes that for many people, the phrase… Continue reading Socialism

tea party logic

Yanked from crooks and liars. I’d really like to ask the woman holding the Cut Taxes not Defense sign one simple question. What do you think pays for our socialist, public sector funded army?

China Far Outpaces U.S. in Building Cleaner Coal-Fired Plants

But largely missing in the hand-wringing is this: China has emerged in the past two years as the world’s leading builder of more efficient, less polluting coal power plants, mastering the technology and driving down the cost. While the United States is still debating whether to build a more efficient kind of coal-fired power plant… Continue reading China Far Outpaces U.S. in Building Cleaner Coal-Fired Plants

A Short Citizen’s Guide to Kooks, Demagogues, and Right-Wingers On Tax Day

No one likes to pay taxes, so tax day typically attracts a range of right-wing Republicans, kooks, and demagogues, all of whom tell us how awful we have it. Herewith a short citizen’s guide (that is, a citizen’s guide that’s short rather than a guide for short citizens) responding to the predictable charges: From A… Continue reading A Short Citizen’s Guide to Kooks, Demagogues, and Right-Wingers On Tax Day