The Spanish saw socialism in simple economic terms, as a belief that governments had to oversee large programs of social improvement – such as land reform and the wresting of education from the hands of the church to secular institutions – while leaving small business to the entrepreneurs. Socialists argued that a small minority shouldn’t… Continue reading Jonathan Rabb: When “Socialism” Meant Something
The Great British Austerity Experiment
The takeaway lesson should be “austerity does not work; don’t go there.” Unfortunately, in the land of faith-based economics, evidence does not count for much. The UK may pursue a disastrous austerity path and those of us in the United States may still have to follow the same road anyhow. But we opponents of that… Continue reading The Great British Austerity Experiment
Pro-Mubarak blogger Atlas Shrugs 2000
You can avoid evil, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding evil. From Pro-Mubarak blogger Atlas Shrugs 2000 I found a pro-Mubarak blogger! In the US no less.
Paul Ryan, welfare queen
With his father’s passing, young Paul collected Social Security benefits until age 18, which he put away for college. To make ends meet, Paul’s mother returned to school to study interior design. His siblings were off at college. Ryan remembers this difficult time bringing him and his mother closer. See how that worked? Congressman Paul… Continue reading Paul Ryan, welfare queen
Krugman on Bloomberg on the Icelandic Miracle
Today, Iceland is recovering. The three new banks had combined profit of $309 million in the first nine months of 2010. GDP grew for the first time in two years in the third quarter, by 1.2 percent, inflation is down to 1.8 percent and the cost of insuring government debt has tumbled 80 percent. Stores… Continue reading Krugman on Bloomberg on the Icelandic Miracle
67 Percent Of Tea Partiers Would Rather Raise Taxes Than Raise The Social Security Retirement Age
Surprisingly, however, even 67 percent of self-identified Tea Partiers said they would rather raise the tax cap than cuts benefits and hike the retirement age: From ThinkProgress It’s only socialism when government helps other people.
Inquiry and Intimidation
What the GOP wants is to make people afraid even to do research that produces conclusions they don’t like. And they don’t stop at trying to undermine the research — they go after the researchers personally. The goal is to create an environment in which analysts and academics are afraid to look into things like… Continue reading Inquiry and Intimidation
Obama’s Bid to End Oil Subsidy Revives Debate
When he releases his new budget in two weeks, President Obama will propose doing away with roughly $4 billion a year in subsidies and tax breaks for oil companies, in his third effort to eliminate federal support for an industry that remains hugely profitable. From Obama’s Bid to End Oil Subsidy Revives Debate – NYTimes.com… Continue reading Obama’s Bid to End Oil Subsidy Revives Debate
Clinton Sees An Early Payoff of U.S. Debt
Mr. Clinton, in an announcement from the White House, called on Republican leaders in Congress to “put politics aside and join me” in a budget proposal that would pay off dollars 3.6 trillion in debt by 2013. This, he said, would leave the United States debt-free for the first time since 1835. “What we’re doing… Continue reading Clinton Sees An Early Payoff of U.S. Debt
2010 Was The Hottest Year Ever
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today announced that “2010 tied with 2005 as the warmest year of the global surface temperature record,” and 2010 is also “the wettest year on record, in terms of global average precipitation.” The year was by far the hottest during a La Niña cycle, during which the equatorial… Continue reading 2010 Was The Hottest Year Ever