Archive
New Bank Regulations Would Bless Lehmans Risk-Taking
International bank regulators have finally agreed to a new set of rules to rein in financial excess, and the reviews thus far are cautiously positive. But the new capital requirements announced today by the Basel III accord are not actually as sturdy as they seem. By...
Blindsight Economic Injustice Country Music and Third World America
Last November, when the Tea Party Express was just building up a head of steam, it seemed worthwhile to stop for a minute and listen to a country song. Why? For one thing it's a really good song, and it had a great hook. "Here in the real world," it says, away from...
China Currency Surprise Lucy Pulled The Football
Charlie Brown (us) has again run up to kick the football. Lucy (China) has again pulled the football away at the last minute. The result? The trade gap continues to grow and tis eats away at our jobs and our GDP: "...the worsening trade deficit cut the Q2 GDP growth...
Progressive Breakfast - 9/13/2010
Each morning, Bill Scher and Terrance Heath serve up what progressives need to affect change on the kitchen-table issues families face: jobs, health care, green energy, financial reform, affordable education and retirement security. Boehner Ready To Deal On Bush Tax...
Handcuffs For Wall Street Not Happy-Talk
The Washington Post has published a very silly op-ed by Chrystia Freeland accusing President Barack Obama of unfairly "demonizing" Wall Street. Freeland wants to see Obama tone down his rhetoric and play nice with executives in pursuit of a harmonious economic...
Boom Times for Parchment Profiteers
The tax dollars we spend on higher ed ought to have one purpose and one purpose alone: to educate students. So why do we let these dollars mint mega millionaires? Most students who attend college today are getting an education. But more and more are not getting the...
Declare a Jobs Emergency on September 15
Sometimes job cuts have a way of sneaking up on you -- a few teachers here, a police officer there and another fire department that is not open when you need them. But as every EMT knows, a thousand small cuts can still kill the patient. One group is pushing back...
On the Stephanie Miller Show To Discuss Social Security & the Deficit Commission
I appeared on the Stephanie Miller Show yesterday with guest host John Fugelsang to discuss Social Security and the Deficit Commission. He'd seen my piece on the fact that the Commission members who want to cut retirement benefits all have excellent retirement...
Why Are Complainers About Uncertainty Creating It On Middle-Class Taxes
Pretty much any time the President proposes anything, conservatives cry "Uncertainty!" -- that somehow the mere act of proposing reform causes businesses to be become paralyzed by uncertainty at what will happen next. Of course, the only way to end any uncertainty is...
China On Clean Tech Smart And Unfair At The Same Time
The rest of the world is realizing that extracting and burning fossil fuels as their main energy source is not a good, safe, sustainable and cost-effective approach, and is starting a transition to alternatives. This transition presents the biggest economic...
