My friend Erik, who has prompted posts before (see here for an example), was asking me yesterday what I thought about the unemployment situation. He was advocating limiting the duration of the payments as well as the idea of requiring …
Category: Government
More ammo for the case against full legalization of drugs
Public health group files FTC complaint about Merck’s ‘Madagascar 3’ marketing
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/Public-health-group-files-FTC-complaint-about-Mercks-Madagascar-3-marketing.html?cmpid=138890509
I blogged earlier about a middle ground approach between our current idiotic war on drugs and what prior to that point was my only other solution, full legalization …
The case for a Nanny State
Ban on supersize soda: are we putting too much emphasis on soda, not portion size in general?
http://www.boston.com/dailydose/2012/06/20/ban-supersize-soda-are-putting-too-much-emphasis-soda-not-portion-size-general/jLgrFjbn77qYGe01JMV8xO/story.html
This is an interesting situation for me. It is clear that there are many reasons why the US has porked up over …
Leaving $385 billion on the table
Ignoring the tax gap
We’re not Greece but the IRS could do a better job
http://www.salon.com/2012/06/20/ignoring_the_tax_gap/
According to a passage in the article the IRS fails to collect $385 billion each _year_. According to my calculations, over 10 years (why …
Counter cyclic programming
This post is in response to a comment by DaWei on a previous post “Deficit fetishism“. I felt that rather than have a long comment that might never be read I would create a post that has a …
Deficit fetishism
What Part of ‘Austerity Isn’t Working’ Don’t People Get?
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/what-part-of-austerity-isnt-working-dont-people-get-20120617
This ties back well with my post on “Why the rich don’t care about a robust economy“, the people most clamoring for austerity are the people least likely …
More sad commentary
Senators Grovel, Embarrass Themselves at Dimon Hearing
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/senators-grovel-embarrass-themselves-at-dimon-hearing-20120615
Another article where it might be too depressing to read. It is indescribably sad to me to realize how completely captured our government is by the oligarchy. Even our theater has become …
War with Iran increasingly inevitable
Bipartisanship and Iran
The most liberal and conservative senators join together to demand a harder line, and more threats, against Iran
http://www.salon.com/2012/06/18/bipartisanship_and_iran/
I am not sure what to add to this. It is very important, so I encourage you to …
We are brainwashed, not stupid! It Isn’t Our Fault!
We’ve been brainwashed
It’s no accident that Americans widely underestimate inequality. The rich prefer it that way
http://www.salon.com/2012/06/14/weve_been_brainwashed/
Flippant title aside, this is an interesting article and I will slide in some quotes to try to motivate you to read …
More wasted breath
Al Qaeda’s best friend
An amazing Op-Ed in the NYT by a 23-year-old Yemeni explains that U.S. attacks are strengthening the Terrorists
http://www.salon.com/2012/06/14/al_qaedas_best_friend/
I like Glenn a lot and he is a reliable voice in the wilderness. I hope he …