Recently in Economics Category

Robert Reich makes a no-nonsense and obvious point about entitlement funding, if you just spend a few minutes looking over the data. Immigrants have nurtured and strengthened our nation in the past and they'll continue to do so, no matter what the color of their skin or language they came hear speaking.

What's weird is how acceptable the argument is. I just got done reading Geraldo Rivera's The Great Progression and he made basically the same argument in one of his chapters. Why was I reading that book? Well, I've promised myself to try to read some socio-political books of folks I don't really agree with. Reading any O'Reilly or - gasp! - Coulter or Malkin seemed to be useless. I at least share some skin color with Rivera so it seemed a good start. And, frankly, when he's not spouting anti-union, anti-progressive rhetoric he's been brainwashed with, he's the kind of Republican you can at least agree to disagree with, and even agree on some common sense ideas. Like the immigration issue.

Two thoughts on this article about tipping.

One, we should be paying people a proper wage instead of demanding patrons to cover the difference. That said, I don't really mind paying for good service. Feeling like I'm forced to pay up is really annoying though.

Two, not everyone deserves a tip jar. I mean, you just put some ice cream in a cone. Come on. And I'm sure the rest of you have all kinds of examples of people who don't need any damn tips.

This has been a very cool series on the changing face of work, and the resistance by industry at large to adapt to the needs of the two-working-parent family. There are highlights by those who are enduring scheduling problems and those employers who are trying to make things work for everyone.

A great look at the dollars and cents of health care reform versus just making shit up.

Yes, health care reform is going to cost a lot to set up. It is also going to save us a lot of money once it is up and running. That's the projections from the guys with slide rules and charts and such.

As for Bush, the so-called fiscal conservative? He just rammed a bunch of tax cuts for the rich down our throats and a ton of unfunded mandates and a couple wars. We'll be the better part of this century paying for his bad ideas.

Equality makes the best societies, not the relentless and cutthroat pursuit of wealth.

You know, this is something Christians should automatically know. That is, if they actually read their bibles instead of beating people over the head with them.

Capitalism eats companies who try to do good works. That's the crux of this article I heard on the way in.

You could almost hear Steve Inskeep spitting bile as he had to segue away from this story to something else entirely. Asshat.

In short, our economic system punishes successful companies who try to give back to their communities. Basically, the more successful you are the more likely you'll have to sell out, one way or another.

You may hear conservatives trying to scare you about how health care reform will "ruin" our economy much like it did Europe's. Well, given our past decade of economic chaos compared to Europe, maybe we'd be better off "ruining" our's as well.

Hey lookie! There are some actual people that may even be actual Christians. Well, at least they loathe the crass commercialism at the heart of the modern Christmas.

Sure, they don't want capitalism encroaching on their religious holiday, but I'm sure most of these folks would club a gay people like a baby seal if they had a chance to.

Sorry, still jaded on religion.

Click here for the full-sized version.

(h/t to My Modern Met)

How global warming is already affecting us and the tough choices we have to make

You know, for a business show, Marketplace really does focus on the important issues like global climate change without the usual crazy lies and BS you'd get from conservatives. Instead of focusing on crazy people like Inhofe, the show talks to the people who can best evaluate and prepare us for what is likely to come.

Check out their latest special segment here.

Apparently, it seems that ever since we bought Alaska for a song, we've been losing money on the deal ever since. Yep, the place is the place where federal budgets go to die.

Granted, no one would have wanted a bunch of Soviet missile stationed there in the sixties but when you just cut it down to dollars and cents, it seems Alaska has been a huge money pit for this nation.

Not to mention the nightmare called Sarah Palin or even Ted "Tubes" Stevens.

A forgotten link, but one that I still find relevant as a historic example of how we should treat our vets and how that benefits the rest of us in real, tangible ways.

I read this on the road home for Thanksgiving. It's a story about a guy who has given up on commercial society and lives only on the stuff we foolishly waste. I'm not saying I am capable of doing this, but I do give this guy credit for the effort he's made.

Here are some real sensible things that you can either do - or have your elected officials push for - that would really make a hell of a difference in this country.

I mean, the least you can do it try, right? That is, if you care enough to even attempt some change for the better.

We cannot continue transferring the nation's wealth to those at the apex of the economic pyramid -- which is what we have been doing for the past three decades or so -- while hoping that someday, maybe, the benefits of that transfer will trickle down in the form of steady employment and improved living standards for the many millions of families struggling to make it from day to day.

That money is never going to trickle down. It's a fairy tale. We're crazy to continue believing it.

In short, Bob Herbert notes that we really, really, really need to stop bailing out rich people. They never learn, they never share, and they can never - ever - have enough money.