February 2012
16 posts
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“It’s so much easier to pass judgment on a man than on an idea.”
– Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead (via unmaskd)
Is it any surprise that a somewhat well read product of the public education system would not learn of Ayn Rand’s work until years after attending university? Probably not. Her story is inspiring, so inspiring that it’s curious why we...
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The Oil We Eat →
tetw:
By Richard Manning
The journalist’s rule says: follow the money. This rule, however, is not really axiomatic but derivative, in that money is really a way of tracking energy. We’ll follow the energy.
Away we go.
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Increasing Minimum Wage Does Not Increase... →
jonathan-cunningham:
This was a 16 year study on a county-by-county basis. Rather than an increase in unemployment (as so many big business advocates and libertarians would have you believe), it did nothing to unemployment, but rather decreased employee turn over. The poorest people in those counties were better paid, had a higher standard of living and kept their jobs longer- all because the...
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Retail Sales of Electricity in the United States
Retail sales of electricity amounted to $350 billion dollars in 2009 (Last completed survey by US Energy Administration). With a market capitalization of over $400 billion, Apple is worth more than all the money spent powering gadgets for an entire year in the United States.
-GYSC
When will money spent powering gadgets eclipse Apple’s worth? Is it possible for Apple to employ the...
Ecuador Creating Alternative to Neo-Liberal Model:... →
[President Rafael] Correa is regularly assailed by human rights, press freedom and business groups as intemperate, autocratic and intolerant of dissent. Yet he is popular among millions of Ecuadoreans for programs which, like the initiative for the disabled, have improved their lives.
An array of state-funded programs implemented or broadened since Correa’s 2006 election have brought stability...
January 2012
16 posts
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FACT: In 2011, Exxon's total profit was $41.06...
think-progress:
A few other facts about the oil giant’s mind-blowing billions.
Thinking about where the profits go besides for the obvious not only for Exxon but highly profitable companies in general. This part of the story is rarely told.
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“Global financiers are the new colonizers. They make the rules. They pull the...”
– Chris Hedges (via truthcafe)
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A disturbing story about laissez faire capitalism →
Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option. One former executive described how the company relied upon a Chinese factory to revamp iPhone manufacturing just weeks before the device was due on shelves. Apple had redesigned the iPhone’s screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight.
...
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Obama for America: “No one built this country on... →
barackobama:
“No one built this country on their own. This nation is great because we built it together. This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no…
Anyone wager that Lincoln would be mentioned? Well done Mr. President.
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“Despite their bleak performance this year, the nation’s top six banks paid out...”
– Van Jones & George Goehl (via kateoplis)
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The Top 30 Economies in 2050 →
thenoobyorker:
thoughtsfromtheandes:
In an interesting report taking a look at the top world economies in the year 2050, prepared by HSBC there are many Latin American nations present.
Latin American powerhouses Brazil and Mexico crack the top 10 with Brazil checking in at number 7 and Mexico following closely at 8. A bit further down the list are Argentina at 18, Colombia at 26, and oil...
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Buffett to Republicans: if you pay, so will I →
The American billionaire investor, in the new issue of Time magazine, says he would donate $1 to paying down the national debt for every dollar donated by a Republican in Congress. The only exception is Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell - for whom Buffett said he would go $3-to-$1.
Nice. Who will be the first to bite?
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With Romney Under Attack, Private Equity Fights... →
joshsternberg:
The industry’s lobbying group has hatched plans to counter the intensifying criticism of private equity’s business practices. In the coming weeks, the group, the Private Equity Growth Capital Council, will roll out an image campaign, according to two people with direct knowledge of the plans who requested anonymity because they were unauthorized to discuss them publicly.
...
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December 2011
17 posts
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Percentage increase in National Debt by Presidency →
mohandasgandhi:
Reagan 189.0% Bush 43 89.0% Bush 41 51.6% Carter 42.6% Clinton 36.0% Obama 34.0%
But Reagan was a capitalist god! Let us invoke the spirits of Ronald Reagan and Ayn Rand for wisdom on how to deal with the current economic crisis.
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Double Take of the Day: Congress ends corn ethanol... →
purv-dawg:
climateadaptation:
How on earth did I miss this one??
The United States has ended a 30-year tax subsidy for corn-based ethanol that cost taxpayers $6 billion annually, and ended a tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol.
Congress adjourned for the year on Friday, failing to extend the tax break that’s drawn a wide variety of critics on Capitol Hill, including Sens. Tom Coburn,...
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The Longest Week: Underreported Stories of 2011:... →
joshsternberg:
The third in a series of five underreported stories. Food prices have jumped almost 20% in the past year, affecting not just those who can no longer afford food every day, but those in power who cannot provide food. Foreign papers make the case that rising food prices trigger revolution.
The…
Noted to research land usage for alternative fuels effect on food prices....
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Think Progress: 11 Quotes From 2011 →
think-progress:
1. “There’s been class warfare going on for the last 20 years, and my class has won.” — Warren Buffett
2. “Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights.” — Hillary Clinton
3. “Today, we are all Troy Anthony Davis. Tonight, a little piece of all of us will die.” — Rep. John…
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“Anyway it only makes sense if you assume those premises; that all human...”
– This interview with David Graeber on “What Is Debt?” is one of the most thought-provoking things published this year about the premises of finance. (via moorehn)
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L.A. Times: Congress' 10 biggest enemies of the... →
climateadaptation:
Dear L.A. Times, Hope it’s OK I post in full… m
“Republicans launched an unprecedented frontal assault against environmental protections and regulations this year, prompting Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) to call his chamber “the most anti-environment House in history.” Here are the 10 most powerful and outspoken opponents of clean air, clean water, conservation and climate...
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Class and Capitalism in the Gulf – The Political... →
theamericanbear:
Ed Lewis interviews Dr. Adam Hanieh of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London:
You see the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman – as being at the centre of the Middle East economically and politically, but not simply because of their vast reserves of oil. What, then, is your account of...
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Revealed: huge increase in executive pay for... →
braiker:
“Exclusive survey shows America’s CEOs enjoyed pay hikes of up to 40% last year – with one chief executive earning $145m.”
My first bit of editing for the Guardian. I have a light touch. Also, this story should piss you off.
Looking forward to being pissed off.
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“Just six members of the Walton family, heirs to the Walmart fortune, possess...”
– The insane wealth of Walmart’s founding family - Salon
That’s 92 million Americans.
Next time I shop at a big-box store, I hope I remember that.
(via nickdouglas)
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Fox News falsely claims that the entire solar... →
purv-dawg:
[In actuality], The U.S. solar power market grew a record 67% last year, making it the fastest-growing energy sector, the industry reports Thursday.
Its market share jumped from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6 billion in 2010, helped by federal tax credits and declining technology costs, according to a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research.
Enough...
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Raise Taxes on Rich to Reward True Job Creators:... →
foreverybody:
Raise Taxes on Rich to Reward True Job Creators
By Nick Hanauer, Nov 30, 2011 Bloomberg News
It is a tenet of American economic beliefs, and an article of faith for Republicans that is seldom contested by Democrats: If taxes are raised on the rich, job creation will stop.
Trouble is, sometimes the things that we know to be true are dead wrong. For the larger part of human...
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“The German government has made it clear that the European crisis will not be...”
– German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaking to Parliament about the financial crisis.
From the AP:
Speaking to lawmakers in Parliament ahead of a crucial European summit next week, the German leader emphasized that tougher rules against running up debt were the only path forward — a process could...
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November 2011
55 posts
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By the numbers:
think-progress:
Republicans are willing to raise taxes on more than 100 million households
… to spare 345,000 millionaires from a tiny surtax.
Something doesn’t add up.