‘A Global Industry Is Raiding Treasuries All Over the Planet’
“The global haven industry that we’ve allowed to grow up since the 1970s is really a direct threat to democratic governments and the rule of law.”
Don’t Know Much About Economy—But WaPo Likes Kasich Anyway
The Washington Post apparently thinks great things about a candidate who seems to have zero understanding of economics and has no ideas on how to address a potentially catastrophic environmental problem.
James Henry on Panama Papers, Sanho Tree on Hiroshima
We talk about using the Panama Papers to push for real change with investigative economist James Henry, and the dominant Hiroshima “narrative”—lamentable but necessary, ultimately saved more than it killed—with historian Sanho Tree.
DC Press Corps Spins Itself Silly Over Sanders’ Specifics
The DC press corps that goes nuts because Bernie Sanders doesn’t know the name of the statute under which he would prosecute bank fraud thinks a guy who calls for eliminating most of the federal government is a great budget wonk.
Vox and the False Consensus of ‘Most Economists Agree’
Much of Vox’s analysis pivots on the toxic cliche, “most economists agree/think/say/believe,” and its equally toxic cousin, “most experts agree/think/say/believe.” This cliche is frequently used without a shred of evidence for said consensus.
Aviva Chomsky on Obama in Cuba, Mark Weisbrot on Argentina’s Right Turn
We talk about what would really need to change to “normalize” US/Cuba relations. And in Argentina, a thrilled press corps tells us a new day is dawning with the election of “former businessman” Mauricio Mauri.
A ‘Blistering Critique’ With a ‘Great New Metaphor for Hippie-Punching’
Dave Lindorff of This Can’t Be Happening! cited FAIR on New York Times reporter Jackie Calmes’ slam of Sandersnomics. Dollars & Sense also included Doug Henwood’s FAIR piece on a reading list on the controversy.
NYT Rounds Up ‘Left-Leaning Economists’ for a Unicorn Hunt
“Left-Leaning Economists Question Cost of Bernie Sanders’ Plans,” declared the New York Times. All the quoted economists have ties to the Democratic establishment, and their leftward lean would require very sensitive equipment to measure.
Convincing the Young to Blame the Old, Not the Rich
Rather than talking about how the rich raise the cost of our healthcare, the Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell wants us to be upset at seniors.
WaPo Touts the ‘Independence’ of the Banker-Dominated Fed
The Washington Post’s ability to treat the Fed as a neutral party is striking when the evidence is so overwhelming in the opposite direction.
‘You Cannot Build a Strong Economy on a Falling Wage Floor’
“You need people to have enough wages to be able to buy what they need. And if you are going to have a growing middle class, you need people to be able to buy more than just the bare necessities.”
David Brooks’ ‘$120,000 Vacation’ Is No Joke
Is New York Times columnist David Brooks seriously regaling readers with talk of his “spectacularly expensive hopscotch” on a “self-contained luxury caravan”?
Holly Sklar on Minimum Wage Economics, Nicholas Kusnetz on State Government Transparency
Media usually present the minimum wage issue as workers vs. business, but we’ll get a different angle from Holly Sklar of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. Plus: What journalists can do about transparency and accountability in state government.
When Thomas Friedman Ridicules Campaign Economics, the Joke’s on Him
While there is much to ridicule in promises being put forward by the presidential candidates, the items to which Thomas Friedman devoted his column don’t fit the bill.
Washington Post’s (Very) Rough Guide to Denmark
The Washington Post decided to correct the positive image of Denmark that Sen. Bernie Sanders and others have been giving it in recent months. But some of the assertions in its piece are either misleading or inaccurate.
Democrats Depend on Affluent Voters? That’s Rich
While New York Times’ columnist Thomas Byrne Edsall’s claim that the Democratic base no longer tilts to the working class is false, the idea that the Democratic Party has shifted its policies to attract more money from the wealthy is all too true.
‘We Could Have All These Drugs Available at Generic Prices’
“We don’t think it makes sense to have the fire department come down to your house when it’s on fire and your family is inside, then negotiate how much you should pay them. And that’s in effect what we’ve done with drugs.”
New Yorker Calls Corbyn ‘Childlike’—but Who Are They Kidding?
What the Labour Party’s Jeremy Corbyn is proposing is directly financing spending by printing money. If that is “childlike,” then folks like Paul Krugman have a similar affinity for childlike solutions to economic problems.
Does Your Candidate Support Workers’ Interests? David Brooks Thinks You Have a Psychological Problem
The more important question ignored in Brooks’ analysis is how people are supposed to respond when the party they have supported consistently pursues policies at odds with fundamental principles of their core constituencies.
The Washington Post and the Federal Reserve Cult
According to Federal Reserve Board cultists, the Fed sets interest rate policy solely for the good of the country. Those of us who live in the reality-based community know that the Fed is hugely responsive to the interests of the financial sector.
