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Big Bird, we need you to resolve the cultural contradictions of our capitalist society.
Archive for the ‘Commerce and its discontents’ Category
December 30th, 2011
December 26th, 2011
Category: Commerce and its discontents, Financial crises
A story in today’s New York Times talks about how U.S. financial firms are stepping in to buy up assets that European banks are being forced to shed. But it buries the lede: that government regulation deserves the credit for leaving them in the financial condition to do so.
November 28th, 2011
Category: Commerce and its discontents, Economics
Between September, 2010 and September 2011, I spent $1,042 buying books from Amazon.com. Since October, I have spent $0 there. As I describe today in the Nation online, I stopped clicking on Amazon after reading this terrific story by Spencer Soper describing Amazon’s poor labor practices at a facility near Allentown Pennsylvania. Incidentally, I encountered [...]
October 30th, 2011
Well, not quite a chat, but a fundraiser at my colleague Ken Klee’s house. (Ken and Elizabeth are old friends, both being law professors who specialize in bankruptcy). There were about 30 people there. The obvious reactions are those that many have had: she is very dynamic and intelligent. She has thought through the campaign [...]
October 17th, 2011
A listserv that several RBCers belong to has had a discussion about why the ancient meme that cities are evil, unAmerican congregations of overeducated snobs, while folks in small towns are decent, commonsense types who look out for each other and embody real virtue, persists. To the point that no candidate for office boasts about [...]
October 12th, 2011
The other day I received an invitation from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) for its annual fundraising dinner in Los Angeles. But what struck my eye was the icon in the middle of the invitation: “Walmart: Gala Chair.” Let’s be clear what it means to be a gala chair: it’s essentially [...]
October 8th, 2011
Category: Elizabeth Warren, Watching Conservatives
It’s a bad sign for American punditry that George Will’s latest column slams Elizabeth Warren in such disgraceful fashion. It’s a good sign for American politics that the dean of patrician conservative columnists felt the need to do so.
September 20th, 2011
Good news from the Bay State, as PPP’s latest poll shows Elizabeth Warren up two points over Scott Brown. Bad news from Ron Suskind, who strongly suggests that Tim Geithner and White House officials undermined her, and didn’t like interference from women anyway. Well, there’s an obvious way to remedy any problems, and not-coincidentally move [...]
September 19th, 2011
Category: Britain, Commerce and its discontents
As the U.S. debates the “Buffett tax” the LibDem party conference here in the UK is generating a series of proposals to address wealth inequality, from the inspired to the woolly-headed. Inspired: (not least because it’s so blinking obvious). Danny Alexander suggests hiring more Treasury auditors who are devoted to ensuring that wealthy people who [...]
September 15th, 2011
Category: Commerce and its discontents, Financial crises
One of the most annoying things about the troglodyte right is its celebration of “Tax Freedom Day” where supposedly you are no longer working for the government. As soon as they start saying that they don’t want to benefit from Social Security, Medicare, national security, food safety, environmental protection, education etc. etc. then we can [...]
