new york times
Freedom or fundamentalism?
Interesting article in today’s New York Times, “For South, a Waning Hold on National Politics.” The Republican Party has become a mouthpiece for Christian fundamentalists that want to force everyone to live their life just like they do. How is this any different than Muslim fundamentalists that want everyone to live their life like they […]
November 9th, 2008 by alephnaught
What to do with an economy on the rocks?
In today’s New York Times, there are four articles by four noted economists suggesting alternative approaches for improving the current economic conditions: It’s a Time to Listen, and to Obey the Laws of Arithmetic Put Away the Wish List, and Help Households Bounce Back The Mood Always Matters, So Restore Confidence First The Real Mandate […]
October 25th, 2008 by alephnaught
October 19th, 2008 by alephnaught
Some data to support the concentration of wealth
I’ve been writing about the concentration of wealth in the United States here and here for example; now the New York Times has provided a series of graphs on the US economy since Harry Truman’s Presidency that shows this trend: So why would we continue a tax policy that places more and more of the […]
October 1st, 2008 by alephnaught
Low expectations, and she could be your next president
Not since Dan Quayle took the stage in 1988 have debate expectations for a major party candidate been as low as they will be on Thursday for Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. (link to article) I would think this was funny if it didn’t affect me. Sarah Palin could be our next vice president, meaning […]
October 1st, 2008 by alephnaught
Trust, liquidity, and the Great Depression too!
There’s a good article in today’s New York Times comparing some of the circumstances surrounding the Great Depression with what’s going on today, Lesson From a Crisis: When Trust Vanishes, Worry. The article talks about the lack of response to the early warning signs of the Great Depression and especially about the public’s view that […]
September 28th, 2008 by alephnaught
There may be value in sleeping on it after all
I’ve been fighting back against making snap decisions at the office. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I’ve found that I rarely had to make a fast decision, that gathering a little information and, most importantly, sleeping on it, or taking time out where I’m not directly thinking about the problem, aid […]
September 24th, 2008 by alephnaught
Do you trust executives?
I’ve been thinking about executive salaries among other things. A few years ago, I read an interesting article on the start of the Great Depression; the author noted that wealth had never been so concentrated in so few hands as it was just before the start. Today I read “In Bailout Furor, Wall Street Pay […]
September 23rd, 2008 by alephnaught
Bail out foriegn banks? You’re kidding, right?
In today’s New York Times I read “Foreign Nations Pledge Support, but Not Financing” with some interest. I especially liked the following quote: “There’s a view in Europe that this is a U.S.-made problem, and that it should be solved in the U.S.,†said Charles H. Dallara, the managing director of the Institute for International […]
September 17th, 2008 by alephnaught
Another big news day
I like reading the New York Times every morning, along with the Wall Street Journal. And there’s a lot to consider today. For example, our embassy in Yemen was attacked by thugs; luckily in this case, they killed themselves, unfortunately also killing innocent bystanders, but then that’s one of the goals for terrorists, since they […]
November 11th, 2008 by alephnaught