The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic: Part 1 of 4: Structure and Background
Drawing lessons from three books on the Roman Republic.
Read more...Author Archives: Yves Smith
Brexit: Time Is of the Essence
Why Johnson’s Brexit may be in more trouble than it seems.
Read more...Drug Watchdog Finds $5.1 Billion in Price Gouging on 9 Drugs
Another indictment of drug pricing.
Read more...Please Be Sure to Swing by Our NYC Meetup with Jerri-Lynn, Tuesday October 29
A friendly reminder to your NYC residents and visitors: Be sure to drop by our meetup next week.
Read more...Links 10/19/19
SUVs Are Back, and They’re Spewing a Boggling Amount of Carbon
SUVs illustrate how the US is rejecting greenhouse gas reduction.
Read more...Impoverished Economics? Unpacking the Economics Nobel Prize
Yves here. Even thought the mainstream media, as usual, duly applauded the winners of this year’s “Nobel” prize in economics, there’s been less attention paid to the recipients than usual and far more criticism, some very measured, others more critical. The winners helped develop and promote an approach to development economics they called “randomized control […]
Read more...Links 10/18/19
Brexit: Over to Parliament
Hand to hand Brexit combat is on.
Read more...Researchers Detail How Slashing Pentagon Budget Could Pay for Medicare for All While Creating Progressive Foreign Policy Americans Want
Even if you beleve that taxes fund federal spending, a new study shows it is not necessary to raise taxes to pay for Medicare for All.
Read more...Marshall Auerback: Will the GOP Become the Party of Blue-Collar Conservatism?
Is the GOP willing to embrace a historical political realignment to become an ally of laborers, or at least manufacturing workers?
Read more...Are Cognitive Frameworks Hard-Coded in Language Driving Humanity to Crisis?
Is language, or more specifically, notions strongly represented in major modern languages, a big culprit in our inability to contend with self-induced existential threats?
Read more...Facebook’s Libra Faceplant: Beware of CEO Bright Ideas
Libra is going nowhere fast.
Read more...A Bitter(Sweet) Pill: The Impacts of Private Provision of Medicaid
A study on Texas turning Medicaid over to private contractors shows mixed results, which is better than most critics would expect. But does this study attribute bennies to privatization that aren’t justified?
Read more...Automation Armageddon: a Legitimate Worry?
Yves here. Readers will notice a marked disconnect between Michael Olenick’s grim account of the impact of the automation of the early industrial era on workers’ lives as to his more sanguine posture for the future. One way to reconcile the two is that major shift in automation can have significant transition costs in terms […]
Read more...