Sleepers, Wake
Sleep, and capitalism.
Read more...Category Archives: Technology and innovation
The Slave Power, Slave Credit, Slave Labor
Book reviews of Slavery’s Capitalism and This Vast Southern Empire, with some thoughts on their relevance to our own day.
Read more...Liberty Reserve, Bitcoin, and the US Bank Regulatory Dog That Didn’t Bark
How a toothless US watchdog, FinCEN, has largely ignored money laundering via Bitcoin and other digital currencies.
Read more...Big Banks’ Blockchain: Boondoggle?
Ethereum’s Big Bank Blockchain consortium: trying to look behind the hype
Read more...Care Work as the Work of the Future
Economists despair about the impact of technology on jobs. They underestimate the need for care work, as in services for the young and aged.
Read more...Austria: A Case Study of How Offshoring Lowered Growth
Austria illustrates that over time, offshoring reduces the skill levels of domestic workers and even organizations.
Read more...NSA Whistleblower: Not So Fast On Claims Russia Behind DNC Email Hack
Why you should be skeptical of the party line that the DNC was victimized by Russians.
Read more...COBOL and Legacy Code as a Systemic Risk
More on why legacy code at major banks is a ticking time bomb.
Read more...How the Corporate Food Industry Destroys Democracy
Vermont implemented a law to label goods containing genetically engineered ingredients, and it’s facing full-out attack from Monsanto.
Read more...Quelle Surprise! SEC’s “Make the World Safer for Fraudsters” JOBS Act Does Little to Help Companies Raise Money
As we predicted, the JOBS Act is a flop. Here’s why.
Read more...Ethereum and Smart Contract Unicorn Woo-Woo – There Should Be a Law Against It
Why Ethereum and smart contracts don’t and will never live up to their hype.
Read more...Why Income Inequality Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better
A reader critical thinking exercise! Debunk an article that justifies rising inequality in the guise of offering policy advice
Read more...IMF Warns That Inequality, Poverty, Low Productivity Growth, Falling Workforce Participation Will Drag on US Growth
The IMF has become an unlikely reporter of unpleasant realities about the US economy, particularly the costs of inequality and distress. If only its prescriptions were better….
Read more...Artificial Intelligence and Employment
The substitution of human labour by artificial intelligence and robots is a keenly debated topic. Some claim that a substantial share of jobs is at risk, while others argue that computers and robots will lead to product innovations and hence to unimaginable new occupations. This column uses a survey of Japanese firms to examine the impact of AI-related technologies on business and employment. Overall, firms expect a positive impact on business but a negative impact on employment. Firms with a highly skilled workforce, however, have a more optimistic view than firms with lower skilled employees.
Read more...Debate: Is “Degrowth” the Way to Reduce Greenhouse Gases?
A debate on sustainable growth versus degrowth.
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