We should create policy on the basis of the worst case scenario that the electoral system is run by a criminal class, and create checks and balances that prevent the crooks from taking over voting and corrupting the results.
Saturday, February 7, 2026
2:00PM Water Cooler 11/7/2022
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Has this Contorted Labor Market Forced Companies to Change their Thinking about Layoffs?
There is now mounting anecdotal evidence that many employers are having second thoughts about laying off people at the first signs they see their revenue growth get into trouble.
The Public Shouldn’t Pay for Drugs Twice
Taxpayers foot the bill for medical research, but drug companies profit. We need a new R&D model to stop this rentierism.
Collateral Damage From Higher Interest Rates
Why to be wary of Larry Summers selling another Volcker-type “kill the economy to save it” interest rate jihad.
#Musk + #Twitter, Liberal Democrat Aghastitude, and Social Capital on Social Media
Is Twitter really a hellscape of hate and bigotry? And what will happen to Twitter now that Musk has taken it over?
Centene Showers Politicians With Millions as It Courts Contracts and Settles Overbilling Allegations
Centene earns billions of dollars from governments and then uses its profits to back the campaigns of the officials who oversee those government contracts.
A Brief History of the Mortgage, From Its Roots in Ancient Rome to the English ‘Dead Pledge’ and its Rebirth in America
The backstory of what is now arguably the most widely-used form of lending in principal terms, the mortgage.
Russian Oil Price Cap Will Not Apply To Resold Cargoes
The “collective West” is remarkably attached to sanctions that have hurt them more than Russia. The oil price cap is next in this pattern.
2:00PM Water Cooler 11/4/2022
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Could the Ukraine Conflict Be an Opportunity for the Global South?
Many countries see the Russia challenge to Western economic dominance as an opportunity to rewrite the rules of global trade in their favor.
