Yves here. This is the second section of the GPENewdoc historical series on imperialism and capitalism. You can find Part 1 here. By Lynn Fries. Originally published at GPENewsdocs Prabhat Patnaik explains how the colonial system led to depression. Then, in advanced countries governments stepped in to increase demand and productivity, but how unless the […]
Saturday, November 1, 2025
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/25/2021
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
EXPOSED: Transcript of CalPERS Closed Session on Ben Meng Departure Shows Clear and Extensive Violations of Transparency Laws, Builds Case for Contempt Ruling by Judge Markman (Presiding)
Oops! CalPERS released nearly all of a transcript of a board meeting after Ben Meng’s resignation that it was fighting to keep secret.
The Contempt in Tangy Ranch Doritos
Doritos as a case study in companies flavor-reverse-gaslighting their customers.
Imperialism Then and Now: Wealth, Unemployment and Insufficient Demand
Prabhat Patnaik on imperialism and capitalism: to accumulate wealth, somewhere demand must be suppressed to provide cheap inputs.
“All-Electric Future Comes At A Huge Cost”
Tempering some of the enthuiasm for “all-electric” schemes.
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/24/2021
By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day A Veery. * * * #COVID19 At reader request, I’ve added this daily chart from 91-DIVOC. The data is the Johns Hopkins CSSE data. Here is the site. I feel I’m engaging in a macabre form of tape-watching…. Vaccination by region: South still fiddling and […]
How the Economics of Walking About Helps Predict Unemployment, or the Value of Soft Data
On the short-sightedness of over-reliance on hard data.
Spain’s Supreme Court Rules Against Using Vaccine Passports to Restrict Access to Public Spaces
It’s the first time a high court of a European Member State has challenged the use of vaccine passports domestically.
The Coming School Opening Covid Train Wreck
Covid warning for the fall: assume the brace position.
Notes on the ‘Loss’ of Afghanistan
Cleaning up some misperceptions about the US operation in Afghanistan, including the idea that it was a country.
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/23/2021
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Waste Watch: UK Enacts Right to Repair Rules
UK enacts right to repair rules, which should make spare parts for some electrical devices and large household appliances more widely available.
