Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Thomas Frank: Populism is Not Mob Rule

Liberal elites see mass movements as endangering their ‘educated and wise leadership’. Populism and anti-populism has deep roots in American history.

Even If Joe Biden Wins in a Blowout, the ‘Global Economy’ Is Not Coming Back

Why corporations are past the high water mark for global commerce.

2:00PM Water Cooler 7/24/2020

COVID charts for the five problem states, smaller states, and the world ~ Biden trolls health care ~ Trump losing Iowa, Florida, donors ~ The War Party ~ 2016 is Year Zero ~ Rejected absentee ballots ~ Leading indicators, housing, rail ~ Vaccines ~ 1619 Project ~ Cake ~ What is an individual?

Essential – and Expendable – Labor, in Mexico, for the US

How workers in Mexico are now essential—to U.S. corporations.

Links 7/24/2020

Unequal Consequences of COVID-19 Across Age and Income

A six-country look at who is affected by Covid-19 and what there responses tend to be.

Brexit and Inertia

Things have changed very little on the Brexit front, which is not good.

Why Does Essential Work Pay So Little… And Cost So Much?

Ruminations on the nature of work and employment.

2:00PM Water Cooler 7/23/2020

New and improved COVID chart ~ Biden’s promises rich donors no new legislation ~ Biden’s empathy ~ Karen Bass in Biden veepstakes ~ Sanders on task forces ~ Glen Ford on fascism ~ Unemployment, manfacturing ~ Climate migration ~ Breonna Taylor ~ Sid the Kitten ~ Taibbi bingo

Indian Farmers Are Staring at Suicide as Modi Government Looks the Other Way

An account from India on farmer suicide and why many could have been prevented.

Links 7/23/2020

Pathbreaking Public Pension Case Mayberry v. KKR Is Back From the Dead as Kentucky Attorney General Joins Case

The unexpected resurrection of the pathbreaking pension lawsuit Mayberry v. KKR is a welcome but politically extremely puzzling development.

Are American Colleges and Universities the Next Covid Casualties?

Colleges and universities need to be saved, not only from financial ruin, but also, all too often, from themselves.

Marketing Is the Original Behavioral Economics

Showing that behavioral economics is just marketing wine in new bottles.

2:00PM Water Cooler 7/22/2020

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~