It was recently argued to me that the existence of morals in policymaking, referred to as a “moral-based system,” and that because “we” cannot ever agree on anything, is why Congress is so ineffective when concerned with adequately responding to the will of the electorate. This thesis is not only…
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Private banks, with their myriad functions and qualities—like being deputized by the federal government to disburse loans and engage in activities that resemble money creation—don’t exist to advance public good. They exist to rake in exorbitant profits for themselves, proving time and again they’ll do anything in their power to…
Comments closedThis was entirely too much for a Twitter thread. I’ve been in some mental crisis lately thinking about a serious path to writing constantly on this blog and growing readership for the benefit of everyone here involved with the whole Lodestone project. They are putting their energy in here as…
Comments closedEvery facet of American life revolves around profiteering like it’s mandated by God, where giant companies exist in highly consolidated markets in attempt to swallow them whole. As if it were not enough to ruthlessly push out competitors and erect high barriers to entry for startups and small businesses, these…
Comments closedBy now we’ve had time to soak in the release of some earth-shattering information about corruption and wealth hoarding abetted by the shadow finance industry in the Pandora Papers, from the research highlighting wealth hoarding of the country’s top 1% and massive corporate profits resulting from generous taxation policy and…
Comments closedI read a lot. Everyday. Mostly books about economics/political economy/history/climate change. Additionally, I read at least an article a day about similar issues, but also occasionally read other things like novels, movie review articles, and literary essays. This has made me just as good at collecting books (and papers and…
Comments closedThere’s plenty of charm and a certain amount of feel-goodness in SimCity. There’s a playlist of soothing, lyric-free house music that renders the gameplay therapeutic if played at the right pace. There’s a playful and customizable mix of attention-grabbing maps, creative tools, cultural buildings, terrains, and city resources coming together…
Comments closedPresident Biden spoke yesterday responding to questions about the nation’s supposed “labor shortage.” “Pay them more,” he urged employers across the land on national television. I wonder if there are any other policy options besides trusting private industry not to exploit and squeeze their workers. Other than the ridiculousness of…
Comments closedOne problem with the way antitrust doctrine is applied today in courts, which itself is an ahistorical interpretation of the law, is the way judges apply the “principles” of economics to their legal analysis of monopoly (anticompetitive) harms, harms sustained by immense market power. The standard, popular threshold to measure…
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