November 15, 2023 . . . Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) scolding his colleagues: “One thing. I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing. One. That I can go campaign on and say we did. One! Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me, one material, meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done besides, ‘Well, I guess it’s not as bad as the Democrats.’” In contrast,...
Read More »Real retail sales consistent with continued slow growth, aided by a continuing decline in commodity prices
If you have been following NDd, you will note one of the biggest issues with the economy is supply chain. Most notably shortages of raw material, components, and finished products. Similar occurred in 2008 and my own belief is this is a recurrence of similar. I believe much of this could have been prevented. Beyongd that remark, I will let NDd tell you how falling costs impacts the economy. Real retail sales consistent with continued slow growth,...
Read More »Mao with money
The October 30 issue of The New Yorker has a piece on Xi’s China called “China’s Age of Malaise.” While the mainstream media continues to promote the idea that China has become a wellspring of creativity and economic competition, the reality is that China is retreating into the rigid, sclerotic political dogmatism that characterized the Mao era and that brought down the Soviet Union. The money grafs:“Early this year, the Party launched a campaign to...
Read More »How I Learned to Soak the Rich
From time to time I argue that the optimal strategy for Democrats is good old egalitarian populism: soak the rich and spread it out thin. I note the polls which have, for 3 decades now, shown that a majority of US adults think that upper income people and corporations pay less than their fair share in taxes and the fact that Bill Clinton, Obama, and Biden were elected promising to raise taxes on the rich and cut taxes on everyone else. I suppose...
Read More »Greenspan Admits ‘Flaw’ to Congress, Predicts More Economic Problems
Just some history . . . An October 15, 2008, article in The Washington Post analyzing the origins of the economic crisis claims Greenspan vehemently opposed any regulation of derivatives, and actively sought to undermine the office of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. If you recall, Brooksley Born was the head of the CFTC. A litany od experts and political figures mounted an attack on her in Congress. “The messenger wore a skirt,”...
Read More »GDP growth of 4.3% in 3rd Qtr.
Late on the draw here . . . Missed this over the last week. Been too busy doing other things with Angry Bear and looking for a Word Press expert who can help Angry Bear solve some issues. You have to wonder what Fed Chief Jerome Powell is going to do next. If you have been reading New Deal democrat (Richard), it appears we are on the edge of a recession of some type. I am hoping he waits. The returns or values on my funds are decreasing so what...
Read More »Gaza N
This is an inspiring article, but one sentence makes me sad “Israel’s massive democracy movement is ready for war” The general inspiring story is that the massive movement trying to protect the Israeli judiciary from Netanyahu has temporarily shifted to protecting Israel from Hamas and helping internally displaced Israelis. “ a logical evolution, said Bressler, who now visits victims around the country and finds herself “at too many...
Read More »Biden, Netanyahu, and Gaza
First if my obsession with sharing ideas based on my almost total ignorance is getting to be a nuisance please tell me (can’t hurt – might get me to stop – no promises). Second, many commenters (on my pointless posts below) claim that the USA could prevent Israel from killing even larger numbers of Palestinians in the near future. I am not sure that this is possible, but in any case it is a hope not a plan. The USA acting together as actually...
Read More »Gaza Again
The useful content of this post on a topic where I have no expertise is this link to a Twitter thread by Gen Mark Hertling (retired) who has a whole lot of expertise and is also very smart and reasonable. The thread is brief. I suggest reading it. I also quote one tweet here: “There will be an IDF incursion. Hamas will prove better than many expect in repelling the IDF advance. Unfortunately, I also believe the fight will last a long time, will...
Read More »Blame and Consequences
There are good reasons to want to know the cause of an accident, a fire, – or even a crime; finding out the cause of – the reason for – something undesirable happening could help prevent a recurrence.The media seem to think that we, the public, feel that assigning blame is at least as important as determining the cause. Or, perhaps, it is top-down; the media want us to think it is at least as important to find someone to blame as it is to find the...
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