April 19,2011 BUSINESS INSIDER– In the U.S. debate on social spending and entitlements, it’s important to remember that we spend more than some and less than most. In fact, we’re ninth from the bottom of the OECD‘s 34 listed countries in social spending as a share of the economy. Ireland is above us and Australia below. Following is a list of the … Read More
WALL STREET JOURNAL– For the second time, Icelanders voted down a deal to repay Britain and the Netherlands billions of euros lost in the island nation’s 2008 financial collapse—at once a bold popular rejection of the notion that taxpayers must bear the burden for bankers’ woes and a risky outcome that will complicate Iceland’s efforts to rejoin global markets. The … Read More
COMMONDREAMS – When we study Marx in my graduate social theory course, it never fails that at least one student will say (approximately), “Class struggle didn’t escalate in the way Marx expected. In modern capitalist societies class struggle has disappeared. So isn’t it clear that Marx was wrong and his ideas are of little value today?” I respond by challenging … Read More
CNN– High residential vacancies are killing many housing markets, as foreclosed homes sit on the market and depress sale prices and property values. And it’s only getting worse: The national vacancy rate crept up to just over 13% according to last week’s decennial census report. That’s up from 12.1% in 2007. “More vacant homes equal more downward pressure on home … Read More
