Federal government moves to reduce sentences of 46,000 drug offenders … The U.S. Sentencing Commission voted Friday to slash the sentences of 46,000 inmates serving time for drug offenses, the latest move by federal officials to ease decades-old policies that have clogged the nation's prisons. If the decision is not blocked by Congress, nearly half of federal prisoners incarcerated for d...Read More
The Robot Economy and the Crisis of Capitalism: Why We Need Universal Basic Income … The material prosperity that capitalism has wrought is the product of technology, as well as markets (and social norms and state institutions). Markets enhance the efficiency of allocation of resources – such as human labour – between competing projects, while technological innovations enhance th...Read More
The truth is, you've never had the 'right to be forgotten' … A recent ruling by Europe's top court has given its people a "right to be forgotten." Google and other search engines must now delete "inadequate, irrelevant, or no longer relevant, or excessive" information from search queries when a European individual requests it, even when the info is true. &...Read More
The Robot Economy and the Crisis of Capitalism: Why We Need Universal Basic Income … The material prosperity that capitalism has wrought is the product of technology, as well as markets (and social norms and state institutions). Markets enhance the efficiency of allocation of resources – such as human labour – between competing projects, while technological innovations enhance th...Read More
The truth is, you've never had the 'right to be forgotten' … A recent ruling by Europe's top court has given its people a "right to be forgotten." Google and other search engines must now delete "inadequate, irrelevant, or no longer relevant, or excessive" information from search queries when a European individual requests it, even when the info is true. &...Read More
Google likely trillion dollar company … Google has the potential to hit a trillion-dollar market cap in the next 10 years, according to one technology investing leader. Jim Breyer, founder and CEO at Breyer Capital and a partner in Accel Partners, expects the search engine giant to join Facebook in gobbling up smaller companies and continuing to grow rapidly. "The environment we're...Read More
Proof that the point of the IRS 'scandal' was to cut the IRS budget … It was obvious almost from the inception of the ginned-up IRS "scandal" that its goal was to intimidate the agency into allowing bogus nonprofits to funnel cash into election campaigns. That's exactly what happened, as is shown by an exhaustive study by the Center for Public Integrity. – LA Time...Read More
Google likely trillion dollar company … Google has the potential to hit a trillion-dollar market cap in the next 10 years, according to one technology investing leader. Jim Breyer, founder and CEO at Breyer Capital and a partner in Accel Partners, expects the search engine giant to join Facebook in gobbling up smaller companies and continuing to grow rapidly. "The environment we're...Read More
Proof that the point of the IRS 'scandal' was to cut the IRS budget … It was obvious almost from the inception of the ginned-up IRS "scandal" that its goal was to intimidate the agency into allowing bogus nonprofits to funnel cash into election campaigns. That's exactly what happened, as is shown by an exhaustive study by the Center for Public Integrity. – LA Time...Read More
CNBC's Rick Santelli Was Embarrassed on Live TV for Being Wrong About the Economy. But He's Hardly Alone … CNBC's Rick Santelli, often credited with inspiring the Tea Party movement, made news Monday for yet another outburst on air. He repeated his usual rant against the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy, prompting CNBC senor economics reporter Steve Liesman to unleash...Read More
In Australia, Shinzo Abe Astutely Handles History … Abe showed that he understands how the past must be handled in order to further important strategic goals. Like the NATO leaders at Normandy, Abe followed the playbook for reconciliation." Japan's premier Shinzo Abe has a reputation for policies and gestures that are offensive to World War II victims, but his recent speech to the A...Read More
CNBC's Rick Santelli Was Embarrassed on Live TV for Being Wrong About the Economy. But He's Hardly Alone … CNBC's Rick Santelli, often credited with inspiring the Tea Party movement, made news Monday for yet another outburst on air. He repeated his usual rant against the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy, prompting CNBC senor economics reporter Steve Liesman to unleash...Read More
In Australia, Shinzo Abe Astutely Handles History … Abe showed that he understands how the past must be handled in order to further important strategic goals. Like the NATO leaders at Normandy, Abe followed the playbook for reconciliation." Japan's premier Shinzo Abe has a reputation for policies and gestures that are offensive to World War II victims, but his recent speech to the A...Read More
Inequality Is Forcing US Towns To Try Scandinavia-Style Taxation — And It's Working … The New York Times travel section, not known for its frugality, recently warned readers about the sticker shock of a Scandinavian vacation. "Prices do mean that unless money is no object, you'll need to modify expectations," the piece advised. In Norway, a burger and fries at a fast...Read More
The CIA spying scandal and the disintegration of American democracy … Last Thursday, the US Department of Justice quietly announced that it would not launch a criminal investigation following the revelation in March that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had spied on the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee. News of this decision—which concerns one of the most significant con...Read More
Inequality Is Forcing US Towns To Try Scandinavia-Style Taxation — And It's Working … The New York Times travel section, not known for its frugality, recently warned readers about the sticker shock of a Scandinavian vacation. "Prices do mean that unless money is no object, you'll need to modify expectations," the piece advised. In Norway, a burger and fries at a fast...Read More
The CIA spying scandal and the disintegration of American democracy … Last Thursday, the US Department of Justice quietly announced that it would not launch a criminal investigation following the revelation in March that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had spied on the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee. News of this decision—which concerns one of the most significant con...Read More
Janet Yellen could be a little clearer … What the Fed Really Meant to Say … The gap between what the Federal Reserve says about monetary policy and what investors think it's saying would be funny if it weren't so important. Most of this gap is the listeners' fault – but not all. The Fed could do a better job of explaining itself. – BloombergDominant Social Theme...Read More
America Fails the 'Rule of Law' Test … The U.S. doesn't even come close to meeting the standards articulated by its own army. Why isn't establishment Washington alarmed? … The U.S. Army field manual defines "the rule of law" as follows: "The rule of law refers to a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private...Read More
Janet Yellen could be a little clearer … What the Fed Really Meant to Say … The gap between what the Federal Reserve says about monetary policy and what investors think it's saying would be funny if it weren't so important. Most of this gap is the listeners' fault – but not all. The Fed could do a better job of explaining itself. – BloombergDominant Social Theme...Read More