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5146 [lbo-talk] Unity '09: who's influencing whom? -- rank: 1000

<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20008.html> Unity '09: Dem groups quietly align By BEN SMITH | 3/14/09 8:48 PM EDT Left-leaning groups are quietly closing ranks into a new coalition. A broad coalition of left-leaning groups is quietly closing ranks into a new coalition, "Unity '09," aimed at helping President Barack Obama push his agenda through Congress. Conceived at a New York meeting before the November election, two Democrats familiar with the planning said, Uni ...

Document Size:	9437
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Sat Mar 14 18:25:46 PDT 2009

5147 [lbo-talk] The real problem: public sector unions! -- rank: 1000

On Mar 14, 2009, at 7:21 PM, Jordan Hayes wrote: > I'm not exactly sure what to make of this or where it's coming from. > > http://ecoworld.com/blog/2008/10/07/abolish-public-employee-pensions/ > > But: it's a bold new idea :-) No, don't know where it's coming from, but I'm really not sure about this: "the average government worker in California often earns 2-4x what globalized private sector workers earn to do jobs of comparable worth" First, the assumption that the p ...

Document Size:	5649
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Sat Mar 14 18:22:23 PDT 2009

5148 [lbo-talk] a post-capitalist future -- rank: 1000

On Mar 14, 2009, at 7:13 PM, Eric Beck wrote: > So, mildly pwoggy food and day-care coops, in which people work with > other people, are indicative of reactionary individualism but mildly > pwoggy homeowners associations, in which owners work with other > owners, are a stop on the path to socialism? Good to know. I did say that most of those things were very nice, and I meant it. But otherwise: scale, dude. Day care is mostly organized around small proprietorships. Housing, however ...

Document Size:	5738
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Sat Mar 14 18:18:15 PDT 2009

5149 [lbo-talk] global stimulus: "colossal" -- rank: 1000

On Mar 14, 2009, at 12:15 AM, Michael Smith wrote: > Doug, this is not a rhetorical question, though > I know it sounds like one. Do you believe that the > elites care about the provision of jobs and the production > of goods? Economic elites care about it to the degree that if it implodes - meaning more than an ordinary recession - profits and asset values will implode. Political elites, if they have to be elected, have to care about it so some degree if they want to get elected. ...

Document Size:	5342
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Sat Mar 14 04:11:49 PDT 2009

5150 [lbo-talk] global stimulus: "colossal" -- rank: 1000

On Mar 13, 2009, at 9:44 PM, Bill Bartlett wrote: > Keeping the bubble inflated seems to be the agreed strategy. I > wonder what the long term strategy is? Not exactly. Keeping the real economy, where goods are produced and jobs are provided, from imploding is the strategy. What's your idea? Just let it all go down? Doug

Document Size:	4966
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Fri Mar 13 20:47:46 PDT 2009

5151 [lbo-talk] a post-capitalist future -- rank: 1000

The Nation is doing a series on socialism. My contribution: <http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090330/henwood>. Doug

Document Size:	4648
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Fri Mar 13 18:45:35 PDT 2009

5152 [lbo-talk] fresh punditry -- rank: 1000

http://doughenwood.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/radio-commentary-march-12-2009/

Document Size:	4618
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Fri Mar 13 18:13:58 PDT 2009

5153 [lbo-talk] fresh punditry -- rank: 1000

Fresh radio punditry at: <http://doughenwood.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/radio-commentary-march-12-2009/>

Document Size:	4773
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Fri Mar 13 11:06:05 PDT 2009

5154 [lbo-talk] The coming evangelical collapse -- rank: 1000

On Mar 13, 2009, at 1:44 PM, Mark Bennett wrote: > That's hitting the nail on the head. Of course, it takes a > theologian of > genuis to "articulate the Gospel with any coherence"; but, still, it's > remarkable how these militant "Christians" are, in many cases, utterly > ignorant of the Gospels, Christ, and the New Testament in general, > except > for The Book of Revelations, of course, read in the most literal > manner > possible. I remember con ...

Document Size:	5422
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Fri Mar 13 10:53:50 PDT 2009

5155 [lbo-talk] global stimulus: "colossal" -- rank: 1000

Ed Hyman, Wall Street's favorite economist, has been keeping tabs on global stimulus programs. In today's review, he says the latest round - over $200 billion from Japan, and a $27 billion fund to buy distressed corporate bonds in Korea (the equivalent of about $500 billion in the U.S., GDP-wise), plus a number of deep central bank interest rate cuts - brings the global total from the "massive" to the "truly colossal."

Document Size:	5034
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Fri Mar 13 09:01:44 PDT 2009

5156 [lbo-talk] newspaper crisis? eh, who cares? -- rank: 1000

Apparently not that many Americans would miss their local paper if it disappeared: <http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1147/newspapers-struggle-public-not-concerned >

Document Size:	4983
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Fri Mar 13 08:40:35 PDT 2009

5157 [lbo-talk] Goldman/Krugman: The limits of quantitative easing -- rank: 1000

Here's the GS piece, by the way. Doug ---- · The Federal Open Market Committee pushed conventional monetary policy to the limit in December when it lowered the fed funds target to a range of 0-25 basis points and stated that it expected "exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for some time." · The focus of investors and policymakers has now turned to unconventional easing. However, with both policymakers and investors operating in uncharted territory, it is ...

Document Size:	14674
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Thu Mar 12 19:03:44 PDT 2009

5158 [lbo-talk] Politico: Second stimulus anathema on Capitol Hill -- rank: 1000

On Mar 12, 2009, at 3:53 PM, SA wrote: > [What a disaster. Economists used to say we'd never have another > depression because we learned from our mistakes the first time. > Turns out they've learned nothing and forgotten everything.] > > > Second stimulus? Never heard of it! Don't want to defend these jackasses too much, but the money hasn't really started flowing yet. It's a little premature to talk about a second stimulus.

Document Size:	5272
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Thu Mar 12 18:47:32 PDT 2009

5159 [lbo-talk] more Americans deny reality -- rank: 1000

On Mar 12, 2009, at 4:48 PM, Alex wrote: > I had always heard that Frank Luntz was responsible for this switch > because his focus groups found "change" to be less threatening than > "warming". I've continued to use "warming" for spite. Yeah, I've heard that too, but "warming" is less accurate, because there's also more volatility - wilder swings, meaner storms, etc.

Document Size:	4985
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Thu Mar 12 18:46:41 PDT 2009

5160 [lbo-talk] sex at the margins -- rank: 1000

On Mar 12, 2009, at 7:29 PM, Carrol Cox wrote: > And in a preceding post he identified himself as a cop. > > He is a self-proclaimed scab. Why continue conversation with hin? Lighten up, dude.

Document Size:	4681
Author:	Doug Henwood
Date:	Thu Mar 12 18:39:14 PDT 2009