Tag Archives: United States

The president surrenders

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Michaela

By Paul Krugman A deal to raise the federal debt ceiling is in the works. If it goes through, many commentators will declare that disaster was avoided. But they will be wrong. For the deal itself, given the available information, … Continue reading →

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Stop screwing around

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Michaela

From the Economist MAYBE everything will turn out all right. One shouldn’t forget that possibility. As each day passes, however, frustration grows. Leaders in America and Europe are dallying with failure on an epic scale. They are constrained by dysfunctional … Continue reading →

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The culture of balance

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Michaela

By Paul Krugman The facts of the crisis over the debt ceiling aren’t complicated. Republicans have, in effect, taken America hostage, threatening to undermine the economy and disrupt the essential business of government unless they get policy concessions they would … Continue reading →

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Cutting, taxing, spending….

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Michaela

By Thomas L Friedman There is only one thing worse than Republicans and Democrats failing to agree to lift the debt ceiling, and that is lifting the debt ceiling without a well-thought-out plan and with hasty cuts totaling trillions of … Continue reading →

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Smash the Ceiling

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Michaela

By James Surowiecki In the past few years, the U.S. economy has been beset by the subprime meltdown, skyrocketing oil prices, the Eurozone debt crisis, and even the Tohoku earthquake. Now it’s staring at a new problem—a failure to raise … Continue reading →

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The silence of the United States

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Michaela

Freedom vs interest – Fault Lines’ Seb Walker travels to the Perisan Gulf to look at US policy in the region, and to explore why the US has taken an interventionist policy in Libya, but not in Bahrain, where there has … Continue reading →

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Debt and delusion

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Michaela

By Robert J. Shiller Economists like to talk about thresholds that, if crossed, spell trouble. Usually there is an element of truth in what they say. But the public often overreacts to such talk. Consider, for example, the debt-to-GDP ratio, much … Continue reading →

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Lack of wisdom

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Michaela

By Paul Krugman These are interesting times — and I mean that in the worst way. Right now we’re looking at not one but two looming crises, either of which could produce a global disaster. In the United States, right-wing … Continue reading →

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Imperial retreat

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Michaela

Tarak Barkawi Not so long ago, Western powers were doubling down on their commitment to Afghanistan. Dire warnings circulated about how the US “abandoned” the country after the Soviet retreat. This time, the West would stay and help Afghanistan achieve … Continue reading →

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Sobering

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Michaela

I came across this break down of US Federal Taxes. So where does the tax money go ? And more importantly – how do you feel about how the money you contribute to the administration is being spent ? Many … Continue reading →

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