Capitalism
How the Rich and Big Corporations Feed Off Us During the Pandemic
The rich and corporations win even during a global pandemic. —>> read more –>>
Capitalism
We’re number 40, no we’re number 39, no, number 61, yea, we’re number 1 in incarceration!!!
The decline of the US has become so marked over the last few decades that the stories and numbers no longer shock. From a country with an enormous middle class we have become a country with rich, super-rich and big corporations at the top while the vast majority, more than —>> read more –>>
Capitalism
Recently Noted – the chemical industry, government, and personal connections to TCE
Back in the early and mid ‘70s both Karen and I worked in various machine shops and other industrial locations. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was used on a daily basis to clean metals parts and other materials. I remember a large tank of slowly roiling hot TCE at Stevens Arnold, Inc. in —>> read more –>>
Economy
The Coming End of Branding and Logos….. the shutdown
Perhaps the ceaseless clamoring for our attention by marketers is reaching its final stage of saturation in which our brains simply shut down and go on attention strike. —>> read more –>>
Justice/Jails
The Other Side of Our Judicial System – Civil Law
The Criminal Justice System In recent years many people have taken note of the US lead in incarceration in all its racist wonder. Our nearest competitor, Russia, lags by 40% while our competitor cohort, Germany, France, Japan, and so on, incarcerate a mere 1/10 or less of our world-leading rate. —>> read more –>>
Briefly Noted
Recently Noted – “Across America, working-class people are dying of despair”
Essay explores the grim reality of life in one small corner of America within the broader landscape of the bottom 90%. —>> read more –>>
Capitalism
Real Estate Development – a local story –
In an area with dozens of empty store fronts and several hundred thousand sq ft of empty space, a new strip mall is approved for construction. A rational market?? —>> read more –>>
Empire
How America Tortures – a new report with drawings and a movie
How America Tortures by M. P. Denbeaux, & Seton Hall University. (2019) This report includes eight drawings by Abu Zubaydah, a Guantanamo detainee, illustrating his experiences during torture sessions. Abu Zubaydah is also a figure in the movie discussed below. This report is really a short book, some 95 pages —>> read more –>>
Briefly Noted
The Great Recycling Con video story – recently noted
Over 90% of plastic materials in consumer items and packaging end up in landfill dumps. Time for industry to take responsibility for their waste. —>> read more –>>
Politics
A Window into the Minds of Conservatives – The Bulwark
It is a continuing source of amazement and consternation that most conservatives and evangelical Christians support Trump. So many of his character features would seem to be inimical to both of these groups. We won’t list them here since that is hardly necessary. Trump demonstrates them on a daily if —>> read more –>>
Capitalism
Nobel Prize Winners Critique Markets – Duflo and Bannerjee
Nobel Prize winners Duflo and Bannerjee take on idealized views of markets. They target the role of financial incentives, markets as self-correcting, efficient and ethically sound. —>> read more –>>
Briefly Noted
Market Concentration – Walmart and Groceries
The Visual Capitalist added another graphic example of the increasing concentration, monopolization, of markets, in this case for groceries. Even here in Hudson NY we can see the impact of Walmart locally. Two years ago we had three large supermarkets within 4 miles. Price Chopper gave up the ghost leaving —>> read more –>>