Posted on by Erik J. Heels

* Drawings, Charts, And Videos That Explain The Recession

9/11 Wars + Tax Cuts + Bailouts = Recession.

This article analyzes, chronologically, how the US got itself – and the world – into the current recession. I wrote this post primarily for me, because I don’t want to forget how we got into this mess. But if others like it, that’s gravy.

For the record, I have never belonged to any political party. As it says under “political views” on my Facebook profile, “I vote for the smartest candidate. It doesn’t always work out.”

1946-2001: Back Story

  1. Book Review: Economics In One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt (1946, Yes, 1946)
    The current recession began in 1946 when zero politicians bought this book. You don’t need to study economics in school. You need to read this book. Hazlitt explains, in simple terms, how classic economic mistakes are made by pursuing short-term policies that benefit only a select few at the expense of a long-term policies that could benefit many.
  2. Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’ (2001-01-17)
    Under President Bill Clinton, the US enjoyed peace and prosperity. With this story, [satirical publication] The Onion joked about what would happen after George W. Bush was inaugurated. Now who’s laughing?

2001-2008: The Big Four Expenses

President George W. Bush started two wars and created two windfalls (Bush tax cuts for the rich and TARP bailouts for Wall Street banks). These are the Big Four expenses that started the current economic downturn.

  1. Afghanistan War (2001-10-07)
  2. Iraq War (2003-03-20)
  3. Bush Tax Cuts (2003-05-23)
  4. TARP Bailouts (2008-10-03)

2008-2010: Recession (Part 1)

President Barack Obama promised to end the two wars and the two windfalls (Bush tax cuts and TARP bailouts). To date, he has done none of this. In late 2010, Obama extended the Bush-era tax cuts. So they are Obama’s tax cuts now.

  1. The Sub-Prime Primer (2008-05-07)
    The housing market started to collapse in 2008. This presentation explains how and why the housing market failed.
  2. The Crash Course: The Unsustainable Future Of Our Economy, Energy, And Environment (2008-10)
    First a video series, then a book, Crash Course will teach you why we’re all screwed – unless we change now. If you dare watch/read it. For example, you’ll learn why ordinary Americans are forced to invest their retirement savings in risky stocks just to keep up with inflation.
  3. Chart: Debt With And Without Bush Tax Cuts (2008-12-02)
    Nearly four years ago, The New York Times warned about the impact of the Bush tax cuts.
  4. Infographic of the Day: Our Lost Decade (2010-01-06)
    Zero percent job growth over the last decade.
  5. Infographic of the Day: Just How Big Is the Deficit? (2010-02-03)
    Worst deficit since World War II (WWII, WW2).
  6. Chart: VC-Backed IPOs and M&A Deals 1992-2009 (2010-05-31)
  7. Infographic of the Day: The Entire History of the American Presidency (2010-06-10)
    This great poster gives context to politics and the economy from 1776 to 2010.
  8. The Student Loan Scheme (2010-09-16)
    Amendments to the Bankruptcy Code in 2005 prevent student loan debt from being discharged in bankruptcy.
  9. Comic: Puzzled by the Downturn (2010-11-05)
  10. Chart: Economic DownTurn, Financial Rescues, And Legacy of Bush Policies Drive Record Deficits (2010-12-03)
  11. Obama extends Bush-era tax cuts (2010-12-17)

2011-Present: Recession (Part 2)

Some economists have declared that the late 2000s recession is over. But with US unemployment at 9%, it’s safe to say that the 2008-present recession is alive and well.

  1. Average Sole Proprietor’s Net Income 1980-2007 (2011-01-10)
  2. Scary Unemployment Chart (2011-02-07)
  3. Rising Inequality Since 1970s: A Sharp Break From Shared Prosperity Of Earlier Era (2011-04-08)
  4. Chart: Startups As A Percentage Of All Businesses 1977-2009 (2011-06-06)
  5. US Budget: 20% Defense, 20% Social Security, 15% Medicare (Elderly), 8% Medicaid (Poor), 37% Other *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Us_budget (2011-06-10)
  6. Too Big to Fail: Inside America’s Economic Downfall [Infographic] (2011-06-30)
  7. The Truth About Who’s Responsible For The Explosion In Government Spending (2011-07-11)
  8. The Truth About Who’s Responsible For Our Massive Budget Deficit (2011-07-11)
  9. USA Inc. – Where We Are, How We Got Here, What May Be Next (2011-07-20)
    USA Inc. is a nonpartisan group that looks at the US federal government as if it were a business.
  10. Chart: Policy Changes Under Two Presidents (2011-07-26)
  11. Chart: Where Does U.S. National Debt Come From? [Infographic] (2011-07-27)
  12. The Original ‘Scariest Jobs Chart Ever’ Is Still Plenty Scary (2011-08-05)
  13. A timeline of events (2011-08-06)
  14. US Debt Crisis Explained (2011-08-10)
  15. The Onion predicts the future (2011-08-11)
    Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’
  16. Remove Eight Zeros (2011-08-14)
    The best way for most Americans to understand the big numbers in the US budget is to remove eight zeros and pretend its a family budget.
  17. The Limping Middle Class (2011-09-04)
    18. The Great Prosperity 1947-1979 vs. The Great Regression 1980-2011 (2011-09-04)
  18. WARREN BUFFETT CALLS BS ON TAX BS: Taxing Billionaires More Won’t Hurt The Economy (2011-09-10)
    Buffet talks a good talk, but he rarely acts on his political ideas.
  19. 9/11 anniversary: National Memorial in New York opens (2011-09-12)
  20. The Middle Class Is Dead (2011-09-12)
  21. US poverty rate hits record high (2011-09-14)
  22. The lost decade for the middle class (2011-09-16)

2011-Present: #Occupy

The #Occupy Movement: The Frogs Figured Out That The Water Was Boiling. To late? Or just in time. (That first sentence is in init caps because it was going to be the title of this post.) I recall what one Occupy Boston protester said about why he was protesting: “The Bush Administration may have caused the recession, but the Obama Administration didn’t do what it said it was going to do to end the recession (namely ending the wars, the Bush tax cuts, and the bailouts), and so we the Occupiers feel disenfranchised, with nowhere to turn but the streets.” Then, rather than arresting the politicians and bankers that caused the economic mess, the police started arresting the 99%! Crazy. Perhaps 10 years after 9/11, the terrorists have won.

  1. Occupy Wall Street (OWS) Starts (2011-09-17)
  2. 14 Reasons People Are Occupying Wall Street (2011-09-28)
  3. 11 Ways America is Keeping Poor People Poor (2011-09-30)
  4. One Third Of Veterans Don’t Back Wars (2011-10-06)
  5. Watch Protesters Take Wall Street as Fancy Bankers Look On [Video] (2011-10-06)
  6. Finally, A Clear Explanation Of What The Wall Street Protesters Are So Angry About (2011-10-09)
  7. Here’s The Chart That Will Get Obama Fired (2011-10-09)
  8. 72 Cities That Have Joined The Occupied Movement (2011-10-09)
  9. Chart: Growth Of Family Income 1947-2007: We Grew Apart (2011-10-11)
  10. What Would George Carlin Say About #OccupyWallStreet? (2011-10-12)
    NSFW but worth the read.
  11. Here’s What The 99% Are Angry About (2011-10-13)
  12. The Protesters Are Getting Their Act Together! (2011-10-13)
  13. Violence Erupts in Rome as Occupy Wall Street Goes Global (2011-10-15)
  14. Four Charts That Explain What The Protesters Are Angry About (2011-10-15)
  15. Amazing Charts Show How 90% Of The Country Has Gotten Shafted Over The Past 30 Years (2011-10-15)
  16. NYPD Arrests Citibank Customer For Taking Money Out Of Own Account (2011-10-15)
  17. Chart: US Debt Accumulation by President (2011-10-16)
  18. Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance (2011-10-17)
    This is a great read. Example:

    “11. Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending.”

  19. U.S. Marine Demolishes NYPD, Defends #OccupyWallStreet (2011-10-17)
  20. The Greatest #OccupyWallStreet Sign Ever (2011-10-17)
  21. Occupy George, Occupy Wall Street Infographics Printed On Dollar Bills (2011-10-18)
  22. 15 Great #OccupyWallStreet Political Cartoons (2011-10-18)
  23. Libya’s interim leader confirms Gadhafi killed (2011-10-20)
  24. Chart: How Many Millionaires In Congress? (2011-10-20)
  25. Chart: Self-Employment Income 2006-2011 (2011-10-24)
  26. Top Earners Doubled Share of Nation’s Income, CBO Says (2011-10-26)
  27. Why Obama should call for a breakup of big banks (2011-10-26)
  28. Before & After: Occupy Oakland (2011-10-26)
  29. Jon Stewart: ‘What the F*ck Happened in Oakland?’ [Video] (2011-10-27)
  30. Why the current revenue model of higher education is in trouble (2011-10-27)
  31. If US Land Were Divided Like US Wealth (2011-10-28)
  32. The Washington Post: What caused the financial crisis? The Big Lie goes viral (2011-10-31)
  33. Congress’ Net Worth Up 25% Since 2008 [The Rich] (2011-11-01)
  34. College has been oversold (2011-11-02)
  35. Super committee: Let Bush tax cuts expire and your work will be done (2011-11-02)
  36. Why College? A Comic Strip People Should See In High School (2011-11-04)
  37. Chart: Italy GDP Growth (2011-11-08)
  38. Why American Roads Are So Bad (2011-11-08)
  39. NEW POLL: Americans Want Everything [Video] (2011-11-08)
  40. US poverty: Blame the government (2011-11-09)
  41. Please Help Us Figure Out How To Solve The Inequality Problem (2011-11-13)
  42. Police Destroy 5,000 Books In Their Eviction Of #OccupyWallStreet (2011-11-15)
  43. How the rich stay rich (2011-11-15)
  44. Occupiers occupied: The hijacking of the First Amendment (2011-11-16)
  45. OUTRAGE OF THE MONTH: Insider Trading In Congress (2011-11-16)
  46. Chart: The Popularity Of Congress Compared With Other Unpopular Things (2011-11-17)
  47. Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont), Senate Budget Committee (2011-11-18)
  48. Lobbyists and Politicians Beware: First Street Reveals Your Hidden Connections (2011-11-18)
  49. The real problem with Occupy Wall Street? This Google search: http://t.co/LMJRKSYs (2011-11-19)
  50. Venn Diagram: Federal Government vs. Goldman Sachs (2011-11-20)
  51. Egyptian State TV Uses The Police Response To #Occupy To Justify Their Own Brutality (2011-11-21)
  52. CNN’s David Gergen: Have they gone nuts in Washington? (2011-11-21)
  53. Five reasons why the congressional supercommittee failed (2011-11-21)
  54. Occupy Wall Street Moves Into New Phase With Student Debt Refusal Campaign (2011-11-21)

Summary

There are many problems with the world, its economy, and its denizens.

People have a short attention span. Most have forgotten the Big Four and what preceded it (9/11).

People make decisions based on emotion, not on logic.

People don’t understand large numbers like billions and trillions (hint: try removing eight zeros).

People take facts out of context.

News is entertainment.

Politicians know people.

So what happens? Politicians prey on emotions to get people to vote in certain ways.

It’s takes money to make money.

Power corrupts.

Lobbyists lobby, laws change.

Follow the money.

The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.

And instead of a government of the people, by the people, for the people, we have a government of the rich, by the rich, for the rich.

It is sad, but it is true. Copyright law was long ago hijacked by Hollywood. In 2011, patent law was hijacked by big business.

50% of those in Congress are millionaires. Whose interests do you think they have in mind?

I don’t know who the next US president will be. But the formula for breaking the economy is well known:

9/11 Wars + Tax Cuts + Bailouts = Recession

Here’s how to fix the economy:

End The 9/11 Wars + End The Bush Tax Cuts + End The Bailouts = End The Recession

There has been a failure of leadership in Washington, DC. There been a failure of followership. And there has been a failure of get-out-of-the-way-ship. The 112th Congress will go down in history as one of the most political, least effective, and most corrupt ever. Unless things change soon, this independent voter may end up casting protest votes in all contests for himself. Again.

I’m pretty good at spotting trends. Do you see the trend here? The natives are getting restless. The US government must reform now.

Said the king to his protesting subjects, “You have to do what I say or I can’t be king anymore!”

Exactly.

Erik J. Heels is an MIT engineer; trademark, domain name, and patent lawyer; Red Sox fan; and music lover. He blogs about technology, law, baseball, and rock ‘n’ roll at erikjheels.com.

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44 Replies to “* Drawings, Charts, And Videos That Explain The Recession”

  1. * 1992 Clinton Campaign Position Papers (1992)
    http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/political-science/speeches/

    * Did the U.S. Overreact to the 9/11 Attacks? (2012-09-10)
    http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/2012/09/10/did-the-u-s-overreact-to-the-911-attacks/

    * Tax Cuts Don’t Lead to Economic Growth, a 65-Year Study Finds (2012-09-16)
    http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/09/tax-cuts-dont-lead-to-economic-growth-a-new-65-year-study-finds/262438/

    * Romney’s Plan Will Balloon The Deficit And Radically Increase The National Debt (2012-09-17)
    http://www.businessinsider.com/how-romney-plan-will-affect-debt-2012-9

    * Free Speech in the Age of YouTube (2012-09-17)
    http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/17/free_speech_in_the_age_of_youube

    * Romney’s theory of the “taker class,” and why it matters (2012-09-17)
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/17/romneys-theory-of-the-taker-class-and-why-it-matters/

    * Thurston Howell Romney [Op-Ed] (2012-09-17)
    https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/brooks-thurston-howell-romney.html

    * Romney’s Remarks Reveal A Fatal Flaw Of Today’s Republican Party (2012-09-18)
    http://www.businessinsider.com/romney-comments-reveal-republican-party-2012-9

    * 15 YouTube Videos That Changed The World (2012-09-18)
    http://readwrite.com/2012/09/18/15-youtube-videos-that-changed-the-world

    * House agrees to eliminate funding for political conventions (2012-09-19)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0919/House-agrees-to-eliminate-funding-for-political-conventions

    * Where did the mammoth US budget deficits come from? (2012-09-28)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2012/0928/Where-did-the-mammoth-US-budget-deficits-come-from

    * The Conservative Case for Obamacare [Opinion] (2012-09-29)
    https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/opinion/sunday/why-obamacare-is-a-conservatives-dream.html

    * Is energy independence a fantasy? (2012-10-01)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2012/1001/Is-energy-independence-a-fantasy

    * 5 Online Resources for Fact Checking the Presidential Debates (2012-10-03)
    http://mashable.com/2012/10/03/debates-online-fact-check/

    * 9 Captivating Data Visualization Projects[including IsBarackObamaThePresident.com and IsMittRomneyThePresident.com] (2012-10-04)
    http://mashable.com/2012/10/04/data-visualization/

    * Below the line: Poverty in America (2012-10-07)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2012/1007/Below-the-line-Poverty-in-America

    * Mister Rogers’ Heartwarming Defense Of PBS (2012-10-09)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/babymantis/mister-rogers-heartwarming-defense-of-pbs-1opu

    * Robert Reich: The 7 Biggest Economic Lies [Video] (2012-10-10)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM5Ep9fS7Z0

    * BBC Video: Fact checkers seek election truth (2012-10-16)
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19954722

    * Electoral Precedent (2012-10-17)
    http://xkcd.com/1122/

    * Yes, We’re Better Off Than 4 Years Ago–Mostly [CHARTS] (2012-10-17)
    http://www.businessinsider.com/are-you-better-off-2012-9

    * BBC: Top 10 US political donors (2012-10-19)
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20008689

    * Infographic of shifting US political ideologies (2012-10-22)
    http://kottke.org/12/10/infographic-of-shifting-us-political-ideologies

    * Congress: Partisan and Ideological Makeup [Infographic] (2012-10-29)
    http://xkcd.com/1127/

    * Washington Post: Yes, We Need To Give Up Liberty For Security (2012-10-29)
    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml

    * Why Pundits And Politicians Hate NYT Election Forecaster Nate Silver (2012-10-30)
    http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/30/why-pundits-and-politicians-hate-nyt-election-forecaster-nate-silver/

    * ‘New York Times’ Bully Knocks Stack Of Polls From Nate Silver’s Hands [Satire] (2012-11-02)
    http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-york-times-bully-knocks-stack-of-polls-from-na,30218/

    * 5 Worst Campaign Ads Of 2012 (2012-11-03)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/nowthisnews/6-worst-campaign-ads-of-2012-749g

    * UK Editorial: US election: an Obama win is the best outcome for all (2012-11-03)
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/04/observer-editorial-obama-best-man-to-win

    * GOP’s push to suppress vote threatens democracy (2012-11-04)
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/04/opinion/hogue-voter-suppression/index.html

    * Mitt Romney Mormon Faith Video Goes Viral [VIDEO] (2012-11-05)
    http://bostinno.com/2012/11/05/mitt-romney-mormon-faith-video-goes-viral-video/

    * Infographic: A Grossly Distended Map Of America, Redrawn By Election Spending (2012-11-05)
    http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671162/infographic-a-grossly-distended-map-of-america-redrawn-by-election-spending

    * What Your Books And Websites Say About Your Politics (2012-11-05)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/what-your-media-diet-says-about-your-politics

    * The 2012 campaign in 27 tweets (2012-11-05)
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/05/politics/the-2012-campaign-in-27-tweets/index.html

    * How Statistician Nate Silver Threw A Wrench Into Traditional Election Metrics (2012-11-05)
    http://readwrite.com/2012/11/05/how-statistician-nate-silver-has-thrown-a-wrench-into-tradtional-election-metrics

    * The 10 Most Memorable Moments of the 2012 Election Season (2012-11-05)
    http://mashable.com/2012/11/05/memorable-moments-election/

    * The Most Patriotic Presidential Campaign Ad Of All Time [Reagan, 1984] (2012-11-05)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/dorsey/the-most-patriotic-presidential-campaign-ad-of-all

    * Lies, Damned Lies, and Defense-Job Statistics (2012-11-05)
    http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/05/lies_damned_lies_and_defense_job_statistics

    * What’s Wrong With Ohio Voting Machine Software? (2012-11-06)
    https://mashable.com/2012/11/06/ohio-voting-machines/

    * What If There’s a Tied Vote In Every Battleground State? (2012-11-06)
    http://gizmodo.com/5958025/what-if-theres-a-tied-vote-in-every-battleground-state

    * 21 moments that defined the campaign and America (2012-11-06)
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/06/politics/21-things-look-back/index.html

    * Election day: Most predictions of the next four years will be wrong (2012-11-06)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/1105/Election-day-Most-predictions-of-the-next-four-years-will-be-wrong-video

    * Acton Election Results 2012 (2012-11-06)
    http://acton.patch.com/articles/acton-election-results-2012

    * Massachusetts Election Results 2012 (2012-11-06)
    http://acton.patch.com/articles/massachusetts-election-results-2012

    * Tax Policy Center [Nonpartisan Stats] (2012-11-06)
    http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/

    * Is Obama The President? [Visualization, Infographic] (2012-11-06)
    http://www.IsBarackObamaThePresident.com

    * In Nate we trust. @fivethirtyeight http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/ (2012-11-06)
    https://twitter.com/ErikJHeels/status/265823826443640832

    Reply

  2. * Barack Obama: The Smallest Government Spender Since Eisenhower (2012-05-24)
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/05/24/who-is-the-smallest-government-spender-since-eisenhower-would-you-believe-its-barack-obama/

    * U.S. Representative Bill Young (R-FL) Tells Employed Constituent To ‘Get A Job’ (2012-07-06)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/bearvsshark/gop-rep-tells-employed-constituent-to-get-a-job-p3g

    * MIT Economist: Big Banks Have ‘Hijacked’ The Political Process (2012-07-10)
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/mit-economist-daron-acemoglu-big-banks-regulation_n_1660371.html

    * Opinion: Fix The Rot In Banking (2012-07-10)
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/opinion/labelle-libor-banking-culture/index.html

    * Democracy Fail: 200 People Donate 80% Of Political Campaign Funds (2012-07-10)
    http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/07/big-campaign-spending-government-by-the-1/259599/

    * An Analysis Of Mitt Romney’s Plan To Fix The Economy (2012-07-11)
    http://www.businessinsider.com/analysis-mitt-romneys-plan-to-fix-the-economy-2012-7

    * House Repeals Health-Care Reform – With No Plan To Replace It (2012-07-11)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2012/0711/House-repeals-health-care-reform-with-no-plan-to-replace-it-video

    * 5 Unresolved Political Issues That Have Been Controversial for Decades (2012-07-12)
    http://www.businesspundit.com/5-unresolved-political-issues-which-have-been-controversial-for-decades/

    * Paul Krugman: Policy And The Personal (2012-07-15)
    This election really is — in substantive, policy terms — about the rich versus the rest.
    https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/opinion/krugman-policy-and-the-personal.html

    * Will Hutton: The American Election Is Really A Battle For The Future Of Capitalism (2012-07-21)
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/22/will-hutton-obamas-good-capitalism

    * Six Policies Economists Love That Politicians Hate (2012-07-25)
    http://kottke.org/12/07/six-policies-economists-love-that-politicians-hate

    * When Every Practical Economic Idea Is Political Suicide, Something’s Wrong With Politics (2012-07-25)
    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120720/17003619778/disconnect-between-economists-politicians.shtml

    * Your Subsidy Is My Incentive (2012-07-25)
    https://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/07/25/157369868/your-subsidy-is-my-incentive

    * Romney Praises Israel’s Socialized Health Care System (2012-07-30)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/romney-praises-israels-socialized-health-care-sys

    * Defense Spending: The Biggest Entitlement Program Of Them All (2012-07-30)
    http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/186497/defense-spending-the-biggest-entitlement-program-of-them-all/

    * 5 Sites That Crunch Data To Help You Predict The President (2012-08-01)
    http://gigaom.com/cloud/5-sites-thatll-help-you-predict-the-presidential-election/

    * Investment vs. the Warfare-Welfare State (2012-08-03)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/08/investment-vs-the-warfare-welfare-state.html

    * Mitt Romney’s Tax Plan Doesn’t Add Up (2012-08-03)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Tax-VOX/2012/0803/Mitt-Romney-s-tax-plan-doesn-t-add-up

    * Federal Appeals Court Says Warrantless Wiretapping Is Legal (2012-08-07)
    http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/07/federal-appeals-court-says-warrantless-wiretapping-is-legal/

    * The Women’s Sections Of The 2012 Campaign Stores Look Very Different (2012-08-08)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/babymantis/the-womens-sections-of-the-2012-campaign-stores-l-1opu

    * List Of Countries With Universal Healthcare (2009-08-09)
    http://truecostblog.com/2009/08/09/countries-with-universal-healthcare-by-date/

    * You Can Be Anything You Want? (2012-08-11)
    http://dhmitchell.blogspot.com/2012/08/you-can-be-anything-you-want.html

    * Your Wonkette Primer On The Ryan Plan And How It Will Murder America As We Know It (2012-08-11)
    http://wonkette.com/480800/your-wonkette-primer-on-the-ryan-plan-and-how-it-will-murder-america-as-we-know-it

    * Officials React to Racial Profiling Allegations at Boston’s Logan International Airport (2012-08-13)
    http://bostinno.com/2012/08/12/boston-aiport-racial-profiling/

    * In Paul Ryan’s Home State, He Supported Us Energy Funds While Decrying Stimulus Program (2012-08-13)
    http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/08/13/paul-ryan-district-supported-energy-funds-while-decrying-stimulus-program/ohqoiZCyc6KVG6YTgkpL3J/story.html

    * The Poor Get Poorer: How Ryan’s Budgets Would Affect Ours (2012-08-13)
    http://www.theatlantic.com/business/print/2012/08/the-poor-get-poorer-how-ryans-budgets-would-affect-ours/261043/

    * Romney: Obama’s Strategy Is To ‘Smash America Apart’ (2012-08-14)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/romney-obamas-strategy-is-to-smash-america-apar

    * A Clue Emerges to Romney’s Gift-Tax Mystery (2012-08-27)
    http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/08/24/a-clue-emerges-to-romneys-gift-tax-mystery/

    * Northeastern Launches Website To Educate Voters Through The 2012 Presidential Campaign (2012-08-27)
    http://bostinno.com/2012/08/22/northeastern-launches-new-website-to-educate-voters-through-the-2012-presidential-campaign/

    * The Romney-Bain Tax-Avoidance Scheme That A Law Professor Says Is Illegal (2012-08-27)
    http://www.businessinsider.com/romney-bain-fund-tax-2012-8

    * When did “fact checker” become a profession separate from “journalist”? Not a healthy division of labor. (2012-08-30)
    https://twitter.com/rklau/statuses/241188094261485568

    * Mitt Romney Looted a Dying Company For Executive Bonuses While It Owed the Government Millions (2012-08-30)
    http://gawker.com/5939260/mitt-romney-looted-a-dying-company-for-executive-bonuses-while-it-owed-taxpayers-millions

    * Bipartisan Bloat [Military Spending] By Christopher Preble (2012-09-05)
    http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/05/bipartisan_bloat

    * Bill Clinton’s DNC Speech Transcript (2012-09-06)
    http://bostinno.com/2012/09/06/bill-clintons-dnc-speech-transcript/

    * The Bloodiest Wars Fought For Business Interests (2012-09-06)
    http://www.businesspundit.com/the-bloodiest-wars-fought-for-business-interests/

    * President Barack Obama’s DNC Speech Transcript (2012-09-07)
    http://bostinno.com/2012/09/07/president-barack-obamas-dnc-speech-transcript/

    Reply

  4. * Pew Survey: Partisan Polarization In US Hits 25-Year High (2012-06-27)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2012/0604/Pew-survey-Partisan-polarization-in-US-hits-25-year-high

    * Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act (2012-06-28)
    http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/06/28/supreme-court-upholds-affordable-care-act/

    * Health-Care Ruling: A Scorecard (2012-06-28)
    http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/06/28/health-care-ruling-a-scorecard/

    * Homeless Students Top 1 Million, U.S. Says, Leaving Advocates ‘Horrified’ (2012-06-28)
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/homeless-students-us_n_1635709.html

    * How John Roberts Upheld Health-Care Law While Limiting Congressional Power (2012-06-29)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0628/How-John-Roberts-upheld-health-care-law-while-limiting-congressional-power-video

    * We Are Not As Wealthy As We Had Thought (2012-06-30)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/06/very-good-paragraphs.html

    * Eight Ways America Is Headed Back to the Robber-Baron Era (2012-07-03)
    http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/10122-eight-ways-americas-headed-back-to-the-robber-baron-era

    * Health Reform Quiz (2012-07-04)
    http://healthreform.kff.org/quizzes/health-reform-quiz.aspx

    Reply

  5. Erik:
    Just to thank you for your time and energy in maintaining your blog, and this post in particular. Way too many points for me to reiterate my agreement with you, but let me at least thank you for your work.
    Pam Rolph

    Reply

  8. * Youth Unemployment Across Europe (2012-01-02)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/02/youth-unemployment-across-europe.html

    * Opinion: ‘Super’ PACs A Disaster For Democracy (2012-02-15)
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/opinion/wertheimer-super-pacs/index.html

    * The Top 1% Must Stop Insisting They’re Not Rich (2012-02-16)
    http://gawker.com/5885705/the-top-1-must-stop-insisting-theyre-not-rich-right-this-instant

    * FBI Saves Us From Another Of Its Own Terrorist Plots (2012-02-20)
    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120217/13271317794/fbi-saves-us-another-its-own-terrorist-plots.shtml

    * Bolivia’s Wheelchair Riots (2012-02-27)
    http://kottke.org/12/02/bolivias-wheelchair-riots

    * The American Pie Is Growing, But Most People Aren’t Getting A Slice (2012-03-02)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Robert-Reich/2012/0302/The-American-pie-is-growing-but-most-people-aren-t-getting-a-slice

    * Finally, Those Responsible For The Financial Collapse Are Being Prosecuted [Recessionomics] (2012-03-05)
    http://gawker.com/5890746/finally-those-responsible-for-the-financial-collapse-are-being-prosecuted

    * Billionaire Is The New Millionaire (2012-03-09)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Mises-Economics/2012/0309/Billionaire-is-the-new-millionaire

    * Will Arab Spring Lead To Democracy? (2012-03-23)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/03/will-arab-spring-lead-to-democracy.html

    * The Most Amazing Economics Website In The World (2012-03-23)
    http://www.businessinsider.com/fred-2012-3

    * Student Loan Debt Threatening Economic Recovery (2012-04-03)
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/student-loan-debt-recovery_n_1399136.html

    * TSA Security Theater Described In One Simple Infographic (2012-04-11)
    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120405/04390118385/tsa-security-theater-described-one-simple-infographic.shtml

    * Allow 2013 Law To Take Effect As Scheduled (2012-04-17)
    http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/numbers/displayatab.cfm?template=simulation&SimID=436

    * RIP Facts, 360 B.C. – A.D. 2012 (2012-04-23)
    http://kottke.org/12/04/rip-facts-360-bc-ad-2012

    * Stephen King: Tax Me! (2012-05-02)
    http://kottke.org/12/05/stephen-king-tax-me-for-fucks-sake

    * How Savage Has European Austerity (Spending Cuts) Been? (2012-05-08)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/05/how-savage-has-european-austerity-been.html

    * Understanding Healthcare In America (And Massachusetts) In 5 Charts (2012-06-05)
    http://bostinno.com/2012/06/05/understanding-healthcare-in-america-and-mass-in-5-charts/

    * We Are Not As Wealthy As We Thought We Were (2012-06-12)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/06/we-are-not-as-wealthy-as-we-thought-we-were.html

    * Generation X Has Suffered Massive Loss Of Wealth (2012-06-15)
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/generation-x-has-suffered_n_1600178.html

    * Median Expected Change In Family Income (2012-06-17)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/06/median-expected-change-in-family-income.html

    Reply

  10. * 16 Powerful Occupy Protest Photos From Across The Country [Images] (2011-12-08)
    http://bostinno.com/2011/12/08/16-powerful-occupy-protest-photos-from-across-the-country-images/

    * Occupy Boston Shutdown, 46 Protesters Arrested [Images] (2011-12-10)
    http://bostinno.com/2011/12/10/occupy-boston-shutdown-early-this-morning-46-protesters-arrested-images/

    * How The Military Spends Money – And What Else It Could Have Bought [Infographic] (2011-12-11)
    http://www.businesspundit.com/how-the-military-spends-money-infographic/

    * After US Withdrawal From Iraq, A Tallying Of The Balance Sheet (2011-12-20)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/John-Hughes/2011/1220/After-US-withdrawal-from-Iraq-a-tallying-of-the-balance-sheet

    * Dilbert: Do You Have A Permit To Protest Here? (2011-12-22)
    http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-12-22/

    * Mapping Out The Revolving Door Between Gov’t And Big Business In Venn Diagrams (2011-12-22)
    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111221/17561617164/mapping-out-revolving-door-between-govt-big-business-venn-diagrams.shtml

    * Airport Security: “So Much Inconvenience For So Little Benefit At Such A Staggering Cost” (2011-12-22)
    http://kottke.org/11/12/airport-security-theater

    * The “Top One Percent” Own Businesses (2011-12-27)
    http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/12/top-one-percent-own-businesses.html

    * Growth Of The Alberta Tar Sands From 1984 To 2011 (2011-12-28)
    http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/2011/12/28/growth-of-the-alberta-tar-sands-from-1984-to-2011/

    * The Washington Post: Ten Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free (2012-01-04)
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-united-states-still-the-land-of-the-free/2012/01/04/gIQAvcD1wP_print.html

    * Romney: Politics For The Rich (2012-01-08)
    http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedpolitics/romney-politics-for-the-rich

    * Retirement Funds In Kentucky Lose Big With Hedge Fund Failure (2012-01-08)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0108/Retirement-funds-in-Kentucky-lose-big-with-hedge-fund-failure

    * How To Win The Class War [The Poors] (2012-01-12)
    http://gawker.com/5875520/how-to-win-the-class-war

    * Nation’s Disenfranchised Finally Rise Up, Demand Justice, Are Denied It (2012-01-12)
    http://www.theonion.com/articles/nations-disenfranchised-finally-rise-up-demand-jus,27025/

    * The Wealth Gap – Inequality In Numbers (2012-01-16)
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16545898

    * Is The Middle Class Shrinking? (2012-01-17)
    http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2012/01/is-the-middle-class-shrinking.html

    * Thanks To Occupy, Rich-Poor Gap Is Front And Center. See Mitt Romney’s Tax Return. (2012-01-24)
    http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/0124/Thanks-to-Occupy-rich-poor-gap-is-front-and-center.-See-Mitt-Romney-s-tax-return

    * Mitt Romney Made $45 Million Over The Last Two Years Doing Literally Nothing At All [Election 2012] (2012-01-24)
    http://gawker.com/5878778/mitt-romney-made-45-million-over-the-last-two-years-doing-literally-nothing-at-all

    * Transcript Of The State Of The Union (2012-01-24)
    “Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule. If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up.”
    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/24/us/politics/state-of-the-union-2012-video-transcript.html

    * Wikipedia: United States Public Debt (2012-01-26)
    It looks like the winning formula may be a Republican Congress plus a Democratic president.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt

    Reply

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