Watch Out for Those Helpful Bankers

Watch Out for Those Helpful Bankers

The word “help” is so uplifting. It conveys our best humanitarian values. How odd, then, to see it used in this New York Times headline: “Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial Bills.” I’ll bet they did! We all know how...
Anti-American Budget Cuts

Anti-American Budget Cuts

Families across the country recently celebrated the Fourth of July like they always do: with annual beach trips, barbecues, baseball games, and fireworks. But one of my favorite local traditions was canceled, courtesy of Congress. Every year on the Fourth, without...
It Can’t Happen Here

It Can’t Happen Here

After paying a staggering $1,500 to a recruitment agency in her home country of Thailand, “Wen” was excited to come to the United States to be an au pair. Like all au pairs, she would live with a host family and provide childcare. This guest worker program...
Predistribute the Wealth

Predistribute the Wealth

Sometimes we need new words to grasp new ideas. Frances O’Grady, Britain’s highest-ranking labor leader, has coined one of these handy new words: predistribution. Why does O’Grady, the general secretary of the UK’s Trades Union Congress, want us talking...
North Carolina Rips More Holes in Its Safety Net

North Carolina Rips More Holes in Its Safety Net

Something profoundly awful has seeped into the top strata of American society: Our nation’s corporate and political elites have developed immunity to shame. It has become morally acceptable for those in lofty circles to enrich themselves while turning their...
The Tradeoff Between Apple and Apples

The Tradeoff Between Apple and Apples

In May, Americans watched as Apple CEO Tim Cook defended his company’s tax avoidance strategies before a Senate investigative panel. Prior to the hearing, Senate investigators released a report documenting Apple’s use of accounting gimmicks to shift $74...