Economy and Business
Trump’s Trickle-Down Ticket
It was easy to get caught up in the circus that was the Republican National Convention. Rousing speeches (plagiarized and original) and raucous floor votes make for great television and funny internet memes. Unfortunately, as we’ve come to expect from events organized...
There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Free Market’
The debates leading up to the election this year will no doubt invoke the "American value" of capitalism. But what, exactly, does that mean? And what should it mean? I'm no economist, but I took a few economics courses while earning an undergraduate business degree....
The American Dream Moved to Canada
Does your family aspire to the American Dream of a decent paying job, a few weeks of paid vacation, a home of your own, and the hope of retiring before you die? Maybe try Canada. Our country has historically prided itself on being a socially mobile society, where your...
America’s Huge Racial Wealth Gap Is No Accident
Party platforms are dense and often morosely boring documents filled with wonkish policy proposals and partisan jeers at the other side. At over 40 pages, this year’s Democratic Party platform lives up to its predecessors in length and ennui. However, it also includes...
You’re Overdrafted, They’re Overpaid
Almost two-thirds of Americans today — 63 percent — don’t have enough savings to cover an unexpected $500 expense. Anything from an emergency brake job to a refrigerator on the fritz could zero out their bank accounts. Most American households, in other words, are...
Banks Don’t Commit Crimes, Bankers Do
Hey, stop complaining that our government coddles Wall Street's big, money-grubbing banks. Sure, they went belly-up and crashed our economy with their greed. And, yes, Washington bailed them out, while ignoring the plight of workaday people who lost jobs, homes,...
Paul Ryan’s Hot New Idea: More Rank Corporate Giveaways
Attention people, there's big news out of Washington: Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House, has announced that he has an idea! This is news because the GOP leadership hasn't offered a new idea in years. Instead, they've simply been the party of no, opposing...
More Chobani Capitalism, Please
This spring, Hamdi Ulukaya — the CEO of the Chobani yogurt company — did something remarkable. He gave his workers a 10 percent ownership stake in their company. "I cannot think of Chobani being built without all these people," he said, explaining a decision that...
Welcome to Half Dome, Sponsored by Nike
Imagine painstakingly making up your way up the cables of Yosemite National Park's famous Half Dome peak — only to see swooshes and slogans encouraging you to "Just Do It." "Welcome to Half Dome," a gleaming banner greets you, "sponsored by Nike." Unfortunately, it's...
The Civil War Didn’t End Slavery After All
Slavery has been abolished in the United States since 1865, when the 13th Amendment was passed in the ashes of the Civil War. Well, almost abolished. Actually, the amendment included a caveat: "except as punishment for a crime." Since then, prison and forced labor...
