Economy and Business
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...
Hillary Wants to Bring Back Bill. She Shouldn’t.
This year, despite the unnerving presidential freak show the Republicans are putting on, Hillary Clinton is the one who recently stunned me. Attempting to convince wary working class families that she'll lift up the poor, shore up the middle class, and stand against...
The Real Reason Republicans Are Going after the IRS
It’s no secret that House Republicans don’t like the Internal Revenue Service. They've once again proposed cutting the agency’s already beleaguered funding, and they recently held a hearing to impeach its commissioner, John Koskinen. Koskinen's alleged misdeeds stem...
Gagging on the Gig Economy
No doubt you'll be thrilled to learn that we now live and work in a "gig economy." That's the latest corporate buzz-phrase from Silicon Valley. CEOs there are hailing a Brave New Workplace in which we lucky worker bees no longer have to be stuck in traditional jobs...
The Big Banks Can Be Beaten
When the 2008 financial crash slammed the New York City construction industry, Maribel Touré’s husband lost his job as an architect. On top of that, Maribel suffered a serious accident. But what really plunged the family into financial trouble was sending their...
America’s Cosmic Tax Gap
The folks working for the federal government can do some incredible things. Over at NASA, for instance, they’re now putting the finishing touches on the new James Webb Space Telescope — an instrument The Washington Post says will be powerful enough "to capture the...
Our Poverty Myth
If you're poor, many Americans think, it's your own fault. It's a sign of your own moral failing. I don't personally believe that, but the idea has roots in our culture going back centuries. In The Wealth of Nations, the foundational work of modern capitalism, Adam...
A Commencement Address for the Most Indebted Class Ever
Congratulations, college graduates! As you enter the next phase of life, you and your parents should be proud of your achievements. But, I'm sorry to say, they've come at a price: The system is trying to squeeze you harder than any previous generation. Many baby...
Uber Goes Under in Austin
Pouty, whiney, spoiled-bratism isn't nice coming from a four-year-old. But it's altogether grotesque when it comes from billion-dollar corporations like Uber and Lyft. The two car-for-hire companies call their service "ridesharing." But these internet-based brats are...
