Political Economy category archive
The Rich Are Different from You and Me 1
They live in gilded ages.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Not so good.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, increased to 320,000 from 317,000 in the prior week.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits rose by 97,000 to 2.77 million in the week ended April 19.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Back up a bit.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, climbed to 316,750 from 312,000 the week before, the lowest since 2007.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits dropped by 61,000 to 2.68 million in the week ended April 12, the fewest since December 2007.
Geography 0
Learning that there is a Pigg River just leaves me hog-tied.
Last week, 30,000 gallons of cow manure spilled into the river from a holding lagoon near the intersection of Calico Rock Road and 6 Mile Post west of Rocky Mount.
Mind the Gap 0
From the site:
Elon James White talks with Fatima Goss Graves, VP of Education and Employment at the National Women’s Law Center, about the Wage gap and the breakdown of how the gap works for Women Of Color.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Better news than usual.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, fell to 316,250 — the lowest since the end of September — from 321,000 the week before.
Good-Bye Globalism 2
Writing at the Inky, James Howard Kunstler suggests that “globalism” is dead. I’ve not figured out my opinion on his thesis, but I think it’s worth a read. Here’s a snippet:
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
No significant change.
(snip)
The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, was little changed at 319,500 from 319,250 the week before.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits rose by 22,000 to 2.84 million in the week ended March 22.
It’s the System, Stupid 0
Aside:
When I watched this on YouTube, it was preceded by a painful, poorly-acted advertisement full of pro-Keystone XL Pipeline propaganda.
High Crimeas and Misdeamors 0
At Asia Times, Daisy Sindelar offers six lesson that can be drawn from Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Here’s one, which also serves to explain the modus operandi of Fox News and the Wingnut World News Network; follow the link for the rest:
4. It’s Not Lying If They Believe It
Both Adolf Hitler and his propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels were avid proponents of the “Big Lie,” a falsehood so flagrant, and so consequential, that people choose to accept it rather than believe its teller capable of such underhandedness. Putin, whose KGB training and rumored plastic surgery have rendered his expression all but unreadable, has employed several Big Lies — and innumerable little ones — in his Crimea campaign:
1) Russians are having their rights violated;
2) He is upset by the idea of Russians having their rights violated;
3) Power in Kyiv has been seized by fascists;
4) The situation is so dire Ukrainians themselves are fleeing to Russia;
5) No Russian troops entered Ukraine;
6) “We are not considering [annexing Crimea].”
Even in instances where such claims were demonstrably false — as in Crimea, where Russian soldiers willingly identified themselves to journalists — there has been no tangible downside to the lie. Cracking down on the few remaining free news outlets in Russia has only made it easier to sell this alternate narrative at home.
And in related developments.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Still a slight positive trend.
(snip)
The four-week average declined to 327,000 from 330,500 the week before.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits increased by 41,000 to 2.89 million in the week ended March 8 after reaching a three-month low the prior period.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
A little better.
Jobless claims dropped by 9,000 to 315,000 in the week ended March 8, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington.
(snip)
The jobless claims report showed the four-week moving average, a less volatile measure than the weekly figures, fell to 330,500 last week from 336,750.
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits decreased by 48,000 to 2.86 million in the week ended March 1, the lowest level since December.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
A little better.
(snip)
The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits decreased by 8,000 to 2.91 million in the week ended Feb. 22, the fewest this year.
The Galt and the Lamers 2
Think Progress tries to understand the glibertarian tilt of the fans of bitcoin. A nugget:
(snip)
Bitcoin users’ rejection of the government reflects the luxury of being able to live well without state support, while the less advantaged desperately need a larger government role in the banking system to help them them overcome deep, systemic bias.
Read the rest.
Via Zandar.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
Status quo ante.
(snip)
Today’s Labor Department data showed the four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, was unchanged at 338,250.
Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0
For all practical purposes, no change.
(snip)
Today’s data showed the four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, increased to 338,500 from 336,750 the week before. The average for the comparable survey week in January was 332,250.
