Mammon category archive
Fly the Fiendly Skies 0
The miles just seem to disappear>
The Content of His Character 0
Bob Costas seems to have a fairly low estimation of Donald Trump. Rick Strom breaks down his remarks; I don’t agree with everything Strom says, but I think he makes some good points, especially when he discusses the far right’s scary “far left” bogeyman.
This New Gilded Age 0
Thom and Farron talk about how today’s robber barons are bringing about the return of child labor and wonder why it’s not getting the coverage it deserves.
Quality Construction at a Price that Frights 0
Emma and the crew discuss some issues encountered by persons who have purchased Tesla Cybertrucks and later discovered that they were well and truly trucked.
Also, too . . . .
Aside:
I happen to know someone who owns a Tesla.
I asked him about Tesla’s “autopilot.” He told me it was like an enhanced cruise control that could, for example, sense when cars ahead were slowing down and react accordingly.
I asked him if he ever read a book while he was on “autopilot.”
He said, “No.”
No doubt because he’s sane.
The Pusher Men 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues dissects the Sackler family’s strategy to use bankruptcy law to avoid being held accountable for the actions of Purdue Pharma. Here are some of the points they make; follow the link for a detailed exploration of the Sacklers’ strategy and its implications.
- In the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case, the Sackler family sought a nondebtor release.
- The release barred opioid lawsuits against the family, protecting them despite having not declared bankruptcy.
- Those claimants who opposed the bankruptcy plan wanted a “day in court” against the Sacklers.
Loan Sharks 0
Emma and the crew parse the perfidy.
As I have mentioned before in these electrons, I’m so old that I remember when college costs were within the reach of middle class families.
Methinks the larger question is, why are they no longer?
For that matter, where did the middle class go?
This New Gilded Age, Suffer the Children Dept. 0
Sam and the crew talk with Terri Gerstein, director of the Wagner Labor Initiative at New York University, about efforts to bring back industrial child labor.
A Sure Thing 0
At The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jonathan Zimmerman looks at the effects of the sudden burst of sports betting and, in particular, the advertisements therefor. He is less than optimistic. A snippet:
Methinks he makes some good points and commend the article to your attention.
Aside:
I find the spate of solicitations for suckers to be most off-putting.
And the thought of a betting app on a phone, well, that’s an invitation to dumb scrolling.
This New Gilded Age, One More Time 0
The rich get richer . . . .
Due in part to the 2017 tax overhaul by Republicans, led by Donald Trump, this small group has seen an explosion of wealth in an extremely short amount of time.
Since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, U.S. billionaire wealth has doubled, from an already staggering $2.9 trillion. In 2017, none of the richest Americans were centi-billionaires, meaning that they did not have over $100 billion; now, the top 10 U.S. billionaires are all centi-billionaires, according to the report.
More numbers at the link.
This New Gilded Age 0
Robert Reich explains that monopolies are back (mostly, in my opinion, thanks to Reagan’s trickle-on economics) and points out that the Biden administration is trying to bust it some trusts.
Or you can read the transcript.
Nor Any Drop To Drink 0
More mean for the sake of mean.