Charts That Describe The US At End Of 2013

This article contains a number of charts that tell a story about how the US performed in 2013.  The charts speak for themselves.

Meet The Inner David Brooks

I have posted several articles by David Brooks in order to critique way that he frames his arguments to make conservative ideas seem palatable, or to discredit the intentions of liberals.  This article, written by a political scientist who teaches at Yale, goes much further in his analysis of David Brooks.  He describes a NYT op-ed written by David Brooks as a self parody of the mid-aged David Brooks as a "Thought Leader".  Brooks' criticism of liberal minded Thought Leaders is interpreted as a criticism of his own life, in which he has been successful as a Thought Leader, but has not satisfied the idealized visions that he had of himself as a young conservative whose hero was Edmund Burke. 

I found the article, which contains a selected review of many articles written by Brooks during his career, very interesting, and a much deeper description of his motivations, than one can discern by focusing attention on separate op-eds written by Brooks.

Do We Really Want A Form Of Capitalism Without Public Goods?

The US does not have a monopoly on intellectuals who have a utopian ideal of a free market economy.  Perhaps some economists in Australia have been educated at the Mid-West temple which extols the virtues of a form of capitalism that has never existed.  A recent publication in Australia argues that life in Australia is much better today because of free market capitalism and that it would be even better if government did less to improve the economy.  There are two problems with that argument.  In the first place, there has never been a free market economy in Australia or in any other country.  It does not follow that the rising standard of living in Australia is the result of a utopian form of capitalism.  Moreover, everyone would agree that the free flow of ideas is essential for innovations that lead to new products and services that are essential for economic development.  Government plays an essential role in this process.  This article describes one of the fallacies in the argument for a utopia with totally free markets.

One of the problems with ideas is that businesses would not attempt to develop them if they could not be protected with patents and copyrights.  Governments play an essential role in awarding and protecting patents and copyrights.  In fact, the protection of intellectual property rights is a critical component of most trade agreements that are negotiated by governments.  Furthermore, public institutions provide much of the basic research and support for idea creation.  For example, most of the pharmaceutical products in the US are dependent upon basic research that occurs in universities and public laboratories.  Turning those ideas into products is the last step in the process of development.  Government also protects society from products that may have harmful effects.  One could argue that government could do a better job in this process but it would not occur at all without government support. We would have a form of capitalism without ideas.

Will 2014 End The Year Of The Fiscal Scolds?

Budget deficits in the US have fallen faster over the last four years than in any other four year period since the demilitarization following WW ll.  That did not make the issue of deficit reduction less important in the media than high unemployment.  Paul Krugman argues that the age of deficit reduction mania may be at an end. 

The question in my mind is whether the Democratic Party will wait for the Republicans to determine the next issue that they will have to oppose, or whether they will go the offensive and lead the public in the directions that will restore this country as a moral force in the world. 

Democrats May Choose Minimum Wage Increase As Campaign Issue

The real minimum wage has fallen over time due to inflation.  It should be increased as part of strategy to address growing inequality.  This article describes the issue in terms of its effectiveness as a campaign strategy for 2014.  Polls suggest that it would appeal to a wide range of voters.  It would be an effective strategy as long as Republicans oppose it.  They have usually opposed most policies that interfere with the "free market", and they traditionally like to align themselves with the interests of small businesses which usually vote republican.

This may be an effective election year strategy but I agree with one of the comments following the article.  It is much too cynical to view the issue primarily as a wedge in the 2014 election.  It should be a fundamental principle that the party would fight to pass even if it were not supported in the polls.  The Democratic Party should be in the business of convincing the public to do the right things that serve the public interest.

What Does Catastrophic Climate Change Look Like?

The relationship between global warming and environmental change is complex.  It is difficult to make exact predictions about the progress of global warming and the consequences.  The forecasts by the IPPC incorporate a huge amount of data and they acknowledge a high degree of error.  They recognize, however, that catastrophic consequences are within the realm of possibility if our responses to global warming are inadequate.  This article gives us a description of what a catastrophic climate change event might look like. It is based primarily on the rapid melting of arctic ice that we have been observing.  It is likely, that in the near future, summers in the arctic region will be ice free.  The concern is that large amounts of methane will be released into the atmosphere as the permafrost thaws.  The consequences are dire.  Unfortunately, the melting of the arctic ice will also open up that area to a hunt for oil and other natural resources.  Given human nature, we are more likely to devote resources to industrial expansion than we are to the avoidance of catastrophe. 

Is There A Bond Between Putin And International Conservatism?

Pat Buchanan has been a strong voice for conservative values in the US.  Buchanan believes that he and Putin have more in common than he does with secularists in the US.  Putin has taken a stance against gay marriage, and he has defended fundamental Christian values.  They both seem to be aligned with nationalist movements in other parts of Europe and Asia that defend traditional values and oppose globalization, immigration and other threats to national identity.  There seems to be room for the development of a new kind of Internationale.  Meyerson calls this the Intolerance International.