Contre-Piketty. Askenazy’s “Tous Rentiers” (a review)

On January 15, 2015, my review of Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twentieth Century was posted on this site. In that review I highlighted the importance of the documentation of increased inequality among many of the countries of the world as a reflection of the gross concentration of wealth among the one percent, exemplified by …

Read moreContre-Piketty. Askenazy’s “Tous Rentiers” (a review)

Luddites 3.0

Detail of engraving showing the original Luddites

I. INTENTIONS Technological Progress: have you ever heard of it? Yes, I know, lots of folks have. Marketers have made sure of this. We are bombarded with reports of it every day, by thousands of advertisements. We are told that this year’s new car is “better than” last year’s new car, and many reasons are …

Read moreLuddites 3.0

“We the People”: Why It’s the Only Amendment That Will Get Big $ Out of Elections (Op-Ed)

You’ve probably heard about numerous legislative bills and several proposed amendments… each one claiming that it will get big money out of our elections. Unfortunately, that is not the case. First, regarding legislation…even if our corporate-owned congress were to pass legislation that in any way limits corporate or individual funding of campaigns, it will immediately …

Read more“We the People”: Why It’s the Only Amendment That Will Get Big $ Out of Elections (Op-Ed)

A Review of Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Book cover of Capital in the Twenty-first Century

Capital in the Twenty-first Century by Thomas Picketty, translated by Arthur Goldhammer. 685 pages. Cambridge, MA and London: The Belknap Press of Harvard University, 2014. (Original: Le capital au XXI siècle, Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 2013.) Capital in the Twenty-first Century is probably the most important book published in 2014 from the perspective of the …

Read moreA Review of Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Bankster Digest: Shenanigans of the 0.01% (updated)

"Jail the Banksters" Occupy button

Major Banks Fined $4.3 Billion over Exchange Market Manipulation (Nov. 13) — Six of the world’s largest banks have been fined a collective $4.3 billion for manipulating the foreign exchange market. HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, UBS AG and Bank of America were found to be negligent in traders’ collusion around global …

Read moreBankster Digest: Shenanigans of the 0.01% (updated)