By John Ballard
This week's list from RGE has a few short reads that caught my eye.
?Even Tea Party Members Do Not Support Social Security at Naked Capitalism
Short post, long comments thread for someone with lots of time to read. Polite snark mostly. I like this from the first comment: Rand Paul rallies were infamous for the Medicare scooter brigades. Of course, it was all part of the big con � republicans want to cut Medicare and social security even more than Obama. It shouldn�t be a surprise that a group of voters who are heavily made up of Medicare beneficiaries would want social security to remain untouched.
?Yes, Monetary Policy Does Matter at Macro and Other market Musings, blog by David Beckworth, assistant professor at Texas State University. Comments and further links if you're interested in technicians.
?What Can the U.S. Learn from Other Countries� Health Care Systems? by Edwin Dolan. (Hint: The US doesn't stack up all that well in the comparisons.)
As the first in an occasional series, this post will look at broad international comparisons of health care systems. Subsequent posts will examine what can be learned from individual countries.
?The only way to achieve true fiscal discipline: Learn arithmetic by Jeff Frankel at his blog.
Many commentators faulted President Obama for not proposing to cut entitlements when he submitted his budget in early February. They sanctimoniously intone that a true leader would realize that the public wants to hear the truth. I don�t understand how they can say that with a straight face. Obama came into office with a mature desire to put childish things aside and a na� eagerness to be bipartisan. The response he got was accusations of death panels, an explicit Republican strategy to deprive him of legislative successes (no matter what their content), and the electoral defeat of moderate congressmen in both parties. People who say that Obama should stick his neck out to support some of the radioactive proposals of the Bowles-Simpson deficit-reduction commission have apparently forgotten that he originally asked for ex ante bipartisan blessing for the formation of the commission and a congressional vote on its recommendations, but the Republicans refused.
?Inciting Fear of Inflation in Our Minds for Political Gain (We Are Easily Led) by Fabius Maximus at RGE.
Worth the visit if only for this exchange...
We start with Michelle Obama doing the traditional First lady gig, speaking to reporters on the first anniversary of her �Let�s Move� anti-childhood obesity campaign: We also want to focus on the important touch points in a child�s life. And what we�re learning now is that early intervention is key. Breastfeeding. Kids who are breastfed longer have a lower tendency to be obese.
Sara Palin replies: It�s no wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody you need to breast feed your babies. The price of milk is so high!
Scary, isn't it?
?Commodity Shock at Tim Duy's Fed Watch.
Another technician looking to closely at his navel. Plenty of charts and sage advice. Right forest. Wrong trees. JMHO.
...if commodity price inflation slows sharply at this point. But the surge of recent weeks has already exceeded my expectations, and memories of 2007 and 2008 still linger fresh in my mind. The economy can�t withstand another quick run to $140 a barrel, and I suddenly feel that we are at a tipping point to brings such a run into view. � Bottom Line: The recent surge in oil has been a blow to my rising optimism....
?Robert Reich talks about The Republican Shakedown.
I think I already linked to this, but it's worth a repeat.
Reich may be a one trick pony but his trick is always good to watch. It's like watching Lt. Columbo or Miss Marple. In the end they always hit the mark.
But a strong recovery can�t be built on the purchases of the richest 5 percent.
HOO-wah!!!
?�What a way to run a country� at The Gold Standard.
I don't know much about this link but I found this. The Indian National Interest is a non-partisan community of individuals committed to economic freedom, realism in international relations, an open society, a culture of tolerance and good governance. Its efforts are directed towards increasing public awareness and education on strategic affairs and public policy.
I like what I see. Out links to other good places that I still have to explore..The post ends thus.
We have a government and the Congress that are cooking up irresponsible and short-term focused fiscal policy that does nothing to address fundamental issues, a Central Bank governor who thinks that successful monetary policy is all about creating and fostering asset bubbles and all three of them that combine to do nothing on an all-powerful financial sector. Indeed, this country deserves a AAA credit rating and a stock market that trades at 24 times cyclically adjusted earnings.
Ouch!
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