This column studies the circumstances under which a relatively open political system can be corrupted by its confrontation with concentrated wealth.
Recent Items
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
The Medici’s Quiet Coup: How the Wealthy Bend Politics without Shifting Institutions
Topics: Guest Post, Politics
Posted by Lambert Strether at 9:55 am | No Comments »
Links 10/22/2024
Topics: Guest Post, Links
Posted by Lambert Strether at 6:58 am | 54 Comments »
Mexico Escalates Its War on Obesity by Declaring National Ban on Junk Food Sales in Schools
Mexico is the leading consumer of soft drinks in the world with an average consumption of 163 litres per person per year — 40% more than the US in second place. Child and adult obesity are off the charts.
Topics: Guest Post
Posted by Nick Corbishley at 6:45 am | 5 Comments »
How Corporate Vehicles Conceal Crime and Chicanery
Financial vehicles designed to conceal wealth and questionable activity fuel corruption and crime while allowing perps evade accountability
Topics: Banana republic, Banking industry, Corporate governance, Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, Guest Post, Regulations and regulators, Ridiculously obvious scams, Taxes
Posted by Yves Smith at 12:18 am | 6 Comments »
Trump Dons Apron, Works Drive-thru, Fry Station at Bucks County, PA McDonald’s, Warming Hearts and Exploding Heads
Hot takes on Trump’s campaign “stunt” at McDonald’sa
Topics: Guest Post, Politics
Posted by Lambert Strether at 5:25 pm | 80 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 10/21/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, Syndemics; The polls: the race is too close to call; Obama’s West Wing Brain; Machinists to vote on the new contract Wednesday; it’s a cliffhanger ~
Topics: Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 43 Comments »
How the Surrealists Used Randomness as a Catalyst for Creative Expression
it’s important to recognize that embracing randomness allowed these artists to think outside the box
Topics: Curiousities, Guest Post
Posted by Lambert Strether at 9:55 am | 15 Comments »
Links 10/21/2024
Topics: Links
Posted by Lambert Strether at 6:58 am | 120 Comments »
Germany Can’t Stop Digging
As Berlin tags along with Washington into the war crimes abyss, it blames Russia for turning Germans against the government.
Topics: Energy markets, Europe, Guest Post, Middle East, Politics, Russia, Surveillance state, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:00 am | 34 Comments »
Billionaires Are Not Going to Save Us
Looking for hope in hard places and hard times.
Topics: Environment, Global warming, Risk and risk management, Social values
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 4:00 am | 21 Comments »
My Life So Far in Type (Partly, at Least)
Reminiscence of the transition from analog to digital in the publishing world.
Topics: Curiousities, Guest Post, Technology and innovation
Posted by Lambert Strether at 4:25 pm | 49 Comments »
Links 10/20/2024
Topics: Guest Post, Links
Posted by Lambert Strether at 6:58 am | 244 Comments »
Book Review: All History Is Environmental History
“History for an urban, globalized, and divided planet, written from a position of empathy for the all-too-human dreams of fossil-fueled escape that now lie in ruins.”
Topics: Environment, Free markets and their discontents, Globalization, Income disparity
Posted by Lambert Strether at 6:50 am | 23 Comments »
Links 10/19/2024
Topics: Links
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:54 am | 214 Comments »
Why America Is Buying up the Premier League – And What It Means for the Future of ‘Soccer’
If Texas-based Friedkin Group’s recent deal to buy Everton goes through, 11 of the 20 Premier League clubs will be controlled or part-owned by American investors.
Topics: Guest Post, Private equity, UK
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:00 am | 27 Comments »