Archive for January, 2009
The Wall Street Bonus Bonanza
The pundits are abuzz about reports of Wall Street bonuses paid out for 2008, which was one of the worst, if not THE worst, economic years in this country’s history. The New York State Comptroller reports that Wall Street employees collected an estimated $18.4
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The Politics of Stimulus
There was never any doubt that the House would pass whatever stimulus package President Obama and the Dems put forth. Republicans simply did not have enough votes to block it. And so it finally happened–yesterday the House stamped a $819 billion, 647-page opus of stimulus joy. But I’ll
Ruminations on the Rhetorical References in Obama’s Inaugural Address
There has been plenty of good analysis of Obama’s Inaugural Address, often examining his invocation of past presidents, as in this thorough
About Face Saving
United States foreign policy is taking a major step towards softening its stance in the middle east as Obama gives his first Presidential interview to an Arab network. Acting upon a philosophical break with the Bush administration Obama has dispatched former senator George Mitchell to the region today.
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How Does Goldman End Up Golden?
As one of his first actions as President, Barack Obama issued ethics rules applicable to White House officials. The Executive Order on Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel requires that lobbyists who become members of Obama administration will not be able to work on matters they lobbied on
Transcript of Obama’s Historic Address
My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four
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It’s not just about greed. It’s about pressure.
We’ve heard a lot of statements that Wall Street greed and CEO Salaries as the blame for most or the entire global financial crisis. While there is plenty of greed on Wall Street, greed alone does not explain what is happening and focusing on it will not solve the problem. Rather, pushing the
The Inauguration of Barack Obama: The 44th Peaceful Transition of Power
After months of having to call Barack Obama our president-elect, we can now, on this 20th day in January 2009, call him the 44th President. President Barack H. Obama. Many in America never thought this day would come–the swearing in of the first black President of the United States, representing
Defining Moments
Rarely in history has there been a presidential inauguration as symbolic and transformative as Barack Obama’s. The significance goes far beyond the fact that Obama is the first (half) African-American president. The country is at a turning point culturally, ideologically and, of course, economically. People
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The Psychology of Financial Bubbles
Why is it that economic bubbles are created, over and over again? What’s the psychological component? Virginia Postrel writes about the psychology of financial bubbles in a recent Atlantic Magazine, and makes some fascinating
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