Business & Economy

Greed Is Not Good

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Mar 25, 2008 The housing crisis brings to mind Gordon Gekko, that fictitious ambassador of Wall Street whose words, then and now, remind us why uninhibited capitalism just doesn't work. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

New Crisis, Old Isms

David Sirota / Truthdig Mar 21, 2008 The Federal Reserve Bank's decision last week to address the housing crisis by extending $200 billion of taxpayer-financed credit to Wall Street banks was met with a stunned reaction typical of surprising events. But really, the move was the expression of longstanding isms that routinely package corruption as sound public policy. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Too Big to Fail

Ellen Goodman / Truthdig Mar 20, 2008 The government spread out a nice, soft net to catch the collapsing financial firm Bear Stearns. But if you're a little guy who gets in trouble, expect to meet up with a somewhat harder surface. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Be Careful What You Wish For

E.J. Dionne Jr. / Truthdig Mar 18, 2008 Never do I want to hear again from my conservative friends about how brilliant capitalists are, how much they deserve their seven-figure salaries, and how government should keep its hands off the private economy. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

‘Mad Money’ Host Tears Over Spitzer

Staff / Truthdig Mar 13, 2008 Jim Cramer is best known as the host of CNBC's "Mad Money" show, but he's also a personal friend of Eliot Spitzer. Here, Cramer becomes emotional as he describes losing the "ammo" to take on Spitzer's Wall Street critics. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

An Economic Bridge to Nowhere

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Jan 29, 2008 House Republicans were able to keep an extension of unemployment benefits out of the recently announced stimulus package, which is too bad, since it's one measure that would actually help the ailing economy. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Stimulus Swindle

David Sirota / Truthdig Jan 25, 2008 Stimulus -- you've probably heard this nebulous, scientific-sounding word this week. Every politician suddenly wants economic "stimulus," and wants you to think this "stimulus" is unequivocally good. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Colbert’s Gospel (Music) for Striking Writers

Staff / Truthdig Jan 24, 2008 What will it take to end the bitter standoff between WGA screenwriters and studio big cheeses? Stephen Colbert tries an innovative -- and inspiring -- approach by breaking into "Go Down Moses" with some help from the Harlem Gospel Choir and "Blink" author Malcolm Gladwell. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Who Will Take On the Banks?

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Jan 23, 2008 Because Dennis Kucinich was barred from the Democrats' South Carolina debate, there was no one willing to say what Kucinich would have said: Bankers are crooks who will steal from the public unless the government holds them accountable. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Ignoring Our Economic Achilles’ Heel

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Jan 22, 2008 While the president and Congress consider a cure for the Bush economy, they should look to the root of the problem: stagnant incomes. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Olbermann Slams New York Times

Staff / Truthdig Jan 4, 2008 The New York Times made it onto Keith Olbermann's "worst person" list with the news that the paper had hired William Kristol: "You guys at the Times can hire any conservative columnist you want, but why did you pick the really dumb one?" Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The FCC’s Christmas Gift to Big Media

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Dec 25, 2007 On Dec. 18, the five commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission met in Washington, D.C., and, by a 3 to 2 vote, passed new regulations that would allow more media consolidation. This, despite the U.S. public's increasing concern over the nation's media being controlled by a few giant corporations. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )