Business & Economy

In Money-Changers We Trust

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Dec 29, 2010 Two years into the Obama presidency and the economic data is still looking grim Don’t be fooled by the gyrations of the stock market, where optimism is mostly a reflection of the ability of financial corporations -- thanks to massive government largesse -- to survive the mess they created. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Faces of Economic Death

David Sirota / Truthdig Dec 24, 2010 If you've turned on the tube these last few weeks, you've probably been a collateral casualty of the biggest televisual war of attrition in recent memory. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

President Obama’s Christmas Gift to AT&T (and Comcast and Verizon)

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Dec 22, 2010 One of President Barack Obama's signature campaign promises was to protect the freedom of the Internet. Jump ahead to December 2010, where Obama is clearly in the back seat, being driven by Internet giants such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Good Business, for CEOs and Commoners Alike

E.J. Dionne Jr. / Truthdig Dec 20, 2010 Our government already favors certain industries -- finance and defense, among them. President Obama should identify the parts of the private sector that share an interest in reducing the dreadful inequalities that have metastasized over nearly four decades. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Why the ‘Lazy Jobless’ Myth Persists

David Sirota / Truthdig Dec 17, 2010 During the recent fight over extending unemployment benefits, conservatives trotted out the shibboleth that says the program fosters sloth. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Return of the Great Triangulator

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Dec 15, 2010 The sight of Bill Clinton back at the White House podium defending tax cuts for the super-rich was more a sick joke than a serious amplification of economic policy. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

A Wiki Hornet’s Nest

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Dec 14, 2010 Do we want the people who run Amazon, PayPal, Facebook, Twitter or perhaps even -- shudder -- Microsoft, Apple or Google making political decisions on our behalf? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Low Taxes Are the Problem, Not the Solution

Moshe Adler / Truthdig Dec 12, 2010 The only way to reduce the uncertainty in our economy right now is to increase taxes. During the Eisenhower years the top tax rate was 91 percent, and there is every reason to return to this rate now.The only way to reduce the uncertainty in our economy right now is to increase taxes on the rich. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Opportunity in a Tax Deal

Ruth Marcus / Truthdig Dec 8, 2010 President Obama's tax deal offers him a relatively painless way to wriggle out of his most irresponsible campaign promise: to permanently extend the so-called middle-class tax cuts, the middle in this case amounting to 98 percent of households. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

One-Man Fire Brigade

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Dec 7, 2010 Ben Bernanke may or may not succeed in saving the economy, but at least he has the courage to try -- and the honesty to tell the truth. The same cannot be said of our elected officials. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Fail and Grow Rich on Wall Street

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Nov 24, 2010 Welcome to the brave new world of post-bailout capitalism. The Commerce Department announced Tuesday that corporate profits are at their highest level in U.S. history, and the Fed released minutes of an early November meeting in which officials predicted a stagnant economy and continued high unemployment. Welcome to the brave new world of post-bailout capitalism. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

The Health Insurance Industry’s Vendetta Against Michael Moore

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Nov 24, 2010 Health insurance executives at an industry strategy session on how to respond to Michael Moore's 2007 documentary "Sicko" thought they may have to implement a plan "to push Moore off a cliff," says whistle-blower Wendell Potter. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )