25 May 2015

If Obama and Clinton are "affirmative action" candidates, so are white men

Jenée Desmond-Harris

For the love of God, rich people, stop giving Ivy League colleges money

"The New York Times' Robin Pogrebin describes Schwarzman's contribution as an "act of philanthropy." It is not. Sure, it's not the absolute worst thing one could do with one's money. I suppose it's a bit better than literally piling $150 million in dollar bills together in one location and then setting them on fire, insofar as building performing arts center employs more people than assembling a massive money pile would. It's definitely better than using the money to set up a private island upon which to hunt man for sport."
...
"But it's not philanthropy. It's not helping people who need help, and it's obscene that Schwarzman is getting a massive tax write-off for it. Giving to Yale is not an act of altruism. It's a gigantic, immoral waste of money and it's long past time we started treating it as such."



22 May 2015

Research: Natural Rate of Unemployment under 5% and Falling

Bill McBride


Jeb Bush embraces the narrative of Christian victimhood

If you grew up with your religious beliefs being the default setting for society at large — when it's your prayers being said in public schools, when only people who share your religion are elected president, when your holidays are everyone's holidays — then a growing inclusiveness can feel like an attack on you. It seems like you've lost something, even if you can't admit that it was something only you and people like you were privileged to possess.

Paul Waldman


13 May 2015

Ideology Creators of the New Gilded Age

Erik Loomis

Americans Get Free Trade's Dark Side

"Essentially, Mankiw is telling you that you don’t believe the simple truth because deep down within you lurks a xenophobic socialist. Call me crazy, but I don’t think this is a beneficial, constructive way for economists to engage with the public."

Noah Smith