In response to the “we are the 99%” slogan of Occupy Wall Street, some conservatives have launched a “we are the 53%” web presence. The 53% is an allusion to the number of people whose tax deductions and tax credits do not eliminate their income tax liability. The figure of course leaves out payroll taxes,… Continue reading The weird machismo of exploited conservatives
Arguing about property
There are many different philosophical ways to arrive at an economically leftist political position. One of those philosophical approaches — which I think has been somewhat neglected — is centered on the issue of property ownership. Unfortunately, many — even on the left — will concede that property rights exist, and that the institution of… Continue reading Arguing about property
The Goals of Occupy Wall Street
I have become increasingly annoyed by the rhetorical line that the goals of Occupy Wall Street are unclear. Mainstream media outlets have been pushing this line from the beginning and many regular people have picked it up as their position. What these media outlets really mean is that protesters at occupations have not written up… Continue reading The Goals of Occupy Wall Street
A racial justice case for economic competency
There is a worthwhile open letter on racialicious about the whiteness of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The phenomenon of white men leading the movement is fairly predictable. The fact that the movement has a strong anarchist contingent makes it even more predictable: anarchist subcultures are almost entirely white and heavily male from what I… Continue reading A racial justice case for economic competency
What is good for the economy?
I am always impressed by the way common words and phrases prevent substantive discussion of important issues. The phrase that is currently getting on my nerves is “good for the economy.” What exactly is good for the economy? The economy is after all an abstraction, a way that we describe systems of production and distribution… Continue reading What is good for the economy?