Joseph Stiglitz: New New Lipstick on the Pig

01 Poverty, 03 Economy, 09 Justice, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Design
Joseph E. Stiglitz
Joseph E. Stiglitz

Today, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, the Columbia professor and former economic advisor to Bill Clinton, [published] a new report for the Roosevelt Institute entitled “Rewriting the Rules,” which is basically a roadmap for what many progressives would like to see happen policy wise over the next four years.

Eight “fixes” and PBI commentary below the fold.

Continue reading “Joseph Stiglitz: New New Lipstick on the Pig”

SchwartzReport: Iceland to End Bank Money Creation?

03 Economy, 08 Wild Cards, 11 Society, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Economics/True Cost, Ethics, Government
Stephan A. Schwartz
Stephan A. Schwartz

I follow Iceland because like the Scandanavian countries it is one of the nations where the new wellness oriented policies are developing. This one is very dramatic and will change the world's economy as it is more widely adopted. I don't think it will happen in America because the banks have so many liegemen in the Congress, as Paul Krugman points out.

Iceland looks at ending boom and bust with radical money plan

Icelandic government suggests removing the power of commercial banks to create money and handing it to the central bank

SchwartzReport: USDA Research Being Censored & Compromised?

01 Agriculture, 03 Economy, 07 Health, 09 Justice, 11 Society
Stephan A. Schwartz
Stephan A. Schwartz

I find it very interesting that at the moment in our history when science has never been more important in making social policy there is an aggressive and well-funded campaign to keep science from doing just that. All in the name of profit. The only thing that is going to change the outcome is a mass movement of citizens who actively work for and vote for the most compassionate and life-affirming candidate of those available.

USDA scientists’ research about bee-killing pesticides compromised

SchwartzReport: DNA of Poor Deteriorating — PBI: Is This Mass Genocide Against the Poor?

01 Poverty, 03 Environmental Degradation, 06 Genocide, 07 Health, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Civil Society, Commerce, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Earth Intelligence, Government
Stephan A. Schwartz
Stephan A. Schwartz

Some days, when I do SR by the time I am through  I just feel that with the level of stupidity and greed that pervades our culture we don't deserve to survive, and probably won't. This is one of those stories.

Scientists Find Alarming Deterioration In DNA Of The Urban Poor

Continue reading “SchwartzReport: DNA of Poor Deteriorating — PBI: Is This Mass Genocide Against the Poor?”

SchwartzReport: Drought Impacts Trees & Food

03 Economy, 03 Environmental Degradation, 07 Health, 11 Society, 12 Water, Earth Intelligence
Stephan A. Schwartz
Stephan A. Schwartz

One aspect of climate change that people are simply not fully comprehending is the massive changes in the natural environment that are going to come with it. This report about California is just one example of what I mean. The massive restructuring of natural systems is going to be very challenging to our civilization.

Drought kills 12 million trees in California's national forests

It isn't just trees. Climate change is going to disrupt the food system, which is going to disrupt us in significant ways.  Once again I urge you to grow food and encourage and facilitate local food production. Communities that do that will have an easier time going through this inevitable transition.  And that is the reality. This restructuring is going to happen, because climate change is already happening, as this report and the tree story make clear.

California’s Drought Could Upend America’s Entire Food System

Antechinus: Progressive Rally on Basic Income

03 Economy, 11 Society
Antechinus
Antechinus

Most recent Progressive Change Campaign Committee pool results get discussed by basic income advocates and critics

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee has released the results of its latest poll on voters’ response to a set of progressive proposals. It is fully available online, and amongst 52 proposals, the minimum guaranteed income (basic income, or BI) scored around middle table, with 59% of responses in favour and 27% in opposition with around 10% neutral. This result may seem surprising in a conservative-leaning society such as the United States, and is probably connected with other related issues, such as the desire to end tax loopholes for corporations (74% in favour) or the expansion of Social Security Benefits (70% in favour). Learn more.

SchwartzReport: Pension Funds Vulnerable to Fossil Collapse

03 Economy, 06 Family, 11 Society
Stephan A. Schwartz
Stephan A. Schwartz

If you live on investment funds, or through a pension invested in funds you would do well to re-examine your financial situation. This article explains why I say that.

Nearly half of top pension funds gambling on climate change

Index produced by thinktank shows just under 50% of investors take no measures to protect assets from expected climate-related market shifts

noble gold