America: The Sick Man of the Western Hemisphere

Eric Margolis, 02.09.2010

Veteran journalist and Author

America has become the Sick Man of the Western Hemisphere, an economic cripple like the defunct Ottoman Empire whose inept financial management was legendary.

Where Elizabeth Warren Got It Wrong

Jason Paez, 02.09.2010

Investment banker, technologist, entrepreneur at Belstone Capital.

The simple truth is that when American corporations pursue profit -- successfully or not -- as long as they stay within the law, they are functioning exactly as we designed them to.

Obama and the TARP

Dr. Philip Neches, 02.09.2010

If one just looked at the numbers, President Obama's first year in office would have to be rated a huge success. Ultimately though, the large number of small accomplishments did not shape public perception.

Weekly Audit: Attack of the Imaginary Budget Demons

The Media Consortium, 02.09.2010

Network of Leading Progressive Independent Journalism Organizations

By Zach Carter, Media Consortium Blogger On Feb. 1, President Barack Obama unveiled his 2011 budget proposal. While conservative pundits reacted with ...

Worst of All Possible Worlds: Which Country's Debts Are Truly the Worst?

Damien Hoffman, 02.09.2010

Editor-in-Chief, Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Last year, the US dollar was the butt of monetary jokes. But now, in a moment of cosmic irony, some global investors are now fleeing to the relative safety of the US dollar.

Where Were CEOs in the State of the Union Address?

Leo Hindery, Jr., 02.09.2010

Chairman of the Smart Globalization Initiative at the New America Foundation

As the administration seeks to transform the President's rhetoric on jobs into the reality of effective government policy, it needs to get beyond the political and the theoretical and to get into the head's of the nation's thousands of CEOs and business owners. While all of us should appeal to these leaders' better angels, they are also entitled to policies that provide the economic and commercial certainty they need now in order to robustly re-invest in their companies and the welfare of America's workers.

Bad Economy? We Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Nathan Havey, 02.09.2010

New Media Communications/Political Consultant, Videographer, Feminist

Our elected representatives (and much of our media) are afraid to look this crisis in the face and talk straight about how to solve it.

My Big Fat Greek Bailout

Mary Bottari, 02.09.2010

Center for Media and Democracy and www.BanksterUSA.org

Will the rich nations of the EU live up to their vows and come to the rescue of troubled Greece? Will the EU allow a new suitor, the IMF, to come to the rescue?

If Michael Moore Would Run for President

Robert Naiman, 02.09.2010

Policy Director of Just Foreign Policy

If Moore announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination now, and followed up that announcement with a vigorous campaign focused on the struggles of rank-and-file Democrats, it would re-mobilize rank-and-file Democratic activists.

Let's Call It "Pocketbook Populism"

Mark Green, 02.09.2010

Author and former Public Advocate of New York City

Time to take back "populism" from Teabaggers and Palinites who've kidnapped it to only mean less government and taxes. Democrats need to define a phrase and philosophy that tells Independents we're on your side.

The Tea Party Dumps Economic Populism: Where are the Progressives?

Les Leopold, 02.09.2010

Author, "The Looting of America"

The lethal combination of Wall Street's economic domination and the Tea Party's hatred of all things government is likely to overwhelm most other progressive causes. We need our own movement.

Elizabeth Warren Calls Out Wall Street

James Kwak, 02.09.2010

The big banks face a choice. They can agree to sensible reforms that protect consumers and rein in the excesses of the past decades. Or they can simply decide to screw customers, but do it openly this time.

Justice Department Pays Legal Fees To American Small Business League

Lloyd Chapman, 02.08.2010

Small business advocate

The U.S. Department of Justice has been forced to pay the legal fees incurred by the American Small Business League (ASBL), after the ASBL substantial...

The Tea Party 600: Canaries in the Political Coal Mine?

Arianna Huffington, 02.09.2010

While there was much to mock about the Tea Party convention: the low turnout, Tom Tancredo's immigrant bashing and Sarah Palin's keynote lite, it would be a huge mistake to dismiss the movement that led to the event.

Modernizing Russia Through Innovation

Arkady Dvorkovich, 02.08.2010

Chief Economic Advisor to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev

The necessity for a radical change in Russia's economic development paradigm has become clear in recent years, with President Medvedev responding forcibly.

The Times Story On Goldman's Role in AIG's Downfall Is More Damning When Placed In Context

David Fiderer, 02.08.2010

Banker/Writer

Placed in a broader context, the front page story The New York Times is even more damning of Goldman Sachs than readers might realize. Goldman played...

Commercial Real Estate Loans Create Jobs

Jerry Chautin, 02.08.2010

Business Mentoring

Creating or saving jobs is a requirement for commercial real estate borrowers that use the U.S. Small Business Administration's 504 program.

Congress: The Banks Own the Place. Do They Own Obama Too?

Miles Mogulescu, 02.09.2010

Entertainment attorney, writer, and political activist

If "no brainer" reforms like bankruptcy reform and student loan reform can't make it through a Democratic controlled Congress, how will more fundamental reforms of the financial system fare?

Language Matters: A "House" Is Not a "Home"

Martin Luz, 02.08.2010

PR guy, writer, professional ghost writer

The American fascination with "home" had always been rooted in some idea of the life one could build there. Then at some point, ideas changed -- and so did the words that went with them.

The Budget Deficit Crisis Crisis

Dean Baker, 02.09.2010

Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research

The reality is that we have an unemployment crisis today, not a deficit crisis. The only crisis related to the deficit is that people with vast sums of money have been able to use that money to make the deficit into a crisis.

What Is the Future of America?

Reverend Billy, 02.08.2010

Spiritual Leader of the Church of Life After Shopping

Our series of orgiastic futures in America has broken through one final horizon. We are surprised to be confronted by the actual future and it is nothing like how we marketed it.