Tag: economics

By a Thread

Our Index results spotlight the strengths and vulnerabilities of the middle class. In this report, we use these results to identify barriers to financial security and to begin formulating policy solutions that would enable the broad majority of American families to enjoy a stable middle class life.

Highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of America’s middle class not only clarifies what is needed to bolster it, but also elucidates how we can further assist families in achieving upward mobility and higher levels of stability and security. Our Middle Class Security Index shows troublesome trends.

Laissez-Faire Marriage

I think it’s time to restore freedom of contract to marriage. Why should 2 men, for example, be denied the same rights to contract as are allowed to a man and a woman? Far from ending civilization the extension of the bourgeoisie concept of contract ever further is the epitome of civilization. Our modern concept of marriage, for example, is simply one instantiation of the idea of contract. People will claim that this means a chaos of contracts for every form of marriage. This is wrong factually and also conceptually misguided. Factually, we already allow men and women to adjust the marriage contract as they see fit with pre-nuptials. Moreover, different states offer different marriage contracts with some offering more than one type. Partnerships of other kinds have access to all manner of contractual arrangements without insufferable problems. More importantly, the chaos of contracts argument is fundamentally misguided. The purpose of contract law is to give individual’s greater control over their lives. To make contract law a restraint on how people may govern themselves is a perversion of the social contract. To restrict people from accessing the tools of civilization on the basis of their sexual preference is baseless discrimination.

as usual, there are deeper, economic reasons behind some of the crap bible-thumpers are rallying behind.

Alibaba

“We are lucky the business was not started in Beijing or Shanghai,” there, it might have evolved to serve the sophisticated multinationals nearby. Instead, it has aimed at the kind of small businesses that cluster around Hangzhou.

2014-05-22: Alibaba has had massive growth

Alibaba’s transactions totaled $248B (more than eBay and Amazon combined)
Alibaba delivers 5B packages a year. UPS delivers 4.3B
Alibaba’s money market fund went from 0 to 4th largest globally, in 10 months

Striking for Extinction

The strike poses an interesting challenge for television at a time where internet usage has surpassed TV viewing time in most homes. Users are already choosing online entertainment over TV, how many more will switch off their televisions when their favorite shows stop going to air? These eyeballs present a real opportunity for online content creators at all levels; from the VC funded video startups through to the DIY part timers. The trends in viewer numbers have all been headed online to this point, this strike could well accelerate this trend, particularly if it lasts over the long term. It will be a chance for millions online to bloom

hidebound unions destroying their own livelihood.