Explaining Tariffs and Smoot-Hawley

Introduction Now that Donald Trump has been reelected, I think it’s time to explain some of the history behind his proposals.

It’s Not the Economy Stupid

To alter a phrase from the ’90s, Trump’s shocking win was not, as many pundits want us to believe, about the economy. There will be much to say about what happened yesterday over the next few days. But a critical point that must be understood is that Trump’s complete domination of American politics did not… Continue reading It’s Not the Economy Stupid

Reviewing a Game as Old as Empire

A Game as Old as Empire builds on Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Edited by Stephen Hiatt, A Game as Old as Empire is a collection of essays by people who are confessing their participation in the abuse of people around the world committed by governments and corporations working together. Over a decade old, some… Continue reading Reviewing a Game as Old as Empire

Reviewing the Edge of Anarchy

Jack Kelly’s The Edge of Anarchy: the Railroad Barons, the Gilded Age, and the Greatest Labor Uprising in America tell the story of the Pullman strike of 1894. This is another of those books that shows exactly how little progress has been made in America over the last 127 years. Reading it in the context… Continue reading Reviewing the Edge of Anarchy