Marty Manley on economics, politics, technology, and culture

Archive for March, 2009

The US Auto Hospice

Today the White House issued its assessment of the GM and Chrysler turnaround plans. To summarize: Chrysler has 30 days to live. It is being given palliative care only and physicians are under medical directive to not revive the patient. Fiat, it's slightly less dead companion, will either marry Chrysler or let it slip into [...]

Where is the Stick?

Obama needs to acknowledge that his bank rescue plan cannot be entirely voluntary. He will force weak banks out of business by making them sell assets at prices that acknowledge their insolvency.This is not especially fun for a politician — but it is essential that he do it anyway. Treasury Secretary Tim Geitner has put [...]

Billionaire Amazon CEO works in his own warehouse.

He looks like a leprechaun and laughs like a hyena, but do not ever underestimate Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Back in 2006, Amazon accounted for 5.1% of all online sales. Now it accounts for 6% and it's cash flow more than doubled. The company ranks 8th in the Fortune 500 for ten year [...]

Helicopter Money vs. Stolen Bonuses

 Money is hard to keep in perspective, especially when the bad guys steal yours. This week Americans discovered that we are to pay multi-million dollar bonuses to the very AIG executives who bankrupted the company (a fairly small part of AIG called the Financial Products Group in London). Many of the recipients no longer even [...]

Employees: Free to Choose?

As befits a vanguard organization. Espresso Workers Local One was ahead of its time. It was a project of the Industrial Workers of the World (the IWW, or Wobblies), a  bunch of colorful commies who took their class struggle fully caffeinated and with a healthy dose of sugar. We organized the local in Santa Cruz [...]

Why Journalism is Dying

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM – Th 11p / 10c CNBC Gives Financial Advice Daily Show Full EpisodesImportant Things With Demetri Martin Political HumorJoke of the Day He was fun to watch, He reacted exactly the way most of us do when we see sleazeball hucksters being preened by their media quislings. When it [...]