Journalism should serve the public, he argued, no one else. Ben Bagdikian, one of the nation’s foremost media critics, died in 2016 at age 96. He left behind warnings about concentration in […]
Bagdikian was right: Don’t allow media to concentrate
When is that chemical toxic? Ask the industry-guided EPA
Industry’s concerns trump social concern. Economic activity trumps social concern. If you’d like a reason to be cynical about whether government favors you or favors an industry, look no further than a […]
Why save coal instead of investing in wind?
Money moves toward enterprises where profit lies in waiting. But money runs as fast as possible from the tired and unprofitable. Consider the fortunes of wind-generated energy and that produced by burning […]
The FTC figuratively owns Facebook (for now) – The Tech Curmudgeon
A 2011 consent decree with the FTC might be an existential threat to Facebook, which doesn’t give a damn about protecting personal data but cares a lot about money.
Trump’s America: a third-world country in an ill-fitting suit
As we gear up for trade war with a major creditor and producer of many consumer goods, Rolling Stone looks at how China is treating North Carolina like the developing world. American […]
#SharingSaturday #SharingForAFriend
See a friend creating or otherwise in need of a signal boost? Give it! I have a great idea. No, really. I know it’s me, but this is great. I don’t pat […]
A case for the Humanities
Arguing for well-rounded, well-educated human beings in the US is probably as fruitless as arguing for the Humanities. And for the same reasons. Besides the obvious benefit of agitating evangelical conservatives with […]
Is it time to weaponize the marketplace?
Asking for a friend. By now I think it’s safe to assume that the so-called free market forces (that want anything but a truly free market) have all their bases covered. Thanks […]
Dana Loesch, the NRA, and their allergy to truth
Bullshit merchant Dana Loesch’s claim that the NRA isn’t a “lobby group” is patently false As a mostly impartial gadfly, I try hard to be fair. What I seek are sound arguments, […]
SNAP subsidies for the candy and soda industries
I’m all for food assistance. I’m not for junk food and luxury assistance. I’ve tried to make it a rule of thumb that if I’m typing furiously because someone is wrong on […]
