Unemployment vs. GDP Growth

It's slow and lagging. Don't buy in to the conservative line that the Obama administration is not performing on jobs.

Presidential Popularity

Great chart.

Our Failed Economic Model

These are telling charts, from the Congressional Budget Office, showing the increasing disparity of income and wealth distribution over the last three decades. The time series above is the most telling of the bunch. Is there any question about what has been wrong with the economy? We are turning into a banana republic. Has there ever been a clearer picture that "top-down" economic theories don't work for those who are not at the top?

Collecting All the Arguments for Torture

Here is the link and following is the chart. Is anybody impressed with any of these arguments? Of course the fact that torture is ILLEGAL is determinative!

Charitable Giving

This chart is frankly shocking. And this result is before the cut in charitable giving write-offs for those above $250k. I guess they weren't so generous in the first place.

More Data Comparing Economic Performance

Some "eye-popping" charts comparing economic performance of Republican vs. Democratic regimes. Tell me again why the Republican Party is the party of economic growth and success? There are more references at this site. The conclusions don't change no matter how you look at it.

Putting the Absurd Tea Parties in Perspective

No matter how you look at it, the tax rates in the US are not high on a global scale. We can always bitch about taxes, but they are not out of line, especially when you consider that we have by far the largest expenditures on defense, over 20% of the federal budget. By the way, this stuff comes from Forbes, hardly a bunch of raving progressives.