Business and Society

July 07, 2005

Cash che

ARMAVIRUMQUE passes along an excerpt from an article posted yesterday by The New Republic, “The Killing Machine,” by Alvaro Vargas Llosa. The article is about Che Guevara, and the famous photograph that “thirty-eight years after his death, is still the logo of revolutionary (or is it capitalist?) Continue Reading...

July 06, 2005

Africa needs more than foreign aid

So says Dr. George Ayittey, a professor of economics at American University and founder of the Free Africa Foundation, in an interview on today’s Morning Edition from NPR. Ayittey argues in part that after the African nations gained independence, they rejected the market system out of hand as a Western innovation, to the detriment of their societies. Continue Reading...

July 05, 2005

Too much TV dumbs down kids

Three separate studies published by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine suggests that too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn. The article says that in one study, involving nearly 400 northern California third-graders, those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs. Continue Reading...

July 01, 2005

A quote of note from Archbishop Silvano Tomasi

The following is from Archbishop Tomasi’s address at the 93rd International Labor Conference in Geneva. (Click here for the full text of his remarks.) “It is the dignity of every human person that requires access to work in condition of personal security, health, fair remuneration, a safe environment. Continue Reading...

June 30, 2005

Go and sin (tax) no more

Last year, when I was still a Legislative Assistant in the Michigan House of Representatives, I had a front-row seat for the debate over House Bill 5632, the legislation that raised cigarette taxes by 75 cents and placed Michigan at #2 on the list for highest cigarette taxes in the country. Continue Reading...

June 29, 2005

Our slap-happy slide into techno-violence

Recent high-profile examples of the combination of violence and technology, such as “happy-slapping,” bring into sharp focus the need for moral judgment in the marketplace. The social nature of violence and sin mean that “no government, economy, family, or society can survive if a critical mass of citizens do not exercise a particular level of self-government and restraint.” Continue Reading...

June 29, 2005

Rap artists as role models

Rapper and actor Will Smith urged rappers to serve as role models for black communities at the annual BET Awards. “The kids that are making these trends, making these songs, don’t understand the level of effect that black Americans have around the world,” Smith said in an interview. Continue Reading...

June 28, 2005

Sue the competition

AMD is suing Intel, claiming “freedom of choice and the benefits of innovation…are being stolen away in the microprocessor market,” says Hector Ruiz, AMD chairman, president and chief executive. This case raises concerns over at Fast Company Now, as Kevin Ohannessian writes, I worry that this could start a new trend. Continue Reading...

June 23, 2005

No smoking in the smoke shop

Madison, Wisconsin’s city council voted down a resolution that would have allowed an exemption from the public smoking ban for cigar bars. The ban goes into effect July 1. HT: Cigar Jack’s Cigar Blog Continue Reading...

June 22, 2005

It’s a wonderful retirement?

D. Eric Schansberg, an Acton adjunct scholar, takes a look at the Social Security system, and concludes that “policymakers should address the oppressive taxes that Social Security imposes on the working poor, its pathetic rate of return, and inequities in its payouts.” Continue Reading...