From the report below fold.

Continue reading ‘Morris Report Dahming on Howlin and Higgins’

Photo owned by maveric2003 (cc)What caused the latest world economic crisis? Toxic Credit products? Sub-Prime Mortgages, Galway races tent, ninja morgages, Massive bonuses to executives? No none of these were the cause of the latest crisis they were simply the cliffs we were pushed off. But they were not the push that sent us over the edge. No the cause of the crisis was Richard Arens. So who is Richard Arens?

Continue reading ‘We are off the cliff so what to do with the pusher?’

Some people seem to be going all philosophical of the twenty major departure. Now I never read twenty it didn’t appeal to me, never found it funny maybe that is just me. But overall his departure does not bother me that much. Anyway the above poster mentioned that Twenty said the blogosphere had changed in his time. It has indeed even in my time. When I started over 3 years ago it was a lot smaller and in some ways closer the way that only small communities can be. But with its growth the same closeness can not be re-created. When I started I probably knew most of the bloggers in Ireland as in knew their blogs. Now there is so many you just can’t keep track. Us here on the Dossing Times do occupy a small part of the blogosphere. Although I have got a bit of exposure and some blog awards that has a bit to do with  Irish Election and the collective weight of the rest of the posters. But I guess in someways I was a relatively big name blogger (got my name in the Irish Times) . Alas now I am a minor voice in the sphere,  avoiding the one area where I made my name (political Agent provocateuring) so that I can finish my PhD probabaly aids that. But where is the blogging shpere overall?

When I started it was more a village where people knew most people in the village, now it is massive and people don’t know the rest of the people. It is a city, some people prefair cities others villages. Maybe that is what twenty means by the blogosphere losing its appeal.

Groth in education spending. 1990-2001. From Spatial and Social Inequalities Research Group in the Uni at Sheffield 

Growth in Scientific Research. 

So if you look at the USA you see that growth in spending did not quiet lead to increase in science while also zero growth in the UK lead to loads of growth in Science. Why?

One of my work mates is bemoaning the day of festivities she would be enjoying should she be back hom in Nigeria to celebrate the countrys Independence Day today. The day celebrates re-achieving democratic rule to the country after 30 years of military rule in 1999. The countries most recent elections in 2007, were internationally condemned for a lack of transparency. The country’s emmigrants represent one of the largest groups of people amongst Irelands increasingly multi cultural society. Seen as one of the worlds fastest growing economies there is nevertheless much social injustice and ethnic instability in the country. Cause to celebrate times of success and instil patriotic pride though should always be encouraged.

I’ve mentioned this new TV show, as well as Joss Whedon’s upcoming ‘Dollhouse’ previously. The trailers for both shows looked good and now having seen the first episode of ‘Fringe’ I am happy to recommend you consider it as part of your Wednesday nights viewing. From the stable of JJ Abrams, it follows the format du jour of setting up both an episodic format within a larger story arc.

Abrams seems a fan of emotionally vulnerable, yet able bodied females caught up in sci fi infused drama. The show sees the return of Joshua Jacson to our screens (don’t hold that against the show!), has an evil corporation and a mad scientist. The show is so far the biggest show off the blocks in the new season in the US, and the pilot is a knock-out, almost a mini movie. Comparisons with the X - Files are inevitable, not a bad way to reel people in, I’m looking forward to seeing how the idea of the show develops.

Tonight, Wednesday TV3 10pm

It is generally thought that taxing the rich more will generally reduce the economy as the drivers of the economy, the rich will work more with more money in their back pocket. This is usually to do with them being able to spend more and thus boost consumtion. But prephaps it has other effects that counter act this.

From Stumbling and Mumbling. (Larson tax cuts being UK cut of top rate of income tax to 40% in 88)

So, let’s look at an alternative measure - labour productivity in the whole economy. If Lawson’s tax cuts had stimulated the rich to work harder, you’d expect this to have risen since 1988 partly for purely arithmetic reasons - the rich’s labour counts too - and partly because greater effort by managers stimulated their staff to work harder.
Except that it hasn’t. In the last 20 years, productivity has grown by 1.8% a year. In the 20 years before Lawson cut taxes - a period that included the appalling industrial relations of the 1970s remember - it grew 2% a year*.

This suggests an alternative theory. Lawson’s tax cuts allowed high earners to retire earlier - because they reached their target level of retirement wealth quicker, and because their savings were taxed more lightly. This deprived the economy of a cadre of experienced workers and managers, with the result that productivity has suffered.  

 

It is an interesting theory and puts much of the rights idea’s of tax cutting as wrong. Saying that in many ways instead of fueling the economy tax cuts can reduce the economies effectiveness. Certainly at the higher end anyway. Like to see what it says about people on lower incomes and lower tax bands. Also if you banned retiring what would happen