by Edward Harrison, Credit Writedownsp> I was on the Daily Ticker with Lauren Lyster talking about Japan yesterday. My view is that there is no material negative change in Japan’s sovereign debt outlook nor will there be in the medium term because of… more »

A little bit of economics can be a truly terrible thing, for the introductory classes in micro and macro-economics are the most dogmatic and myth-filled part of the neo-liberal curriculum.  Dogmas that have been falsified for 75 years (such as austeri… more »

Throughout the United States there are critical functions that society deems too essential to leave to the vagaries of the profit driven marketplace.  Fire and police departments, public schools, parks, libraries, roads, tunnels and bridges – all paid… more »

The U.S. economy continues to stagnate. It’s growing at the rate of 1.8 percent, which is barely growing at all. Consumer spending is down. Home prices are down. Jobs and wages are going nowhere.It’s vital that we understand the truth about the American economy. more »

There is no magic bullet for stimulating the small business part of the American economy. But there are millions of new entrepreneurs who have the energy and creativity to provide just that stimulation -- ironically because at the moment they are the very epitome of Coolidge's 1925 era Americans whose "chief business" was business. What they need is a simple combination of available credit and a tax code that allows for the untaxed accumulation of modest levels of working capital. The proper incubation of those entrepreneurs could go a long way towards providing the additional 3% annualized growth needed to forestall a Simpson-Bowles induced depression. Editor's note:  This is the sixth in a series of essays which discuss both historical perspectives and current challenges to solving debt crises.  The previous articles are listed (Related Articles) at the end of this one. While s… more »