28 | August | 2012

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Despite the techno-pessimists aka ‘innovation Malthusians,’ a new era of transformational technology is underway

Mark J. Perry | August 28, 2012, 10:16 pm

A synopsis of the article in The American, “The Next Great Growth Cycle,” by Mark P. Mills, CEO of the Digital Power Group and adjunct fellow of the Manhattan Institute: Apple went public in December 1980. And there followed the … read more >

Pethokoukis

Who would be Romney’s Treasury secretary?

James Pethokoukis | August 28, 2012, 5:04 pm

Apparently Carly Fiorina said today that being Treasury secretary in a Romney administration would be “a great honor.” But given what I have found out about how Mitt Romney is viewing the position, I am not sure Fiorina would be … read more >

Carpe Diem

Michigan economy shifts into high gear: Economic activity index rebounds to a ten-year high in June

Mark J. Perry | August 28, 2012, 5:00 pm

From Comerica Bnak, comes some extremely positive news today about the Michigan economy, which would be consistent with recent reports about the rebound in Midwest manufacturing, and especially strong gains in Midwest automotive production: Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index … read more >

Carpe Diem

FDIC quarterly banking report suggests that financial health of U.S. banks has returned to pre-recession conditions

Mark J. Perry | August 28, 2012, 3:12 pm

The FDIC released its Quarterly Banking Profile today for the second quarter, here are some highlights: 1. U.S. banks earned a total of $34.5 billion from April through June, a 20.7% increase compared to Q2 2011 (see chart above). Almost … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

Fuel economy standards to tighten

Kenneth P. Green | August 28, 2012, 2:51 pm

What’s the problem? High-mileage vehicles are expensive, that’s the problem. read more >

Image Credit: futureatlas.com (Flickr) (CC BY 2.0)

Politics and Public Opinion, Elections

Senior Romney adviser: ‘Mitt Romney is the Tea Party movement’

Henrik Temp | August 28, 2012, 1:19 pm

Republican National Convention — Tampa, Florida During a POLITICO breakfast, then again later during a National Journal/The Atlantic/CBS News panel this morning in Tampa, Ron Kaufman, senior Romney adviser, made the somewhat bold assertion that Mitt Romney is the ideal … read more >

Pethokoukis, Politics and Public Opinion

Where’s the landslide? Why 2012 isn’t 1980

James Pethokoukis | August 28, 2012, 1:10 pm

Republican National Convention – Tampa, Florida Just a few more bits of data among many, but today’s consumer confidence numbers were dreadful. JPMorgan: The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index fell 4.8 points to 60.6 in August. Since peaking at 71.6 … read more >

Carpe Diem

Pew Research calls it a ‘hollowing out of the middle class,’ but 150 Americans moved up for every 100 who moved down between 1971 and 2011

Mark J. Perry | August 28, 2012, 1:03 pm

The Pew Research Center released a report last week titled “The Lost Decade of the Middle Class: Fewer, Poorer, Gloomier,” which starts out with this depressing introduction: “As the 2012 presidential candidates prepare their closing arguments to America’s middle class, … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

Why a carbon tax is still a bad idea

Kenneth P. Green | August 28, 2012, 12:31 pm

Carbon taxes may look good as an abstract exercise in economics, but in the real world, like other eco-taxes, they would quickly morph into just another form of taxation that feeds the ever-hungry maw of big government. read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Obama, not yet a pacifist. Not yet.

Danielle Pletka | August 28, 2012, 11:24 am

Many have suggested that President Obama’s opposition to any decisive action on Syria – be it arming the rebels, supporting safe zones, supporting the creation of a government in exile – is political. He doesn’t, the theory goes, want the … read more >