Loudon WainÂwright III has released a new album, Songs for the New DepresÂsion, that fitÂtingÂly feaÂtures “The KrugÂman Blues,” an homage to the PrinceÂton, Nobel Prize-winÂning econÂoÂmist, Paul KrugÂman, who has docÂuÂmentÂed AmerÂiÂca’s ecoÂnomÂic spiÂral in The New York Times. You can watch the KrugÂman Blues above, and get the full album at WainÂwright’s web site.
via The New YorkÂer
The major TED conÂferÂence wrapped up late last week. And now the videos start to roll out. Above Bill Gates (to quote TED) “unveils his vision for the world’s enerÂgy future, describÂing the need for mirÂaÂcles to avoid planÂeÂtary catÂaÂstroÂphe and explainÂing why he’s backÂing a draÂmatÂiÂcalÂly difÂferÂent type of nuclear reacÂtor. The necÂesÂsary goal? Zero carÂbon emisÂsions globÂalÂly by 2050.”
PubÂlic conÂfiÂdence in the U.S. House and SenÂate is at an all-time low, and, after last week’s Supreme Court deciÂsion, it’s bound to sink even lowÂer. On JanÂuÂary 19th (the day before the deciÂsion), HarÂvard law proÂfesÂsor Lawrence Lessig returned to StanÂford and highÂlightÂed the degree to which “instiÂtuÂtionÂal corÂrupÂtion” — in the form of lobÂbyÂists and corÂpoÂrate influÂence — perÂvades ConÂgress, dicÂtates legÂisÂlaÂtion, and brings large sums of monÂey to camÂpaigns and, yes, even repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives’ perÂsonÂal bank accounts. (RoughÂly 50% of U.S. SenÂaÂtors become lobÂbyÂists, workÂing for indusÂtries they once assistÂed politÂiÂcalÂly, and earn subÂstanÂtial incomes.) The talk, accomÂpaÂnied by a rapid fire PowÂerÂPoint preÂsenÂtaÂtion, runs a solÂid hour and details varÂiÂous instances in which lobÂbyÂists have shaped unfathÂomably bad legÂisÂlaÂtion. HapÂpiÂly, the talk also ends with Lessig outÂlinÂing posÂsiÂble soluÂtions. PolÂiÂcy changes can offer some answers. But, a lot of it comes down to this: getÂting the pasÂsive privÂiÂleged to rein in a corÂruptÂed elite.
Note: To see Lessig’s immeÂdiÂate response to the SCOTUS deciÂsion, look here.
Jared DiaÂmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning author of Guns, Germs & Steel (and ColÂlapse: How SociÂeties Choose to Fail or SucÂceed), offers some timeÂly thoughts on why Haiti, once a fairÂly prosÂperÂous counÂtry, has sunk into endurÂing poverÂty — a conÂdiÂtion not comÂparÂaÂtiveÂly shared by its neighÂbor on the same island, the DominiÂcan RepubÂlic. AccordÂing to DiaÂmond, Haiti’s enviÂronÂmenÂtal conÂdiÂtions offer a parÂtial explaÂnaÂtion. But you will also find clues in the counÂtry’s lanÂguage, and in the legaÂcy of slavÂery that has shaped Haiti’s ecoÂnomÂic relaÂtionÂship with Europe and the US. This interÂview — quite a good one — aired this mornÂing in San FranÂcisÂco. You can lisÂten to it below, or access it via MP3, iTunes or RSS Feed.
Robert Shiller, who preÂdictÂed the stock marÂket crash earÂliÂer this decade and the burstÂing of the housÂing bubÂble in 2008, has a unique underÂstandÂing of the finanÂcial marÂkets and behavÂioral ecoÂnomÂics. In this free course proÂvidÂed by Yale UniÂverÂsiÂty, Shiller demysÂtiÂfies the finanÂcial marÂkets and explains “the theÂoÂry of finance and its relaÂtion to the hisÂtoÂry, the strengths and imperÂfecÂtions of such instiÂtuÂtions as bankÂing, insurÂance, secuÂriÂties, futures, and othÂer derivÂaÂtives marÂkets, and the future of these instiÂtuÂtions over the next cenÂtuÂry.” It’s a course for our shaky finanÂcial times. The first lecÂture appears above, and the full course can be accessed on YouTube, iTunes and Yale’s web site. The course is also listÂed in our meta colÂlecÂtion of Free CoursÂes and our tarÂgetÂed selecÂtion of Free EcoÂnomÂics CoursÂes.
Peter Singer, an AusÂtralian-born philosoÂpher who teachÂes at PrinceÂton, creÂatÂed the aniÂmal rights moveÂment back in the 1970s, and, more recentÂly, launched a camÂpaign to end world poverÂty. One can’t conÂtemÂplate poverÂty withÂout also conÂsidÂerÂing greed, and that brings us to the clip above. InterÂviewed in 2009, Singer sugÂgests that greed driÂves us bioÂlogÂiÂcalÂly (as does social colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion forÂtuÂnateÂly). Greed helps us surÂvive and innoÂvate. But there is also a point where it becomes pointÂless and pathoÂlogÂiÂcal, and that’s what we have witÂnessed in the finanÂcial world. Greed brought us Bernie MadÂoff. But it has also brought us (my inferÂences) bankers who creÂate a catÂaÂstroÂphe one year and take record bonusÂes the next. And it has brought us to the point where our counÂtry has danÂgerÂousÂly slipped off of its demoÂcÂraÂtÂic moorÂings. Lloyd BlankÂfein, this clip is for you. Thanks Ted for sendÂing this one along.
LookÂing for free phiÂlosÂoÂphy coursÂes? VisÂit the PhiÂlosÂoÂphy secÂtion of our Free Course colÂlecÂtion.
What would MarÂtin Luther King Jr. think about AmerÂiÂca in 2010? Few would know betÂter than ClayÂborne CarÂson, the StanÂford hisÂtoÂriÂan who directs the MarÂtin Luther King, Jr. Research and EduÂcaÂtion InstiÂtute. In this talk, CarÂson describes MLK’s likeÂly thoughts about AmerÂiÂca durÂing the Great RecesÂsion. King cared deeply about ecoÂnomÂic jusÂtice, and it’s clear that King wouldÂn’t have looked unamÂbivaÂlentÂly upon the inequalÂiÂties that the finanÂcial meltÂdown made so glarÂingÂly obviÂous. Next week, the U.S. will celÂeÂbrate King’s birthÂday and bankers will colÂlect their record-setÂting bonusÂes …
Note: ClayÂborne CarÂson is curÂrentÂly holdÂing Open Office Hours on StanÂford’s FaceÂbook Page. Be sure to visÂit. Also, ProÂfesÂsor CarÂson has taught an online course that you can freely downÂload. It’s called African-AmerÂiÂcan HisÂtoÂry: ModÂern FreeÂdom StrugÂgle, and you can find it on YouTube and iTunes. It’s also the first course that appears in our colÂlecÂtion of Free CoursÂes.
After he left office in 2007, Tony Blair went across the pond and spent time teachÂing at Yale. Exit Prime MinÂisÂter Blair. Enter ProÂfesÂsor Blair. DurÂing the 2008-09 acaÂdÂeÂmÂic year, Blair and Miroslav Volf co-taught “Faith and GlobÂalÂizaÂtion,” a course designed to help stuÂdents underÂstand the two interÂtwined forces shapÂing our world. In some ways, reliÂgion is the real focus here, and it is Blair’s arguÂment (above, for examÂple) that “If you canÂnot underÂstand the world of faith, whether you are in busiÂness, or in pubÂlic affairs, or in polÂiÂtics, then you actuÂalÂly canÂnot underÂstand the world.” The full course can be accessed on iTunes, and we have also added it to our large colÂlecÂtion of free coursÂes from top uniÂverÂsiÂties. For more inforÂmaÂtion on this course, please visÂit Yale’s Faith and GlobÂalÂizaÂtion webÂsite and also be sure to access Yale’s Open Course iniÂtiaÂtive.
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