Jim Hightower
More Boldy Go
When Franklin Roosevelt was accused of being a traitor to his privileged class, he jauntily replied: “I welcome their hatred.” He would feel right at home today, since FDR-haters are on the prowl again, led by right-wing think tanks and … Read More
Wall Street Beggars Being Choosey
Goodness gracious, Congress is really getting tough on Wall Street bankers, isn’t it? In a remarkable act of bipartisanship, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe are proposing to impose new conditions on the banks that are getting … Read More
Many Happy Returns
Now that the long election season is behind us, surely citizens of all political stripes can agree on one thing: At last we’ll get a respite from the bombardment of attack ads, lies and slimeball nastiness that poured out of … Read More
It’s Shopping Time!
Yes, these are tough economic times, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going … to Neiman Marcus. Hoping to cut through the doom and gloom of today’s economy, the luxury retailer has issued its annual Christmas Book, … Read More
From Scam to Scandal
Bailing out Wall Street billionaires is not exactly popular with voters, so Hank Paulson, George W.’s treasury secretary, came up with this cover story: It’s not about Wall Street, it’s about your street. He explained that putting 250 billion of … Read More
Name Your Bank
Advertising has been likened to whacking a metal bucket repeatedly with a stick. The noise can be used to attract … or distract.So what’s the right advertising message for the banks and insurance giants collapsing all around us? One slogan … Read More
The Wall Street Follies
Willie Sutton, who said he robbed banks because “that’s where the money is,” had nothing on Richard Fuld. He’s the Wall Street whiz who headed Lehman Brothers and moved the company heavily into gimmicky investment schemes based on risky subprime … Read More
Cleaning Up After the Elephants
Watching the Bush administration in its final few months is like watching one of those scenes in a submarine disaster movie, when the aah-oogah horn blows and crew members rush every which way to jury-rig pipelines, crank balky machinery, and … Read More
John McCain’s Palin Problem
John McCain might love America, but he clearly has little regard for Americans. That’s the message he sent when he picked Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. True, the VP job doesn’t require much heavy lifting, but it’s the … Read More