BNET Intercom

Hollywood's Napster Moment

Stefan Deeran — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:51:17 +0000

There's no real need to even bother downloading a song, television program or movie anymore. Videos can be uploaded anywhere on the planet and streamed on any browser. And since most data lives in the cloud and not on desktops, the Motion Picture Association of America would be wasting its time going after illegal end-user libraries like the recording industry once did.

Why Are Some Nations Rich While Others Are Poor?

Stefan Deeran — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:45:11 +0000

If countries create sound institutions and improve their governments, then their citizens can expect that their hard work will be protected by the rule of law and poverty can be fixed, says an MIT professor. But why do some nations develop sound, transparent institutions while others settle for warlords or corrupt puppet governments?

World Taking Free Ride On America's Healthcare Innovations

Stefan Deeran — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:48:16 +0000

When these innovations can be controlled and patented, as is often the case with new drugs, then American companies and our broader economy both benefit overall. But many investments in innovation, such as long-term health studies, end up as global public goods. We pay the price to figure out a new procedure and everyone else gets to adopt it, free of charge.

What the Unemployed Can Learn from Sarah Palin

Stefan Deeran — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:49:37 +0000

Across America, there are millions of people who won't get paid millions to write about why they've lost their jobs. I'm all for standing up for oneself and speaking out against the injustices of the past. But ultimately, it's one's future that's worth fighting for.

Managing Your Boss | Useful Commute Podcast

BNET Staff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:16:30 +0000

Is your boss a control freak, a constant critic, or an inept supervisor? Having a manager you can’t stand can be unbearable. But instead of quitting or acting out, you can take charge of the situation. In this podcast, Katherine Crowley, a Harvard-trained psychotherapist, and Kathi Elster, a management consultant, offer tips on how to [...]

Big Food's Hunger Myth

Stefan Deeran — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:43:12 +0000

We don't have a serious hunger problem in the land of the absurdly-cheap one dollar double cheeseburger. We have an obesity epidemic.

When Nonprofits Compete with Businesses

Stefan Deeran — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:42:15 +0000

Two Seattle-based organizations illustrate how the distinction is blurring between charities and businesses. Because they both have an environmental component to their missions, they are classified as nonprofits, even though they compete with for-profit players.

Chart of the Week: Do Government Programs Encourage Poverty?

Stefan Deeran — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:12:02 +0000

If you are a single parent in Virginia, you are probably going to take home a little less than $40,000 per year. But oddly, it doesn't matter whether you've made $20,000 or $40,000 from actually working. That's according to an analysis of the "working poors'" implicit marginal tax rate from the Mises Institute.

Do Policymakers Want a Weak Dollar?

Stefan Deeran — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:34:47 +0000

The value of the dollar against other world currencies is hovering around a 15 month low. And it doesn't matter whether the analysis comes from the left or the right: policymakers really want a weak dollar, despite lip service to the contrary.

How the Democrats Sold their Healthcare Bill by Exploiting the Abortion Issue

Stefan Deeran — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:49:17 +0000

Pro-choice groups are freaking out because Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats in the House "sold out" by tacking the last-minute Stupak amendment, which prevents federally-subsidized insurance plans from covering abortions, to the healthcare bill. It's easy for the punditocracy to now conclude that the abortion issue will become one big roadblock to reform as the bill heads to the Senate. However, I'm not convinced that that's the correct interpretation.