READING FOR THE WEEKEND (6-7-13)

Apparently, if you're a politician, it's OK to lie if your constituents want to believe the lie that you are telling them (Crooks & Liars).

Pope Francis spotlights social teaching with blunt calls for an ethical economic system (National Catholic Reporter).

Is China the 1990s version of Japan? (Economonitor)

The earth's weirdest landscapes ... really incredible pictures (Sierra).

Since 2010 unemployment among college graduates over the age of 25 has been 4.6 - 4.7 percent, while it hovers between 9 and 10 percent for non-college graduates (graphs here). If you have a graduate degree it's 3.3 percent. Earning differences are big too (Georgetown Public Policy Institute).

If the Postal Service is failing blame Congress (Mother Jones).

The real story behind Finland's low infant mortality rates (Updated News)

If companies had realistic slogans what would they be? (Reddit)


CAVEMAN - AND CAVE WOMAN - CENTRAL
MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski blasts Fox Business as 'caveman central' over its sexist 'female breadwinner' meltdown (The Raw Story).

Congresswoman - and aspiring cave woman - Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) opposes equal pay laws for women because womenfolk "don't want the decision made in Washington" (Nation of Change). In a related (non) story, black Americans are now opposed to civil rights legislation because it came from Washington ...


WHY THE KLEPTOCRACY CONTINUES
What's behind the surge in home purchases? Wall Street money (New Deal / NY Times). But wait, it's even worse (Barry Ritholtz).

The corporate world's response to public demands ... Ignore evidence. Deny Science. Minimize problems. Then cry 'Freedom!' (and invoke the Nanny State) (Nation of Change). 

Why government regulation, and NOT corporate governance, is necessary to fix the financial sector ... it turns out board members are too whiny and greedy to stop the madness (Dealbook / NY Times).

Radical kleptocrats anxious to stop disclosure of corporate money in campaigns (Nation of Change).

Interesting book review on why the banksters are making so much money. While not specifically mentioned in the book review it's clear that the focus is on wealth extraction (Nomi Prins / Nation of Change).

How CEOs play beat the Wall Street estimate (Zero Hedge).

OUR NATIONAL SECURITY STATE
Straight from the Department of Homeland Security ... Words to avoid if you don't want the government spying on you (Mail Online).

While I don't agree with the rational-actor model of "The Paradox of Imperialism" it's still an interesting read (Ludwig von Mises Institute). Be sure to check out the global map ...

- Mark