Although oil is a commodity, it's still not a commodity like coffee, which, thank God, we will have with us always. At some point the oil will run out. James Surowiecki coffeecommoditygod Change image and share on social
In the heart of the Great Depression, millions of American workers did something they'd never done before: they joined a union. Emboldened by the passage of the Wagner Act, which made collective bargaining easier, unions organized industries across the country, remaking the economy. James Surowiecki actamericanbargain share on social
In American politics, 'Europe' is usually a code word for 'big government.' James Surowiecki americanbigcode Change image and share on social
Until the nineteen-seventies, Western countries paid little attention to corruption overseas, and bribery was seen as an unpleasant but necessary part of doing business there. In some European countries, businesses were even allowed to deduct bribes as an expense. James Surowiecki allowattentionbribe share on social
Movies' mistrust of capitalism is almost as old as the medium itself. James Surowiecki capitalismmediummistrust Change image and share on social
The value of a currency is, ultimately, what someone will give you for it - whether in food, fuel, assets, or labor. And that's always and everywhere a subjective decision. James Surowiecki assetcurrencydecision Change image and share on social
Punk rock has never really had much patience with musical virtuosity. Actually, it'd be more accurate to say that for most of its history, punk has been actively hostile to virtuosity. James Surowiecki accurateactivelyhistory Change image and share on social
The U.S. is excellent at importing cheap products from the rest of the world. Let's try importing some human capital instead. James Surowiecki capitalcheapexcellent Change image and share on social
Speculators get a bad rap. In the popular imagination they're greedy, heedless, and amoral, adept at price manipulations and dirty tricks. In reality, they often play a key role in making markets run smoothly. James Surowiecki adeptamoralbad share on social
When all is said and done, cheap gas is an illusion, because our reliance on gas creates a whole series of costs that aren't factored in to the pump price - among them congestion, pollution, and increased risk of accidents. James Surowiecki accidentcheapcongestion share on social