Powell endorses Obama

This just in. This could be one of the most important endorsements so far, mainly because it could tip exactly the kind of people who are still sitting on the fence.

Sub-prime nation

I have had this great blog post about the economy running around in my head. I have the left view, the right view and correct view (maybe). I have how we got here and where we may be headed and what to do about it. But somehow, with reading this cacophony of voices, I am unable or unwilling to add my own. So all I can do is share.

• Madeleine Bunting of the Guardian has a stunning critique of the "free market" myths, beliefs, and orthodoxies that were in a great part responsible for our current woes.
• John Cochrane, an economist of the Chicago school, is probably a "believer" and he has the traditional conservative case against the (original) US bailout plan (now largely superseded by events - was it really only a week ago?) but also the most succinct and understandable description of what the mortgage crisis is really about.
• Freakonomics has loads of good stuff; I especially liked Save or Splurge? by Daniel Hamermesh, because of the little vignette about his marriage. (DH and I have lost over a third - a third! - of our retirement fund.)
• Recently I joined (under my "work" persona) a website community for IT and banking industry professionals that has an excellent news feed, making me overwhelmed with cluefulness. It's called Finextra and some of the more energetic (than me) members have blogs.
• Back at the Guardian, Gary Younge, a resident USA-expert, links the economic meltdown back to the people and power, and the election, of course.
• Update: stop press! I just found this, which has got everything, with large type titles. No really, go read it right now, it's brilliant.