{"id":22498,"date":"2019-01-26T23:49:12","date_gmt":"2019-01-27T07:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/?p=22498"},"modified":"2019-01-27T01:47:21","modified_gmt":"2019-01-27T09:47:21","slug":"rouge-forum-dispatch-sellout-in-l-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/rouge-forum-dispatch-sellout-in-l-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Rouge Forum Dispatch: Sellout in L.A! More Strikes to Come!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We Say Fight Back!<\/u><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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NEA\u2019s Boss, Lily Garcia, rigged NEA\u2019s internal processes to endorse Clinton.<\/p>\n

The sellout of the LA teachers strike<\/h2>\n

Rich Gibson – January 26, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n

From the outset, it was clear that top National Education and American Federation of Teachers it’s a merged local) officers did not want an escalation of the wildcat strike wave that took place in right-to-work states where the unions are weak and couldn’t hold the members back, last spring.<\/p>\n

It would have been possible to adopt a broader strategy, one that NEA used in its past, when it was something of a union.<\/p>\n

True, the United Teachers of LA had planned this strike for more than a year. But they could have aligned their strike with the second largest local in the state, San Diego, and with Oakland, pulling out well over 40,000 school workers. That could have sparked a state wide walkout.<\/p>\n

And, UTLA could have joined the other two large locals and created a Multiple Area Bargaining Organization (MABO). Mabo’s set bargaining “minimums,” meaning for example, that all agree that a 8% across the board raise, certain class size caps, and so on must be met by each local. It one district is particularly recalcitrant, all districts threaten to strike simultaneously. It’s been done, in Michigan for example. The memory is not lost.<\/p>\n

But the last thing that NEA president Lily Garcia ($500,000 plus in 2016–living on her expense account) and AFT boss Randi Weingarten (a millionaire) want is a mass solidarity action of class conscious workers who might realize that the two of them, and all their minions, are irrelevant, indeed, Quislings working for the other side.<\/p>\n

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Garcia feted Arne Duncan at an earlier NEA rep assembly<\/p>\n

Weingarten made her goals clear in a transparent statement: “This is not about a strike wave. It is about LA.”<\/p>\n

NEA, AFT, and the California Teachers Association could have announced a reasonably generous strike fund. CTA is a $27 million operation. NEA is worth about $1.6 billion according to Mike Antonucci of the “Education Intelligence Agency.” But, there was no plan for a strike fund, clearly meaning that the union tops wanted a short strike.<\/p>\n

A prescient rank and file of UTLA, and CTA, might have set up School Worker Organizing Committees (SWOC), in each school to hold firm and wildcat if necessary, and spread the news of the strike to other systems, encouraging demonstrations, walkouts, social media solidarity, and, best, sympathy strikes. But the school worker movement clearly has yet to grow to that level of maturity.<\/p>\n

Clearly, the strike had massive public support, just as the earlier wildcats enjoyed. www.substancenews.net\/articles.php?page=7053&section=Article<\/a><\/p>\n

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Denver teachers strike: Union votes to authorize first walkout in 25 years <\/span><\/h1>\n

Denver Public Schools and its teachers union are about $8 million apart in compensation proposals<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Denver teachers have voted to strike in the name of fair wages, marking the first time educators in Colorado\u2019s largest school district have agreed to walk out of their classrooms in 25 years.<\/p>\n

The results of voting by the teachers union \u2014 the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, which represents about two-thirds of Denver Public Schools\u2019 5,600 educators \u2014 were announced Tuesday night following the culmination of balloting that began on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight, Denver teachers overwhelmingly agreed to strike,\u201d Rob Gould, the union\u2019s lead negotiator, said at a press conference. \u201cNinety three percent voted to strike. They\u2019re striking for better pay. They\u2019re striking for our profession. And they\u2019re striking for Denver students.\u201d\u00a0 www.denverpost.com\/2019\/01\/22\/denver-teachers-strike-union-authorizes-walkout\/?fbclid=IwAR1BLTmYnmk5eKEIAkfx_m7hCIKX-t4B0aPVwr28ayo70KOx-3PYnXuqt3o<\/a><\/p>\n

Indiana teachers could strike despite laws, labor experts say<\/h1>\n

\"Jennifer<\/p>\n

As teacher strikes have spread across the country, several factors would determine if Indiana would follow, experts and union leaders say.<\/p>\n

Although state labor laws are written to deter strikes, the state is facing pressing issues in education including teacher shortages, dropping pay and a shift toward using property tax referendums to shore up local budgets. Teacher unions are watching strikes in other states, but have no definite plans and will watch how lawmakers address funding during the 2019 legislative session, they said.<\/p>\n

Although teachers cannot strike under Indiana labor laws, there would be little the state could do to stop a large-scale one, such as in Oklahoma<\/a>, West Virginia and Kentucky<\/a>, said Kenneth Dau-Schmidt, a labor law expert at Indiana University<\/a>\u2019s Maurer School of Law at Indiana University in Bloomington.<\/p>\n

Practically speaking, lawmakers and schools understood it would be too hard to fire and replace so many educators on short notice, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of those states where they have had strikes, it\u2019s also illegal,\u201d he said. \u201cIf conditions get bad enough in a workplace, they will do it, even though they might lose their jobs.\u201d\u00a0 www.chicagotribune.com\/suburbs\/post-tribune\/news\/ct-ptb-education-teacher-strikes-pay-st-20180413-story.html?fbclid=IwAR0HvLxa126MEgEq3QfsW1PPqELXotK08jJIxOvWnJ3UvHa62TdIpV1nV50<\/a><\/p>\n

www.facebook.com\/OaklandEA\/videos\/779064085794258\/?t=20<\/a><\/p>\n

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‘The goal is to automate us’: welcome to the age of surveillance capitalism<\/h1>\n
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Shoshana Zuboff\u2019s new book is a chilling expos\u00e9 of the business model that underpins the digital world. Observer tech columnist John Naughton explains the importance of Zuboff\u2019s work and asks the author 10 key questions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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W<\/span><\/span>e\u2019re living through the most profound transformation in our information environment since Johannes Gutenberg\u2019s invention of printing in circa 1439. And the problem with living through a revolution is that it\u2019s impossible to take the long view of what\u2019s happening. Hindsight is the only exact science in this business, and in that long run we\u2019re all dead. Printing shaped and transformed societies over the next four centuries, but nobody in Mainz (Gutenberg\u2019s home town) in, say, 1495 could have known that his technology would (among other things): fuel the Reformation and undermine the authority of the mighty Catholic church<\/a>; enable the rise of what we now recognise as modern science; create unheard-of professions and industries; change the shape of our brains<\/a>; and even recalibrate<\/a> our conceptions of childhood. And yet printing did all this and more.\u00a0 www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2019\/jan\/20\/shoshana-zuboff-age-of-surveillance-capitalism-google-facebook?fbclid=IwAR0CnDebls7hQ4n8yWNaW31OYUndel-fYB9zlYt3iE9DJrhnlRRFfjORDX8<\/a><\/p>\n

Airport Shutdowns Forced Trump to Reopen the Government<\/h1>\n
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For about 30 seconds Friday afternoon, Donald Trump did the decent thing. After triumphantly announcing his unconditional surrender \u2014 and the U.S. government\u2019s imminent reopening \u2014 the president thanked America\u2019s federal workers for their patriotism, and expressed regret for their suffering.<\/p>\n

But the moment these words escaped his mouth, Trump clarified that his message was not directed to actually existing<\/em> federal workers, but rather, to an imaginary class of civil servants who live inside his mind. \u201cNot only did you not complain,\u201d the president informed his fictional construct, \u201cbut in many cases, you encouraged me to keep going because you care so much about our country and about its border security.\u201d<\/p>\n

In reality, the primary reason that Trump had ceased \u201cgoing\u201d was that federal workers had discouraged him from doing so.<\/p>\n

For five weeks, congressional Republicans had withheld paychecks from hundreds of thousands of civil servants, prevented cancer patients<\/a> from accessing much-needed medical care, jeopardized food stamp recipients\u2019 access to basic nutrition, undermined public health, devastated Native American communities,<\/a> and sabotaged America\u2019s (supposedly sacred) border security<\/a> \u2014 because doing so was slightly more convenient for Mitch McConnell than the alternative. nymag.com\/intelligencer\/2019\/01\/airport-shutdowns-force-trump-to-reopen-the-government.html?utm_medium=s1&utm_source=fb&utm_campaign=nym&fbclid=IwAR13yv0Po2jNMoTTt9ktuRf5m_8clPPGatkRZnmlFi5RfmT-ltsNibxl5p4<\/a><\/p>\n

www.facebook.com\/elsa.briones.353\/videos\/135059634185411\/?t=5<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Little Red Schoolhouse<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Professor Resigns Amid Accusations That He Exploited Grad Students With \u2018Modern Slavery\u2019<\/h1>\n

A professor at the University of Missouri at Kansas City has resigned amid accusations that he exploited graduate students at the School of Pharmacy for free labor. Ashim K. Mitra, the professor, resigned just one day before a final university hearing would have determined his future at the university.<\/p>\n

In November,The<\/em> Kansas City Star <\/em>reported that Mitra, a longtime professor of pharmaceutical sciences, had pressured students into performing tasks<\/a> like lawn work, caring for his home while he and his wife were away, walking his dog, and other chores. The students, all from India, told the Star<\/em> that they feared they would be kicked out of the university or lose their visas if they didn’t comply.<\/p>\n

Russell B. Melchert, dean of the School of Pharmacy, told students in an email that officials had learned from the newspaper report of former students’ complaints against Mitra about performing chores for him.<\/p>\n

In a statement, C. Mauli Agrawal, chancellor of the Kansas City campus, wrote that university had investigated the complaints. “As I have stated unequivocally, UMKC does not tolerate misconduct,” Agrawal wrote. “We investigate reports of misconduct and, when a report is substantiated, the violator is subject to discipline.”\u00a0\u00a0 www.chronicle.com\/article\/Professor-Resigns-Amid\/245492?fbclid=IwAR1RYQdey3FAzRZCTk3y63sUL4mTS4qvZJmqzWOyf_BxrYLQAM_NEopceU8<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Nancy<\/p>\n

Michigan online charter school founder charged with embezzling more than $100,000<\/h1>\n

SAGINAW, MI \u2014Embezzlement charges were issued against the founder of an online charter school with offices in Saginaw and Grand Rapids after Michigan State Police launched an investigation into fraudulent practices.<\/p>\n

Nancy E. Paris, founder of the Paris Academy, was charged with two counts of embezzlement of $50,000 to $100,000, a count of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, and a count of running a criminal enterprise.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey L. Machiela, Paris’ live-in boyfriend, was arraigned on the same charges as well as counts of felony firearms and felon in possession of a firearm.<\/p>\n

Authorities issued warrants for the duo on Jan. 14. Both appeared for arraignment in Saginaw County District Court on Jan. 18.<\/p>\n

\"Jeffrey<\/p>\n

www.mlive.com\/news\/saginaw-bay-city\/2019\/01\/michigan-online-charter-school-founder-charged-with-embezzling-more-than-100000.html?fbclid=IwAR06YtfbAEoBqLUwQPWFTazjB84rP_VyK700KeEDNUDo5NFIvYNlLnY8XH0<\/a><\/p>\n

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School superintendent faces fraud charges for allegedly using own insurance to help ill student<\/h1>\n<\/section>\n

An Indiana school superintendent who allegedly used her own insurance to help a sick student\u00a0faces\u00a0multiple charges including insurance fraud<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Casey Smitherman \u2013\u00a0superintendent of Elwood Community Schools in Elwood, Indiana \u2013\u00a0was booked on charges of insurance fraud, identity deception\u00a0and official misconduct on Wednesday and later released on bail, according to court records.<\/p>\n

Smitherman says the charges come after she recently went to the home of a student who had missed school and saw he had symptoms of strep throat. After the student was refused treatment at a\u00a0clinic,\u00a0she took him to another one, this time saying he was her son.<\/p>\n

“I am committed to this community and our students, and I regret if this action has undermined your trust in me,”\u00a0Smitherman said in a statement published by Fox 59<\/a>.\u00a0“From the beginning, my ultimate goal has been to provide the best environment for Elwood students\u2019 growth physically, mentally and academically, and I remain focused on that purpose.”\u00a0 www.freep.com\/story\/news\/education\/2019\/01\/23\/superintendent-allegedly-used-own-insurance-help-sick-student\/2664294002\/?fbclid=IwAR3X43mpOHQOBkbFanBFm5gTMmSNrmP5ggoTFwt1lcuSfFduTxrmWTerY0k<\/a><\/p>\n

www.facebook.com\/scmp\/videos\/829695274039883\/?t=57<\/a><\/p>\n

The International Hot War of the Rich on the Poor<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Official convicted over Iran-Contra scandal appointed to help ‘restore democracy’ in Venezuela<\/h1>\n

Elliott Abrams withheld information from Congress over secret funding of paramilitaries<\/p>\n

The Trump administration<\/a> has announced that Elliott Abrams<\/a>, who was convicted over the Iran-Contra scandal in which the Ronald Reagan administration\u00a0secretly funded paramilitary groups in Nicaragua,\u00a0will lead the US\u2019s efforts to press for democracy in Venezuela<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the 71-year-old would oversee Washington\u2019s outreach, after Donald Trump declared he would recognise\u00a0Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, and not elected president Nicolas Maduro, as the nation\u2019s legitimate ruler.\u00a0 www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/venezuela-latest-elliott-abrams-trump-pompeo-maduro-juan-guaido-a8747306.html<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cElliott will be a true asset to our mission to help the Venezuelan people fully restore democracy and prosperity to their country,\u201d Mr Pompeo said, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n

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Venezuelan Opposition Leader Guaid\u00f3 Declares Himself President, With U.S. Backing<\/h1>\n

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Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaid\u00f3 declared himself the country’s interim president amid nationwide protests Wednesday, in a bid to seize power from sitting leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/p>\n

The U.S. swiftly proclaimed its support for Guaid\u00f3. Maduro responded by announcing a break in diplomatic relations with Washington.<\/p>\n

Guaid\u00f3, the 35-year-old recently elected head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, took the oath <\/a>of office on an outdoor podium in Caracas, flanked by yellow, blue and red Venezuelan flags. He raised his right hand as a crowd erupted in cheers. He promised to serve as interim leader and call for general elections.\u00a0 www.npr.org\/2019\/01\/23\/687643405\/anti-maduro-protesters-march-in-cities-across-venezuela?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20190123&fbclid=IwAR2X7KTVfftfxFizp3TjCGDOneaC5g0LvKTCV5zJ8CPjAXZpwcxXZGLKOWA<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Juan<\/p>\n

NACLA: Venezuela at Another Crossroads<\/h1>\n

T<\/span>housands of protestors in the streets. A self-proclaimed president. An uncertain political future. Venezuela has been here before.<\/p>\n

In 2002, dissident military officers with the support of private media, opposition politicians, and the Metropolitan Police removed Hugo Ch\u00e1vez from office for 48 hours while Pedro Carmona, the President of the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce, declared himself interim president. Yet, aside from the George W. Bush administration<\/a>, the hemisphere roundly condemned these efforts.<\/p>\n

On January 23<\/a>\u2014on the anniversary of the overthrow of Venezuela\u2019s last dictator, General Marcos P\u00e9rez Jim\u00e9nez\u2014Juan Guaid\u00f3, like Carmona almost 17 years ago, declared the government of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro illegitimate and himself as interim president. Guaid\u00f3 is the current president of the National Assembly, itself a contested political institution in the country.<\/p>\n

Much has changed, though, since the days of the April 2002 coup, when, in response, the Venezuelan poor famously came \u201cdown from the barrios<\/a>\u201d to defend President Ch\u00e1vez and the Bolivarian Revolution. Indeed, at that time, there was little doubt that Ch\u00e1vez commanded the support of the Venezuelan populace. And while the opposition thought they had outwitted their progressive president, they were forced to return Ch\u00e1vez to the Miraflores Palace lest the country potentially descend into civil war.<\/p>\n

Nearly two decades later, Venezuelan President Maduro faces a far different scenario. nacla.org\/news\/2019\/01\/24\/venezuela-another-crossroads<\/a><\/p>\n

www.facebook.com\/GoBackthen\/videos\/2295213144057200\/?t=13<\/a><\/p>\n

Audit: Naval Academy is falling apart<\/h1>\n

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An audit has found that the Naval Academy<\/a> has decaying walls, plumbing issues and condemned offices and balconies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Capital Gazette<\/a> reported Friday that it obtained the 2018 audit through a Freedom of Information Act request.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Naval Audit Service<\/a>\u2019s report says the Annapolis, Maryland, college\u2019s infrastructure has degraded to the point of threatening its ability to train midshipmen.<\/p>\n

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The report outlined 13 unfunded maintenance or renovation projects across 15 facilities between March 2017 and April 26.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It says there are failing classrooms and athletic facilities, and the stormwater system has dumped unfiltered water into the Severn River.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Navy didn’t release the costs of all unfunded projects.\u00a0 www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/01\/20\/audit-naval-academy-is-falling-apart\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Navy sends second message to Moscow this month<\/h1>\n

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By passing through the Bosporus Strait on Saturday, the Navy\u2019s guided missile destroyer Donald Cook<\/a> became the second American warship to enter the Black Sea this month amid ongoing tensions with Moscow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Two weeks before, the dock landing ship Fort McHenry arrived at the Romanian port of Constanta to begin exercises with Bucharest\u2019s frigate Regele Ferdinand<\/a> \u2014 while being shadowed by a Russian warship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Donald Cook pulled into Batumi, Georgia, on Monday with a mission to \u201cstrengthen interoperability with NATO allies and partners and demonstrate the collective resolve to Black Sea security under Operation Atlantic Resolve,\u201d according to a prepared statement released by the Navy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I would like to thank our Georgian hosts for the warm welcome and hospitality,\u201d said Cmdr. Matthew J. Powel, commanding officer of Donald Cook said in the release. \u201cWe are honored to play an active role in strengthening U.S.- Georgian relations and we look forward to visiting Batumi.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sailors planted trees Tuesday for a community service project in Georgia\u2019s second largest city and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer\u2019s leaders met with American and foreign dignitaries at a reception featuring an address by Ross Wilson, the U.S. ambassador to Georgia<\/a>.\u00a0 www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/01\/24\/navy-sends-second-message-to-moscow-this-month\/<\/a><\/p>\n

After Deadly Assault on Afghan Base, Taliban Sit for Talks With U.S. Diplomats<\/span><\/h1>\n
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KABUL, Afghanistan \u2014 The Taliban infiltrated an Afghan intelligence base on Monday, killing dozens of people in what Afghan officials said was one of the deadliest attacks against the intelligence service in the 17-year war with the Taliban.<\/p>\n

While the Afghan police and army have been dying in record numbers, the loss of intelligence forces, who are often better trained and equipped, was another indication of the violence stretching the Afghan government\u2019s defenses, even as the United States may be preparing to withdraw some of its troops.<\/p>\n

The attack, early Monday morning, came hours before the Taliban announced they had resumed peace talks with American officials. It was a sign, analysts said, of how violence is likely to grow deadlier even as the sides of the long war have indicated a willingness to seek a negotiated settlement.<\/p>\n

Akhtar Mohammad Khan Tahiri, the head of the provincial council in Wardak Province, where the base is, said the target was a training center for pro-government militia members run by the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan\u2019s intelligence agency.\u00a0 www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/21\/world\/asia\/afghanistan-taliban-attack-intelligence-wardak.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The International Economic War of the Rich on the Poor<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon got 5.4% raise in 2017, to $29.5 million (LA got 3%)<\/h1>\n

JPMorgan Chase & Co.\u00a0Chief Executive Jamie\u00a0Dimon will receive $29.5\u00a0million in total\u00a0compensation\u00a0for 2017, up\u00a05.4% \u2014 or $1.5\u00a0million \u2014 from 2016, according to a Thursday securities filing.<\/p>\n

The chairman and chief executive\u2019s pay package includes $23\u00a0million\u00a0in performance-related restricted stock and $5\u00a0million in cash. His base salary is unchanged at $1.5 million, according to the filing. The total\u00a0compensation\u00a0is up from his 2016 pay package of $28 million but shy of his record compensation of $30 million in 2007.<\/p>\n

This is the third year Dimon is being paid in so-called performance share units, a type of restricted stock that has requirements on how long it must be held and has the possibility of being worth nothing based on the performance of Dimon and the bank.<\/p>\n

J.P. Morgan\u2019s JPM, +0.63%<\/span><\/a><\/span> \u00a0 board based Dimon\u2019s total pay award for last year on strong performance across businesses, risk management, customer focus and leadership, according\u00a0to the filing.\u00a0 www.marketwatch.com\/story\/jpmorgan-ceo-jamie-dimon-got-54-raise-in-2017-to-295-million-2018-01-18<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Luxury<\/p>\n

World’s 26 richest people own as much as poorest 50%, says Oxfam<\/h1>\n

The growing concentration of the world\u2019s wealth has been highlighted by a report showing that the 26 richest billionaires own as many assets as the 3.8 billion people who make up the poorest half of the planet\u2019s population.<\/p>\n

In an annual wealth check released to mark the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the development charity Oxfam<\/a> said 2018 had been a year in which the rich had grown richer and the poor poorer.<\/p>\n

It said the widening gap was hindering the fight against poverty, adding that a wealth tax on the 1% would raise an estimated $418bn (\u00a3325bn) a year \u2013 enough to educate every child not in school and provide healthcare that would prevent 3 million deaths.<\/p>\n

Oxfam said the wealth of more than 2,200 billionaires across the globe had increased by $900bn in 2018 \u2013 or $2.5bn a day. The 12% increase in the wealth of the very richest contrasted with a fall of 11% in the wealth of the poorest half of the world\u2019s population.<\/p>\n

As a result, the report concluded, the number of billionaires owning as much wealth as half the world\u2019s population fell from 43 in 2017 <\/a>to 26 last year. In 2016 the number was 61.\u00a0 www.theguardian.com\/business\/2019\/jan\/21\/world-26-richest-people-own-as-much-as-poorest-50-per-cent-oxfam-report?fbclid=IwAR3C6j5wzNmPaPvD3Ux3Y6LiMxHxFJl-dMmPEQ1U_KoVPfRuUHjGE2M8z9M<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rich Didn\u2019t Always Need $238 Million Penthouses<\/span><\/h1>\n

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This past week, as the world was made aware, the Chicago hedge fund manager Ken Griffin bought the most expensive home ever sold in the United States, a $238 million, 24,000-sqare-foot penthouse on Central Park South. What do you do with 24,000 square feet? You could hoard, presumably, and never require the advice of Marie Kondo, because who would ever notice that you hold on to all your old adapters and Ping-Pong balls? Each one of them could have its own guest wing.<\/p>\n

The current taste for huge residential real estate and the fortunes that underwrite it have brought obvious comparisons to the Gilded Age for some time now. You can find some contemporary version of early 20th-century Newport, R.I., in many places. Under construction for 15 years, a house modeled after Versailles in Windermere, Fla<\/a>., for instance, will be the largest in the country when it is finished, with 11 kitchens, five swimming pools and a 30-car garage.<\/p>\n

It is easy to imagine that outsize American wealth always sought to express itself in immense square footage, but there was a protracted period in which aesthetics took a different course. In the years following World War II and for much of the mid-20th century, the consumption habits of the rich were guided by more modest ambitions. This happened to be a time when top marginal tax rates were high, at various points much higher than what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and many on the left are proposing now. Between 1945 and 1980, those rates never fell below 70 percent and for many years they exceeded 80 percent.<\/p>\n

As it happens, you can see the cultural transition from opulence to discretion unfold in the history of a single Fifth Avenue apartment: the 54-room penthouse triplex built for the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1925 (when, for what it\u2019s worth, the top marginal tax rate was 25 percent<\/a>). Post \u2014 who was already building the 126-room Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach \u2014 sold the mansion she had been living in to make room for the apartment building that would take its place, but she saw no point in sacrificing any of the luxuries and the accommodations to which she had been accustomed. The apartment still holds the record for one of the biggest ever built in New York.\u00a0 www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/26\/nyregion\/ken-griffin-238-million-penthouse.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

New Data on Global Debt<\/h1>\n

In the past, we had detailed information about some bigger economies, such as the United States and Japan, but existing databases either covered a narrow measure of debt\u2014for example, bank credit\u2014for a broad sample of countries, or a comprehensive one for a few countries and years. By including both the government and private sides of borrowing for the entire world, the Global Debt Database offers an unprecedented picture of global debt in the post-World War II era. From all these data we have gathered a few new insights on debt:<\/p>\n