Articles By Joseph Lazzaro

U.S. Economy / Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street - Passé Or Canary In A Coal Mine?

The Occupy Wall Street protest movement is expected to resume Monday, on the 1-year anniversary of the protests. Is the coalition passé and irrelevant? Or is it a canary in a coalmine - an indicator of worsening economic and social problems in the United States?

September 11

Reflecting On The Towers: At The Center Of The World

Originally viewed in the 1970s as a project that added too much office space to Lower Manhattan, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center became a symbol not only for New York, but for the United States, for capitalism, for cosmopolitan / urban life, and for modernity itself.

U.S. Tax Policy

Romney’s Tax Plan: Bush’s Tax Plan On Steroids

Gov. Mitt Romney's tax plan is President George W. Bush's tax plan on steroids: it cuts taxes on upper-income adults and the uber-rich, and vectors the U.S. budget deficit to even higher levels.

2012 Election

Five Reasons Why Obama Could Win The 2012 Election

He's practically the devil incarnate to the Republican Party, but no president since President Franklin D. Roosevelt has had to address as many serious economic, financial and foreign policy problems as President Barack Obama. Further, Obama's relative success addressing these problems, and the Republican Party's callousness, will lead to Obama's likely re-election in November.

2012 Election

Ayn Rand: Her Economic Views, Backed By Paul Ryan, Would Result In A US Dystopia

Though he denies it today, Paul Ryan’s primary economic and fiscal influence was Ayn Rand, an extremely conservative thinker whose flawed economic and social theories were only outdone in perniciousness by her utter disregard for society and the common good.

2012 Election

Romney’s VP Pick - Its Likely Impact On The 2012 Presidential Election

Republican Party presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s selection of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as his running mate is an attempt to re-structure the 2012 campaign’s debate so that it conforms to the Tea Party’s agenda - but it's one that will not change the election’s outcome.

Global Economy

Globalization: The Economic Structural Changes Continue

Globalization -- basically, free markets and the transfer of jobs to lower-cost labor/production centers -- has lifted more than 1 billion people out of poverty. However, globalization, at least initially, also contains a contradiction that, in time, could undermine not only the uniting of markets, but trade and global GDP growth itself.

US Economy

Unconventional Economic Times Require An Unconventional Stimulus Tactic

Unconventional times require unconventional measures, and with the U.S. economy growing at a truly tepid rate, perhaps it's time to try an innovative fiscal stimulus proposal recommended by an economist about three years ago.

2012 Election

For Romney, Smartest Move Would Be To Release Tax Returns

Presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee Mitt Romney has not released several U.S. income tax reports, but if history is any indicator, from an electoral standpoint, this is exactly the opposite of what he should do.

US Economy

US’s Tepid GDP Growth Requires More Action To Increase It

Investors can monitor five stats to obtain a reading on the U.S. economy’s strength. Currently, these stats show a slowdown in U.S. GDP growth, which is why Congress should do more to create jobs and help increase the economy’s growth rate.