George Selgin (Georgia): The Rise and Fall of the Gold Standard in the United States. From PopMatters, Colin McGuire writes in defense of not buying into '90s nostalgia. From Doublethink, Patrick Howley on the failure of Conan O’Brien. Suzanne Mettler and John Sides on the 96 Percent: What the data reveal is striking — nearly all Americans (96%) have relied on the federal government to assist them. Jonathan Chait takes a peek into the fantasy world of the persecuted rich: It seems Romney has come to believe his own bullshit. Ezra Klein on the case for raising taxes on capital gains. Why are reference works still important? Robert Faber wants to know. The introduction to Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas by Natasha Dow Schull. An Illustrated Bestiary: In your journey through the Econ Blogosphere, you will be beset by a great many curious and interesting species of EconoTroll. From Green Left Weekly, Jeff Conant takes a look at the dark side of the “green economy”. In Land of Strangers, Ash Amin presents an insightful exploration of the moral and material basis of how to nurture a sense of togetherness in a society of relative strangers.
