October is the only month where all four of America’s biggest professional sports leagues are in action. It’s a glorious time, baseball playoffs, basketball and hockey just getting going, and meaningful football on the weekends. But for as much as our communities can rally around our respective teams it’s important to remember that these teams are privately owned business ventures and not community property (well except for the Green Bay Packers). As privately-run ventures, it is the goal of these teams to make money and they often do so at the expense of the very cities that play host to…
Category: In Theory
In Theory: Student-Athletes
It’s that time of year again, summer is coming to a close and the smell of pigskin is in the air. School is back in session and a certain select group of young men and women will be forced to balance the commitment of playing Division-1 athletics with the pressure of pursuing a four-year degree. One of the most unassailable ideas in all of sports is the nobility of the student-athlete and the absolute necessity of maintaining the spirit of amateurism in colligate athletics. But with literally billions of dollars changing hands each year there are those who claim that…
In Theory- Trickle-down Economics
If there has been one constant in the American political system over the last hundred odd years it has been the Republican party’s unflinching belief in the trickle-down theory of economics and the Democratic party’s equally unflinching belief that trickle-down economics is complete horseshit. In this edition of In Theory, we will examine this economic theory for ourselves and try to figure out where the truth lies, with the Republicans, the Democrats, or somewhere in the middle. How its supposed to work: The concept behind Trickle-down economics is a simple one. If we reduce taxes on business and the wealthy…
In Theory- Urban Renewal
Urban Renewal. It has a nice ring to it. Investing in run-down metropolitan areas in order to spur growth and prosperity while cutting down on crime and blight. As far as sales jobs go you could find yourself pitching something a lot more unpopular than “less crime, more money” to those who dwell in decaying urban neighborhoods. But this is In Theory and like any good students of economics, politics, and sociology; you, my insightful readers, know that nothing is ever that simple. The idea behind Urban Renewal has evolved over the years. In the post-war period, it was straight…
In Theory- Civil Asset Forfeiture
Hello and welcome to the first installment of In Theory here at The Eclectic Eccentric, a series that will focus on things in our society that were designed to work a certain way but for whatever reason don’t. Fair warning due to the unavoidable reality that the “whatever reason” I just referenced almost always ends up being corruption, ignorance, or stupidity the things that I cover will inevitably be things that really piss me off. I will endeavor to remain objective in my explanations and reasoning but I may not be as tactful in my conclusions. And as promised we…