"Reckless Endangerment"

Gretchen Morgenson of the New York Times has an important new book out on the role played by Fannie Mae in the mortgage meltdown, Reckless Endangerment. I hope to review the whole thing shortly, but I wanted to quote from a small section of the book:

Fannie Mae did not limit its outreach to politicians in need of photo ops or community organizers in need of money. The company also enlisted the aid of academics whose resarch papers on housing issues helped shape the policy debate that was so crucial to the preservation of Fannie's status quo. ... 

Fannie Mae's financing of academic research on such a large scale meant that few housing experts were left to argue the other side of any debate involving the company. ... 

One bank lobbyist was interested in hiring academics to write papers that might take a different point of view on housing issues. But most of the experts in the area had been co-opted by Fannie Mae. "I tried to find academics that would do research on these issues and Fannie had bought off all the academics in housing," the lobbyist said. "I had people say to me are you going to give me stipends for the next 20 years like Fannie will?" 

The answer was no. The discussion was over.

That reminds me of why you might wish to send me money: because neither Fannie Mae nor any other big money special interest will. The interpretation of the causes of the mortgage meltdown that I came up with in 2007-2008 isn't the kind of spin that benefits any particular set of big money boys. 

It's not necessarily that I'm so incredibly ethical that I would turn down their money. It's that no sensible special interest would try to buy me off.

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

If you already asked, please allow me to request that you follow up and put a check in the mail.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Panhandling 8

I skipped a day of asking, and donations quickly dropped off. So, I'm back to imploring.

Please, would you consider giving me money so I can keep on writing?

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

If you already asked, please allow me to request that you follow up and put a check in the mail.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Panhandling 7

Yet another day pleasing to my ego and bank account. Thanks. 

Granted, returns are slowly diminishing, but not all that fast, so here I am asking for your help again.

So, please, would you consider giving me money so I can keep on writing?

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

If you already asked, please allow me to request that you follow up and put a check in the mail.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Panhandling 6

It turns out that the way to get people to give you money is to ask them to give you money. I asked again last night, and my readers were once again very generous. That really makes my day. 

So, please, would you consider giving me money so I can keep on writing?

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Panhandling 4

Well, we got off to a good start with the Spring 2011 iSteve fundraising drive, but then things slowed down when I didn't post an ask for a couple of days. So, if you haven't donated yet during this drive, please consider it.

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Panhandling 3

There were some quite generous donations during the second day of my spring fundraising drive as well. I thank all the donors.  If you haven't donated yet during this drive, please consider it.

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Panhandling 2

There were some very generous donations during the first day of my spring fundraising drive. I thank all the donors.  If you haven't donated yet during this drive, please consider it.

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Panhandlearama 2011

It's time to shake my tin cup again and ask you to help me stay in business as a writer.   

I believe I provide good value. 

In fact, I think I'm getting funnier as I get older. I'm not exactly sure why that is. When I look at my family budget, I can't imagine what's so funny. Perhaps, though, the world is just moving in the directions I've always figured it would, leaving me with a certain gleefulness. 

While I'm tooting my own horn, I want to call attention to my book reviewing. I believe I've emerged in this current decade as the best reviewer of serious (but not scholarly -- i.e., public intellectual) nonfiction in the country. At least, that is, in what I see as the most important element in reviewing public intellectuals' books: debugging a long argument and pointing out where the author's logic goes off track. (Here are some of the books I've reviewed in 2011, and keep an eye out for my review of Francis Fukuyama's new magnum opus in the next issue of The American Conservative.)

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of the column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Or, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Thanks. I appreciate it, profoundly.

My old articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

Merry Christmas

It's time to shake my tin cup again.

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the orange Paypal "Donate" button on the top of column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Or, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Thanks. I appreciate it, profoundly

My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

iSteve Christmas Panhandling Drive

It's time to shake my tin cup again.

You can send me an email and I'll send you my P.O. Box address.

Or, you can use Paypal to send me money directly. Use any credit card or your Paypal account. To get started, just click on the Paypal "Donate" button on the top of column to the right.

When that takes you to Paypal, if you want to use your credit card, fill in your credit card info on the lower left part of the screen by clicking on the word "Continue" in the lower center/left.

Or, if you want to use your Paypal account, fill in your Paypal ID and password on the lower right of the screen.

Thanks. I appreciate it, deeply.

 

My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer