Mix It Up

The Mixed Economy Unit 3 Notes



What type of economy was described in ''i Pencil?'

I Pencil

Here is your high-resolution teachable moment of the week: anti-capitalist, anti-corporate extremists of "Occupy Wall Street" mourning Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs without a trace of irony.

Inherent in the American success story of the iMac/iPhone/iPad is a powerful lesson about the fundamentals of capitalism. The “occupiers” chant “people over profit.” They call for “caring” over “corporations.”

But the pursuit of profits empowers people beyond the bounds of imagination.

Read more....

Watch I Pencil.

The Write Stuff: A day in the life of a pencil.

Inside Job

Inside Job 2011 Best Part from Wall St. InsideJob on Vimeo.

Inside Job, the critically acclaimed movie by Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Charles Ferguson, is the definitive film about the economic crisis of 2008 and the role of Wall Street in modern society. It is a substantive and entertaining film that is ideal for educational purposes. I have shown it to my class, and I encourage you to watch it at home. The film is sweeping and non-partisan in its critique, and covers both the historical roots of the crisis and the central flaws of global financial regulation.

Study Guide

Zombie Jamboree!

NEW YORK (AP) — Protesters speaking out against corporate greed and other issues showed no signs of giving up their campaign Monday, with organizers urging participants to dress as "corporate zombies" and rally against police brutality.

The arrests of 700 people on Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend fueled the anger of the protesters camping in a Manhattan park and sparked support elsewhere in the country as the campaign entered its third week.

Occupy Wall Street started with fewer than a dozen college students spending days and nights in Zuccotti Park, a plaza near the city's financial center. But a day after Saturday's mass arrests, hundreds of protesters were resolute and like-minded groups in other cities had joined in.

Group spokesman Patrick Bruner urged protesters to dress up as zombies and eat Monopoly money to let financial workers "see us reflecting the metaphor of their actions."

The protests are not isolated to New York and have spread to cities nationwide including LA, Chicago, and even Cincinnati!


The nation hasn't seen a Zombie Jamboree like this since Harry Belafonte in 1969.

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Room for Debate

Read the Discussion.

Bean Counter

The phrase "bean counter" has only been in the public vocabulary since the 1970s, although it sounds as if it should be of a much older origin. It is possible that the description was inspired by overzealous kitchen inventory takers who insisted on counting every bean in a bag or every potato in a sack. The act of counting every bean to the exclusion of more important duties would be viewed by many as the ultimate act of micromanagement.

What do the 'Bean Counters' in this video literally tell us about our Capitalist Society? Why does this matter? Is it fair?