Aaron is right about America’s reserve currency status, and also there is the petrodollar in addition to the ‘flight to safety’ and other factors that are keeping interest rates low and the dollar high, all thanks to American exceptionalism. As bad as the US economy may seem, other countries are worse, although I am more… Continue reading Collapse Can Wait, Part 2
Tag: economics
The Daily View: ‘Longest Depression’, Basic Income, Pinterest
From Huffingtonpost: Future Economists Will Probably Call This Decade the ‘Longest Depression’ Sounds like goalpost moving, where slightly mediocre growth becomes a ‘depression’. The 2008 recession, while deep and sudden, was narrow, only lasting about 16 months until growth picked up, where it has remained. Hardly a decade. Also, the authors seem to be cherry… Continue reading The Daily View: ‘Longest Depression’, Basic Income, Pinterest
Paul Graham: Economic Inequality and The Refragmentation
Tech VC heavyweight and hugely influential blogger Paul Graham posted two new essays: “Economic Inequality” “The Refragmentation” These essays are almost the same in that they deal with trends and paradigm shifts affecting post-2008 America, specifically about society, capitalism, start-ups, and wealth inequality. The meta-discussion is almost as interesting as the topic itself. These essay… Continue reading Paul Graham: Economic Inequality and The Refragmentation
Wealth Inequality Not a Big Concern
‘Capitalism, Tradition and Traditionalism’ – An Overview . The Reactionary sees no problem with wealth inequality, which reflects differences of aptitude, however the people at large will be prone to complaints of wealth inequality if their entire world is centered around capital, that which they may be unsuccessful at accumulating. Marx himself said that communism… Continue reading Wealth Inequality Not a Big Concern
2016 Predictions
It’s that time of the year again, my predictions for 2016. First, after eight years, the fed did what everyone thought was impossible: they finally raised interest rates, and the market surged. The pundits predicted that the hike would be bearish for equities, but obviously that was not the case as the rate hike was… Continue reading 2016 Predictions
Why Interest Rates Are Unlikely to Rise Much, If at all
The first rate hike in almost a decade is expected this week. Historically speaking, rate hikes are not always bearish for stocks, provided rates don’t go up too much too quickly. But because the fed has been dovish for the past three decades, not hawkish, that should be a concern. In the 90’s, the S&P… Continue reading Why Interest Rates Are Unlikely to Rise Much, If at all
Post-2008 Capitalism: A Guide
From n+1 magazine, After Capitalism: HOW WILL IT END? For centuries even the most sanguine of capitalism’s theorists have thought it not long for this world. Smith, Ricardo, and Mill pointed to a “falling rate of profit” linked to inevitable declines in agricultural productivity. Marx applied the same concept to industrial production, suggesting that the… Continue reading Post-2008 Capitalism: A Guide
Post-Labor Capitalism
In my post about conservatives being smarter than liberals, I ended on cliffhanger, leaving the solution open: Solutions are hard to come by. Simply getting rid of democracy won’t change the fact there are already millions of people dependent on govt. aid. I also discuss the ‘un-participatory’ underclass here (why collapse can wait) : Entitlement… Continue reading Post-Labor Capitalism
The Hivemind, Immigration, and IQ
From ricochet.com, A Review of Hive Mind: How Your Nation’s IQ Matters So Much More Than Your Own From the reviews on Amazon: The book’s primary and most important contribution is to document the following empirical regularity: Suppose you could a) improve your own IQ by 10 points, or b) improve the IQs of your… Continue reading The Hivemind, Immigration, and IQ
Malls, Marxism, and the Future
Interesting article from the Anti-Democracy activist, although I disagree with some of it. The ‘mall’ sucks. Amazon is putting them out of business, and good riddance. The ‘mall’, any mall, is sideshow of the dregs of humanity. At least Walmart and Amazon are cheap and convenient, versus spending hours strolling through a mall as you… Continue reading Malls, Marxism, and the Future