Category Archives: Global Economics

The Growing Global Threat of Labor-Saving Automation

Background There is a sense, perpetrated by the American President and others, that US job losses are primarily the result of Chinese currency manipulations and its low-cost labor. Certainly some US jobs were lost that way. But as I and … Continue reading

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Rand Paul – This Budget Deal Is a Disaster

Introduction Here is what Paul said: We spend too much money and borrow too much money. And, actually, we’re going to bring back Obama era deficits. I was elected to combat Obama era deficits. I remember running for office and … Continue reading

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Blockchains – What Are They? What Can We Expect?

Introduction I know very little about blockchains (BC), distributed ledger systems, and crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin. But I am a bit dumbfounded by the claims of what “the BC era” will bring. In what follows, I comment on some of … Continue reading

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Bank Regulations – Why the Current Approach Will Fail

Introduction The 2008 banking collapse, leading to the most severe recession since 1929, prompted a wide-ranging set of efforts to insure it did not happen again. These actions have included requiring banks to hold larger cash balances and more precise … Continue reading

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The US Has Been Running a Huge Trade Deficit for Years: How Can This Happen Without the Dollar Weakening?

Introduction Many bemoan the large US trade deficit which represents the difference between the export and import of certain goods and services. Since 2000, the US has run an annual deficit ranging between $362 Billion (2001) and $762 billion (2006). … Continue reading

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Eisenhower Was Right: The Military-Industrial Complex Poses a Real Threat

          In the 20th and 21st Centuries, the US has been at war far more than any other nation. And recently, US wars appear to be increasingly unfocused and unproductive. Back in 1961, Eisenhower warned about … Continue reading

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The Most Important Take-Away from the US Election

Introduction Much will be written about the bitter US election pitting two unpopular candidates against one another.  In my view, who won is of secondary significance. For the most part, lobbies control most of what happens in DC: the US … Continue reading

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Run A High Pressure Economy? Janet Yellen Does Not Understand the Problem

Introduction Since the 2008 collapse, the Fed has been buying government debt to keep interest rates low in hopes of inducing more spending by individuals and business. There are several reasons this approach is wrong: It eliminates the safe source … Continue reading

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Xinyuan Real Estate: Positive News in a Risky Business

Introduction The second quarter results from Xinyuan (XIN) sound good. Table 1 summarizes data from CFO Liu’s statement at the earnings call. Sales are up. Area sales are up but not by as much (possibly because a greater portion of … Continue reading

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The Outrageous Income Differentials Allowed In the US – Time for a Change

Introduction Several weeks back, the New York Times (NYT) published its annual article on the highest-paid CEO’s with data provided by Equilar. I read these numbers every year with the same disdain and disgust: The CEOs appoint their Boards and … Continue reading

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