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| Topic: Economics |
8:42 am EDT, May 20, 2005 |
Here's what I think will happen if and when China changes its currency policy, and those cheap loans are no longer available. US interest rates will rise; the housing bubble will probably burst; construction employment and consumer spending will both fall; falling home prices may lead to a wave of bankruptcies. And we'll suddenly wonder why anyone thought financing the budget deficit was easy. In other words, we've developed an addiction to Chinese dollar purchases, and will suffer painful withdrawal symptoms when they come to an end. As far as I can tell, nobody in a position of power is thinking about how we'll deal with the consequences if China actually gives in to US demands, and lets the yuan rise. The Chinese Connection |
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Gambling With Your Retirement |
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| Topic: Economics |
11:55 am EST, Feb 4, 2005 |
It's true that you can improve Social Security's finances with privatization, as long as you also slash benefits -- just as you can kill a flock of sheep with witchcraft, provided you also feed them arsenic. Gambling With Your Retirement |
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Who gains when commodities are de-commodified? |
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| Topic: Economics |
1:56 am EDT, Aug 31, 2004 |
Like many primary products, coffee has long been characterised as a commodity with falling terms of trade and volatile prices. Yet, in recent years, there has been growing product differentiation in final markets, with premium prices being earned and high and sustainable incomes being provided. So far, these product rents have been almost entirely appropriated by residents of high-income economies. However, to the extent that growers can learn to improve their product through the systematic application of knowledge throughout the value chain, and consumers are taught to recognise that product variety and quality are determined in the growing rather than the roasting stage of the chain, an alternative outcome is possible. This paper outlines the necessary knowledge flows and concludes with an assessment of who needs to do what if this more favourable outcome for growers is to be realised. Who gains when commodities are de-commodified? |
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| Topic: Economics |
9:08 am EDT, Jun 1, 2004 |
The final and most serious argument is that whatever the short-term benefits, the tax cuts have left us with a long-term fiscal mess. I realize it's now practically illegal to have modulated views about anything related to the Bush administration, but ... What I don't understand is why the administration doesn't now pivot and say: OK, we had a potential crisis. We prevented it. Now the recovery is in full swing. Let's address the long-term problems. Let's talk about the consequences of the aging baby boomers. Nader should force Bush and Kerry to talk about pre-empting the grave and gathering generational storm. After all, isn't this at the very core of the Bush doctrine? Grading the President |
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How the price of milk reached a record-high |
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| Topic: Economics |
3:17 pm EDT, May 29, 2004 |
What do the prices of cheese and butter in Chicago have to do with how much you pay for milk at the local supermarket? Just about everything. And the result is that you're paying more for a gallon of milk than ever before. In part, the big increases can be blamed on popular high-protein, low-carb diets. And yet, milk still costs less than water. "It's all working like it should, but, unfortunately, next year we're going to have too much milk." How the price of milk reached a record-high |
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