Yikes!

  This graphic popped up on MeWe yesterday evening.  I can’t link directly to the post concerned.  Clickit to biggit. The original poster didn’t provide a source link, or any further details about where the data had come from.  It’s pretty scary, isn’t it? I’d love to know how accurate those figures are.  Certainly, the… Continue reading Yikes!

Saturday Snippet: Notes on Inflation

  We’ve heard from investment guru John Mauldin in these pages on several previous occasions.  He’s one of the few economic commentators whom I read regularly.  He’s able to summarize critical issues into a few paragraphs, and make sense of interlocking factors affecting the economic world we live in. In his latest weekly newsletter, titled… Continue reading Saturday Snippet: Notes on Inflation

An economist’s thoughts about English food

  It seems that economist Paul Krugman penned some thoughts about English food following a visit to that sceptered isle some years ago.  A reader sent me a link to his comments, and after I stopped laughing, I thought you might enjoy them too. Supply, Demand, and English Food We Americans like to boast about our… Continue reading An economist’s thoughts about English food

I’m glad I don’t live in Germany right now…

  … because the cost of living there is going through the roof.  Reuters reports that last month, German producer prices rose by 45.8% compared to August last year. Producer prices for electricity rose 174.9% compared with August 2021 and by 26.4% compared with the previous month. Excluding energy, the year-on-year rise in producer prices… Continue reading I’m glad I don’t live in Germany right now…

A sobering inside look at our US hospital system

  Divemedic has many years of experience working in the US hospital system.  He offers this insight about what’s going on now in his Florida hospital.  I’ve confirmed that much the same thing is happening in some hospitals in Texas, Tennessee and Colorado, because I have contacts in all of them. We have been short… Continue reading A sobering inside look at our US hospital system

The balance of international influence just shifted – hard

  Many readers may not have paid much attention to the meeting last week of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).  That would be very short-sighted, because a number of developments there demonstrate a significant, possibly permanent shift in the international perspective and alignment of the nations of the world. One of the most interesting aspects… Continue reading The balance of international influence just shifted – hard

Inflation watch: Argentina as a bellwether for what might happen here

  Those of us who’ve lived in high-inflation societies are watching what’s happening today in the USA with a certain cynical sense of déjà vu.  We’ve seen it all before. The current effective annual US inflation rate (forget the official numbers – they’re falsified – and look to more authoritative sources such as Shadowstats, or… Continue reading Inflation watch: Argentina as a bellwether for what might happen here

A major canary in the economic coal mine

  For those unfamiliar with the use of a canary in a coal mine as a safety device, you can read more about it here.  The practice (now discontinued) has become an idiom for an early indicator of potentially serious or dangerous problems. FedEx has just emerged as a major canary in the coal mine… Continue reading A major canary in the economic coal mine

The scale of Europe’s industrial nightmare is mind-boggling

  It’s hard for us in the USA to imagine what it’s like for industries in Europe right now, with the supply of natural gas from Russia cut off and few alternative sources available.  The Wall Street Journal reports: Europe’s energy crisis has left few businesses untouched, from steel and aluminum to cars, glass, ceramics,… Continue reading The scale of Europe’s industrial nightmare is mind-boggling

What happens when Europe runs out of fuel? And how will that affect the USA?

  Brandon Smith, whom we’ve met often in these pages, has a grim energy forecast for Europe over the coming months. Here are the developments Europe will see in the near term: Rolling Blackouts Further Price Inflation In Energy Business Shutdowns Due To Operating Costs Energy Fascism – Informants And Government Monitoring Of Usage Further… Continue reading What happens when Europe runs out of fuel? And how will that affect the USA?