China and US agriculture – robbing us blind?

  In a comment to yesterday’s post, “The global food crisis – some people still don’t get it“, reader “John in Indy” said: I recently read of a near Western state giving a ChiCom related company money and tax breaks to build a corn to amino acid processing plant that will consume 17 Billion bushels… Continue reading China and US agriculture – robbing us blind?

Apartment rentals and the cost of living

  I was mind-boggled to read about the costs of an average apartment in many US cities.  RentCafe asked, “How Much Apartment Space Does $1,500 Get You in America’s 100 Largest Cities?“, and set about finding out. Wichita, KS apartments are the largest in the nation. Here, $1,500 per month will rent you 1,597 square… Continue reading Apartment rentals and the cost of living

Reading the signs: consumers are running out of money

  It’s becoming increasingly clear that American consumers have run out of money, and demand for consumer goods (particularly higher-priced ones) is going down like the proverbial lead balloon.  Sundance commented a couple of weeks ago: U.S. Retail Sales Collapse as Govt and Media Attempt Denial That Economy Is Contracting When retail sales are calculated,… Continue reading Reading the signs: consumers are running out of money

Concerning that Peter Zeihan video about Russia and Ukraine…

  … that I posted last week:  it was an hour long, so I know many readers didn’t have the time to watch it. Thanks to CDR Salamander, we find a shortened, 12-minute video from Mr. Zeihan, looking at the Ukraine war and its implications for Russia, today and in the future.  It distills the… Continue reading Concerning that Peter Zeihan video about Russia and Ukraine…

“The wealthy got immensely wealthier. Everyone else paid for it via rampant inflation.”

  That’s how Wolf Richter sums up the effects of the Fed’s monetary and economic policies over the past couple of decades, with emphasis on the past couple of years. The Fed uses monetary policies … to create asset price inflation and make a relatively small number of large asset holders vastly wealthier so that… Continue reading “The wealthy got immensely wealthier. Everyone else paid for it via rampant inflation.”

CBDC’s may allow Big Brother to control every cent you spend, and what you buy

  Central bank digital currencies (CBDC’s) have been spoken of in theoretical terms for many years, but they’re now becoming reality.  Three nations, including China, have already introduced them on a limited scale, and the USA is actively considering it too.  They promise (or should that be “threaten”?) a whole new way of managing our… Continue reading CBDC’s may allow Big Brother to control every cent you spend, and what you buy

Is Ukraine a contest between two dangerously unstable superpowers?

  That’s what Sarah Hoyt hypothesized yesterday.  Her argument is thought-provoking. This morning, this thread hit my mailbox from three separate sources. <snip> … for certain unstable regimes (or even stable ones with no effective means of resolving internal disputes peacefully, particularly the succession of power) domestic power games are far more important than anything… Continue reading Is Ukraine a contest between two dangerously unstable superpowers?

Unemployment is the answer!

  I have to laugh at this early (2006) cartoon from Stephan Pastis and his “Pearls Before Swine” comic strip.  It’s doing the rounds on social media at present.  It may be sixteen years old, but it fits our modern economy to a ‘T’.  Click the image for a larger view. The way gas prices… Continue reading Unemployment is the answer!

This is a must-watch video discussion on world events

  I generally don’t like watching videos to get news and/or background information.  They’re usually far too long, with too few facts stuck between a lot of verbiage that’s of no interest at all.  I prefer to read the transcript, so I can pick out the nuggets and ignore the dross. However, some videos are… Continue reading This is a must-watch video discussion on world events

I hate this article… because I believe it’s correct

  There are times when one doesn’t want to acknowledge the existence of a problem, because it’s so overwhelmingly threatening that it’s too ghastly to contemplate.  The terminal illness of a loved one is a good example.  To be told that one’s spouse or partner is going to die, and there’s nothing that can be… Continue reading I hate this article… because I believe it’s correct