Analysis Topic: Economic Trends Analysis
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Monday, August 02, 2010
China Leapfrogs Japan To Become World’s No. 2 Economy / Economics / China Economy
Kerri Shannon writes: As the old Avis rental car slogan used to say: "When you're No. 2, you try harder."
With the growth rates that its economy has turned in the past few years, no economist could ever accuse China's leader of not trying hard. China now claims to have jumped over Japan to take over the No. 2 spot in the world economic pecking order.
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Monday, August 02, 2010
UK Population Growth and Immigration Trend Forecast 2010 to 2030 / Economics / Demographics
Whilst Britain is rarely if ever at the top of the various quality of life statistics such as economic growth, average earnings, disposable incomes, living space, healthcare services, pensions, personal freedoms and education. However when taken as a whole package, Britain remains one of the worlds most civilised countries that acts as a beacon that continues to attract peoples form all over the developing and developed world, which continues to push the UK population ever higher despite many Western European countries experiencing population stagnation or even falling populations such as Germany, where in fact 1/3rd of the annual rise in Europe's population as a whole takes place in Britain.
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Sunday, August 01, 2010
U.S. Outbound Travel Expenditure Says No Double Dip Recession / Economics / Economic Recovery
When inflation (or deflation) are so low that measurement errors can be bigger than “The Answer”, and when an economy is in the process of re-adjusting and so “measurement” of GDP itself is also and issue – witness the size of the revisions; and when traditional “markers” of drivers of economic activity are reacting in a “non-traditional way”, it can be hard to figure what’s going to happen next.
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Sunday, August 01, 2010
Austrian Money Supply Metrics, Now Global / Economics / Money Supply
On April 19th, 2010, I penned an essay called Money supply metrics, the Austrian take in which I presented the logic behind what I believe to be the correct formulation of the money supply, one based on the monetary insights of the Austrian school of economics.
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Saturday, July 31, 2010
Are We Out of the Recession Yet? / Economics / Recession 2008 - 2010
Are We There Yet?
Driving with No Spare
A Muddle Through Economy
Absent a Policy Mistake
"... [this economic condition] has been brought about by policies which the majority of economists recommended and even urged governments to pursue. We have indeed at the moment little cause for pride: as a profession we have made a mess of things."
- Friedrich August von Hayek, Nobel Speech 2010 1974
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Nielson: The End Game is Either Hyperinflation or Debt Implosion – Got Gold? / Economics / Economic Theory
“The collapse of the U.S. economy is a certainty - only the manner in which it will happen has yet to be determined. It is just a matter of time before the global derivatives bubble will produce the same result that has occurred to every other currency not backed by gold throughout history - those currencies, our ‘money’, will become worthless.”
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Saturday, July 31, 2010
Federal Government's Trillion Dollar Deficits Crowding Out Our Future Wealth / Economics / Economic Theory
The standard justification for the Federal government's trillion-dollar-plus deficits for the next decade is this: "Without this stimulus, the economy will fall into another Great Depression." This is the Keynesian Party Line, all over the West. It is promoted by almost everyone. Even normally free market economists have gotten on board.
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Friday, July 30, 2010
The History of Capitalism / Economics / Economic Theory
The history of capitalism as it has operated in the last two hundred years in the realm of Western civilization is the record of a steady rise in the wage earners' standard of living. The inherent mark of capitalism is that it is mass production for mass consumption directed by the most energetic and far-sighted individuals, unflaggingly aiming at improvement. Its driving force is the profit motive, the instrumentality of which forces the businessman constantly to provide the consumers with more, better, and cheaper amenities. An excess of profits over losses can appear only in a progressing economy and only to the extent to which the masses' standard of living improves. Thus capitalism is the system under which the keenest and most agile minds are driven to promote to the best of their abilities the welfare of the laggard many.
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Friday, July 30, 2010
Has Economics Run Out of Ideas? / Economics / Economic Theory
Jonathan Finegold Catalan provides an excellent review of the current state of intellectual paralysis in the economics profession: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article21501.html
He describes how right-now the debate hinges on re-examination and re-hashing of the ideas of the two legends of economic thinking, John Maynard Keynes and Mises-Hayek (the Austrian School).
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Friday, July 30, 2010
Should China Dump U.S. Dollars, Treasury Bonds for Commodities? Can Global Trade Collapse? / Economics / Deflation
Every time there is a little blip by China in its purchasing or holding of US treasuries, hyperinflationists come out of the woodwork ranting about the "Nuclear Option" of China dumping treasuries en masse.
Such fears are extremely overblown for several reasons.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Why is deflation and depression inevitable in debt based monetary system like ours? / Economics / Deflation
Money is civilization’s most liquid asset. An asset is something of value. Most liquid means that this is the asset most employees want to get paid in and this is the asset most vendors demand for payment. For United States of America most employees demand payment in U.S. dollars and most vendors price their products in U.S. dollars and demand payment in U.S. dollars.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Austrian Business Cycle Theory Vs Keynesians / Economics / Economic Theory
The current recession has brought back discussion on the merits of countercyclical fiscal and monetary policy. Broadly speaking, the economics profession is divided into two camps. One side is made up of "liquidationists" and "deficit hawks," supporting tight monetary policy and low — or no — government spending. The other group is composed of those fearing a fall in prices, who support easy credit and expansive fiscal policy to combat it. While most economists probably fall in between, this dichotomy represents the two poles. The extremes are occupied by the Austrian School on one end and Paul Krugman on (or close enough to) the other.
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
Price Stability Not a Fed Priority / Economics / Inflation
I knew the instant that I read the article’s title, “Fed Nominees Seek Economic Boost” in The Wall Street Journal, that I was probably going to be outraged and end up screaming a fearful and angry Mogambo Howl Of Anger (MHOA).
It was, alas, a feeling of doom that soon gave way to stark fear when I saw that the accompanying photo was captioned “Fed nominees – Janet Yellen, Peter Diamond and Sarah Bloom Raskin – at a Senate hearing Thursday.”
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
Bill Gross Ponders "Deep Demographic Doo-Doo" / Economics / Demographics
Bill Gross usually writes an interesting column provided you skip over the first few paragraphs of introduction. His August Investment Outlook regarding population demographics is no different. Please consider Private Eyes.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Hotel Industry Rebound Points to a Recovering U.S. Economy / Economics / Economic Recovery
Martin Denholm writes: When you’re traveling, what’s your preference when it comes to accommodation?
After a lengthy, recession-induced downturn, the latest industry figures suggest that more Americans are choosing hotels.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Don't Lose Sleep over Deflation / Economics / Deflation
After hearing the dire warnings of deflation that have become the standard talking points of most economists, American investors may be reaching for a bottle of Prozac. I believe that their anxiety is misplaced. Unfortunately, modern economists don't understand what deflation is or why, in reality, we have much more to fear from inflation.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Kindergarten Double Dip Recession Economics / Economics / Double Dip Recession
Double Dip used to pertain to ice cream cones, but now to dreaded return to economic recession. Green Shoots used to refer to gardening projects, then to deceptive economic viewpoints. My favorite is the second half recovery mantra, indicative of totally clueless. This year's promised recovery in the second half of the year will feature a return to recession instead, thus stripping mainstream economists of any remaining credibility. The endless links in the chain are impressive by the clueless cast of economists that disgrace the US landscape.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Economists Miss Durable Goods Orders Slump / Economics / Double Dip Recession
I cannot help but laugh at economists who refuse to see the economy is slowing dramatically, and somehow think manufacturing is going to lead the way to recovery.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Copper Signaling A Strong Economic Recovery / Economics / Economic Recovery
Jon D. Markman writes: As stocks have slipped lower over the last three months, copper has bucked the broad trend and broken the pattern of lower highs and lower lows it set in the spring.
After bottoming on June 7, the iPath Dow Jones-UBS Copper Subindex Total Return ETN - which closely tracks copper futures - has gained more than 12.2%. In the same span, the Russell 2000 small cap stock index has lost 0.6%.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
US Treasury Running on Fumes, Down to the Last Trillion in Red Ink / Economics / US Debt
The White House is screaming like a stuck pig. WikiLeaks’ release of the Afghan War Documents “puts the lives of our soldiers and our coalition partners at risk.”
What nonsense. Obama’s war puts the lives of American soldiers at risk, and the craven puppet state behavior of “our partners” in serving as US mercenaries is what puts their troops at risk.