Category: economics

culture

Decline of the west

The last man on the moon left in 1972 The tallest building in the united states was finished in 1974. Cars are becoming humbler. US electricity production was growing exponentially until 1972.  After 1972 it grew more slowly.  Per capita electricity consumption  seems likely to have peaked around 2007 or so. Supposedly GDP is still growing rapidly, just as supposedly inflation is zero, but it seems improbable that GDP is …

economics

Like Hell There’s No Inflation

Business Insider tells us: Post Raisin Bran goes from 2.50 to 3.00 per box at Walmart. My favorite yogurt goes from .50 to .58 each at Walmart. Cherry tomatoes go from 4.98 to 5.98 per package. Walnuts go from 9.98 to 13.98 per bag at Sam’s. Bottom round goes from 2.48 to 2.68 per pound at Sam’s. Al Dente tells us What was once purchased for weekly meals at the …

culture

Hyperinflation coming, but not soon

There is a lot of ruin in a nation. Glen Bleck predicts catastrophic instant inflation completely collapsing the currency and government in a single two week crisis.  That is not the way hyperinflation happens. Hyperinflation consists of a series of hyperinflationary crises.  In a hyperinflationary crisis, the value of money falls abruptly, typically to two thirds, half or a third of its previous value.  The collapse occurs so suddenly that …

economics

The party of the state

The number of federal workers earning $150,000 or more a year has doubled in the two years since President Obama took office Update: Bill however argues this is less alarming that it seems: The big jump in % over $150K is all from the fact that the GS scale maxed out less than $150K in 2005 and over $150K in 2010. It’s totally mechanical, an incident of drawing the line …

economics

Hyperinflation

Officially, America has near zero inflation and a mere ten percent official unemployment.  Odd that it has a mere ten percent unemployment when the proportion of young adult males with jobs has dropped a lot more than ten percent. As with third world and Marxist countries, the government’s reaction to bad news is to declare a new era of prosperity.  The recession is officially over.  With an unprecedented proportion of …

economics

Yet another vote for European style Social Democracy

As Europe collapses, Americans vote to be like Europe. The republicans now have control of the purse strings, and, among other things, have promised to reduce next years deficit from $1470 000 000 000 to $1370 000 000 000.  We are in a bus heading towards a precipice at seventy miles and hour, and the republicans promise to slow down to sixty five miles an hour. Any tea party candidate …

economics

Fixing the financial system

We are in trouble, the entire west is in trouble, in substantial part because the financial system has been leaking a lot of money.  So has every other part of the governing apparatus, but the financial system is the biggest hole in the bucket. Now a lot of people are saying that this is a revolutionary election, it is about fundamental change.  Thomas Sowell, a man I enormously respect, tells …

economics

hyperinflation of the US$

A great storm first manifest as clouds on the horizon. The Republicans are going to wish they had not won the 2010 November elections. Supposedly US inflation is near zero, yet food, fuel, and heating oil has risen substantially. Gonzalo points out Grains as a class have risen over 33% year-over-year. Refined oil products have risen just shy of 13%, with home heating oil rising 18% year-over-year. In other words: …