– by New Deal democrat Over the weekend Harvard econ professor Jason Furman suggested that the Fed funds rate is not very restrictive: “As inflation has come down the real Federal funds rate has risen and is now the most restrictive it has been this cycle, a point that Austin Goolsbee has emphasized a number of times . . . That is not the way I would look at it. The rates that matter for the economy are long rates. and expected inflation...
Read More »Arguments from evidence
Kevin Drum pushes back on the WSJ claim that household debt is a problem in America, and Kevin brings the receipts:“. . . debt as a percent of disposable income . . . is currently lower than it was at the end of 2019 (9.8% vs. 10%).“. . . household debt as a percent of GDP . . . went up during the pandemic and then back down. It is currently lower than it was at the end of 2019 (76.2% vs. 77.7%).“Total credit card balances today are precisely the same...
Read More »Why Consumption Taxes (VATs) are Insanely Regressive
Progressives and social democrats should be fighting them tooth and nail, not blithely embracing them. by Steve Roth Originally Posted at Wealth Economics The spreadsheet behind the tables and graphs here is available on request. Drop me a line in the comments or elsewhere. Following the community of Socks (🧦s) or “social democrats” out there on the interwebs (this is definitely my economic tribe), in articles, and in books, there’s a...
Read More »Chemical Sequestration of Atmospheric CO2 through Alkalinization
Testing Oceanic Carbon Capture I’ve mentioned previously the hypothesis that iron fertilization of the ocean and consequent phytoplankton blooms is one feasible method to achieve global carbon capture. Small-scale experiments have been done already. The results have been mixed insofar as documenting the scale of phytoplankton blooms, but there has been no reported harm.Another strategy relies on chemical sequestration of atmospheric CO2 through...
Read More »Some Background on Kamela Harris
We are not going to get much time to know VP Kamela Harris. I took the liberty of copying word for word what The Copper Courier (independent news) had to offer about her background just today. It covers quite a bit. Hopefully, this will give you some background to base any feelings negative or positive about her. Of course, I knew more about Joe Biden. He was relentless on not offering any type of relief for student loans as a Senator. Many of...
Read More »Open Thread: President Joe Biden Ends His Bid for Reelection
President Joe Biden ends his 2024 reelection bid after weeks of pressure from Democrats to drop out, PBS News No doubt the moneyed influence played an important part in his leaving the race. Much of this has to do with future plans of addressing tax breaks. More on this part later. Tags: Joe Biden ...
Read More »More thoughts on carbon capture
Analogies are risky things, but I think there’s a useful analogy between (1) the belief that global conservation is a sufficient antidote to rising atmospheric CO2 and (2) the belief that herd immunity is a sufficient antidote to pandemics.Herd immunity is the model in which, as a deadly pathogen moves through the population, enough survivors with immunity will remain to attenuate further transmission, protecting uninfected individuals. The track...
Read More »Firearm Violence Is a Public Health Crisis
Topic, we have not touched upon in a while at Angry Bear. The stats are there to support more rigid laws suppressing the illegal use of firearms and tighter controls on possession. I am sure there will be the naysayers. Ok, fine. Be polite in expressing an opinion. Don’t care about what Clarence thinks as he is no expert as well as the three-month Army wonder Samuel. My background? At one time I could part your hair at 500 yards with a stock...
Read More »How Can They Be Trusted . . . ?
by commenter Ten Bears Homeless on the High Desert It’s not about Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris was my only endorsement in 2020. Kamala Harris is the reason I set aside the three times Joe Biden’s politics have harmed me, harmed my family, harmed the Oregon Timber Industry … and voted for him. And will cast my no party affiliated, independent vote for him again as he turned out the best president of my lifetime. It’s not about Kamala Harris....
Read More »Months’ Supply of Multi-Family Housing under Construction Decreasing. What is the cure?
Building Badly Needed Muti-Family Housing What is holding back more building of badly needed muti-family housing is the Fed Rate. The effort of course is to bring down inflation. As you read, I think you will discover the effort by the Fed is not achieving the goal it wishes to achieve. Indeed, its efforts to reduce inflation is hurting housing. Read the different scenarios and see if you agree. In a recent Employ America article, Skanda...
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