Mike Norman Economics

More important, the press and pols in US and Europe have whipped the public into such a Russia-hating frenzy that it seems impossible for them to back down on sanctions even when the war is over. That means no (for the US) or less (for the EU) Russian oil. This is a problem because as we have explained, oil is not as fungible as you have been led to believe. Diesel and home heating oil require either medium heavy oil like Russia’s, or heavy sour like Iran’s and Venezuela’s. Shale oil and gas...

I’m in on Trump’s new MAGA social media platform (@MattFranko) below a screenshot from there of a Bongino post…. I’d say it’s representative of a general skepticism/distrust over there about Democrat Ukraine policy…

🤔Good Morning ! pic.twitter.com/HIBil55dEn— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) March 18, 2022

 I put out a post here the other day which showed that Putin held a very high moral ground, and I said that he did not launder money, amongst other things. I also put out an article by a wealthy Russian who owned the Evening Standard who said that Putin was not a crook. I've watched loads of speeches, news articles, and conferences that Putin has held, and I found him to be very earnest and decent person, with views that seemed similar to my own. I've also found him to be very consistent in...

 Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire with Michael HudsonHere's my favourite! Professor Hudson just published a 3rd edition that updates his analysis for the 21st century, discussing the new cold war on China and Russia and the ongoing transition from a US dollar-dominated financialized system to a "multipolar de-dollarized economy."[embedded content]https://youtu.be/Uiz934HVZjY

[embedded content]Russian Military expert Andrei Martyanov on Russia's denazification operation in the UkraineEva K. Bartlett interviews Andrei Martyanov, former USSR naval officer and expert on Russian military and naval issues.Martyanov was born in Baku, USSR in 1963. He graduated from the Kirov Naval Red Banner Academy and served as an officer on the ships and staff position of Soviet Coast Guard through 1990. He took part in the events in the Caucasus which led to the collapse of the...

FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out, and that's what will eventually be driving the market to new highs.

As expected, the Fed hiked by 25 basis points. My guess is that they are unlikely to move away from 25 basis points per meeting, at least until something changes. Some people are still trying to sell the story of a one-time 50 basis point hike, but I believe that accomplishes very little — unless they plan multiple 50 basis point hikes....Bond EconomicsDoes The Fed Really Care About Real Rates?Brian Romanchuk

Gilbert Doctorow — International relations, Russian affairsThis is how the world ends [abruptly]Gilbert Doctorowhttps://gilbertdoctorow.com/2022/03/17/this-is-how-the-world-ends/A Son fo the New American RevolutionPUTTING RUSSIA’S UKRAINE INVASION IN CONTEXTLarry C. Johnson | CEO and co-founder of BERG Associates, LLC, an international business-consulting firm with expertise combating terrorism and investigating money laundering, formerly Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department’s Office...

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released the latest labour force data today (March 17, 2022) – Labour Force, Australia – for February 2022. Last month the labour market took a dive as workers became increasingly sick from Omicron and the relaxation of the lockdowns and restrictions. This month a rebound. Next month? Floods and a new variant – stay tuned. Employment growth was very strong this month but it won’t last. Unemployment is down to the pre-GFC levels which is good as employers...