Tag Archives: US/Global Economics

by Guest Economist Joseph Joyce Capital Ebbs and Flows The disruption of the global economy caused by the COVID pandemic in 2020 had begun to be overcome when the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to new fissures. Sanctions were placed by the United States and European nations on trade and capital transactions with Russia. Before the pandemic, tariffs and other trade measures had been imposed by the  United States and China on each other,...

Economist Robert Reich offers up his opinion on JD Vance’s BS claims of tariffs not raising prices. Vance also wishes the tariffs brought a significant number of jobs to or were created in the US. Wrong on both accounts. Did this guy really go to Yale? Vance’s Trumped-Up Economics Today, Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance told NBC News that the tariffs Trump imposed during his term in office had not raised prices for Americans...

If the world is to decarbonize energy without a major economic collapse, nuclear power must be part of the picture. Solar and wind energy generation are growing world-wide, but both will always have to deal with the intermittency problem. Batteries and hydroelectric storage can address some of this, but alternative energy sources must be available for back-up on cloudy days and during still air. The only realistic alternative is nuclear.Despite the...

Or does he? Economist Tom Palley has an interesting piece up at his site of the same name. Subtitled; Economics for Democratic and Open Societies. I did not post all of it as Tom Palley raises the question early on in his commentary. When does Russia Putin finally says “enough is enough” as they are pushed back by Ukraine? If the news is correct in reporting, Ukraine may have Russia on the ropes in its latest attack. Ukraine’s Hiroshima moment...

The false dichotomy of climate change remediationYears ago, I had a Facebook friend from my hometown who was a big enthusiast of molten salt nuclear reactor technology. He wasn’t a scientist or engineer, but his dad had worked on MSRs in the ‘60s, and he fetishized his dad’s memory. As some point, I mentioned that we had installed rooftop solar on our house, and he began attacking me. Rather than see MSRs and solar as two parallel paths towards...

A dangerous maneuver by Ukraine, unless Putin and Russia are willing to capitulate after years of fighting. In any case and over time, Zelensky’s life will be in danger. Putin will be hunting for an opportunity to remove this antagonist. FP This Week – Ukraine Invades Russia On Aug. 6, Ukraine surprised the world with an incursion into the Russian region of Kursk. This upended a growing consensus in Washington and elsewhere that the conflict...

How restrictive are “real” interest rates?  – by New Deal democrat This post is inspired by a Xtweet from Paul Krugman this morning, in which he pointed out that if we measured inflation the same way it is done in Europe, the Yoy% change would be only 1.7%. That got me wondering, since the primary difference is how shelter inflation is measured, just how restrictive is current Fed policy across a number of the most important inflation...

According to Nate DiCamillo at Quartz, “September is shaping up to be another good month for consumer sentiment.” AB: I believe there are other aspects which would make the citizenry even feel better then decreasing gasoline prices. The economy is getting there, just not fast enough for many, and people show their doubts. Gasoline pricing dropping is short term. Inevitably, oil and gasoline prices will continue to increase in pricing and faster...

The existential crisis of our time is global warming. The planet is already in deep trouble, with polar ice melting, permafrost thawing, sea level rising, increased desertification and more violent storms. The hour is late.“The quest for net zero needs to be fought on many fronts. You have your vanguard offense: simply reducing the carbon footprint of the things we already do. Then there’s the field medics: tactics like planting more trees and...

by Joseph Joyce Capital Ebbs and Flows The Republican nomination of Donald Trump as its nominee for President ensures that international trade will be a major issue in the campaign. Trump views trade as a zero-sum game and the existence of U.S. trade deficits as proof that other nations have taken advantage of U.S. openness (= weakness). Tariffs are the primary policy tool to respond to the unfair treatment of U.S.-made goods and even the...