Retired Spook writes in: Your Czarishness; Apropos our previous discussion on the pending financial disaster coming from Beijing, a recent Telegraph article contains a number of amusing (for given values of “amusing”) observations. It appears that Professor Reynolds is correct, … Continue reading →
The Retired Spook writes in to follow up on some recent items: Please convey my thanks to Operative BJ for his insightful analysis of the Gates memoir. Although we disagree on a few particulars, he covers the same ground that … Continue reading →
Awesome question from Island Dweller, and one the Czar expects will generate a little bit of mail and, better still, commentary from other brooders within the Castle: Most illustrious majesty, Thanks to the Democrats, the yuan has gone up in … Continue reading →
Mika has a sad because income inequality. Unfortunately,Mika doesn’t understand that despite her willful ignoranceof basic economic truths, pretending economic truths do notexist does not, in fact, cause those truths to cease existing. ‘Puter’s been watching Morning Joe again, which is … Continue reading →
These came up while the Czar was washing blood off his hands in the men’s room. First up is JAB, who pops up from the Doublewide to tell an awesome story: Dear Mr. Mandarin and Your Czarness: Reading your “Literal … Continue reading →
In other good news, China is massing troops and having air and naval craft patrol their border with North Korea. One Chinese restaurant owner (one wonders what’s on the menu there) in a nearby border town expressed amazement over the … Continue reading →
Well, if you happen to need a lot of hooey, you can always grab a handful of the Los Angeles Times. What a jerk. He hates all the good things about Europe, like chronic unemployment, shoddy craftsmanship, and suicidal debt. … Continue reading →
Three musings. Well, it looks like the not-adolescent party won the Greek elections, and some serious reforms are coming along to save Greece, Europe, and even partly American economy, right? Not so fast: there are strong indications that the Left … Continue reading →
I came across this OpEd in the NYT this morning by David Brooks and it illustrates the current economic problems we’re facing pretty well. Brooks allocates two sides to the economic debate. The first he refers to as the cyclicalists … Continue reading →
Imagine something this dumb. Imagine you get a guy who’s seriously in the red—he has about $50 in his pocket, but he owes thousands. He knows he never will pay off what he owes. And he finds another guy pretty … Continue reading →
In the course of his daily reading, ‘Puter came across the following article noting Europe’s economy (and if there is a just God, the EU as well) is circling the bowl. More apt, Europe’s economy is halfway down the u-bend. … Continue reading →
Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of reading, researching and some debating over the future for the United States. There are a few key areas that I’ve been meaning to write about that all orbit around this central theme, so … Continue reading →
GD writes in with a couple more arguments and reminders about Corporate Tax Rates (including GorT’s favorite). Sorry: sometimes we assume that you all know this, but GD is right to add this in for our many first-time readers: Dread, … Continue reading →
The next time some weenus says that maintaining obscene corporate profits are why our jobs are moving overseas, point them to this picture: Here is why jobs are going overseas: the corporate income tax rate. Ask them which businesses pay … Continue reading →
BG provides a status update for a task that the Czar does not remember assigning, but then asks some questions on currency: Great and Terrible Gormogons— As you commanded, I have begun dumping sugar into the gas tanks of the … Continue reading →
GorTechie has a stunningly well-argued thought piece on globalization of the economy. The Czar chooses not to argue any of it—GorT is, of course, freaking right. Indeed, the Czar was so reluctant to appear contentious that he decided against naming … Continue reading →
In Dr. J’s excellent letter, I saw the following fragment, “The creeping doom began with wage controls during WWII…” and it got me thinking with regards to ongoing debates about immigration, unions and the global economy. First, let’s dispell any … Continue reading →
Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain, that is. These are the four dead men walking of the European Union. Yesterday, rating agencies downgraded the sovereign debt of Greece and Portugal, with Greece achieving junk status, and now paying over 13% to … Continue reading →
The President of the E.U., Mirek Topolanek (currently the PM of the Czech Republic – the E.U. presidency rotates among member nations), called the direction that the Obama Administration is taking with the economy the “road to hell.” This is … Continue reading →
Confucius saw that headline in the Financial Times today and remarked to a bystander, “If the economic crisis goes on—and protectionism starts seriously affecting foreign trade—this is the kind of thing where the Mandate of Heaven gets withdrawn and tens … Continue reading →
But at least we’re not Great Britain. Maybe a dental care stimulus plan would help the country feel better. * Bad British teeth allusions are low hanging fruit, but the old jokes are like comfort food in these trying times. … Continue reading →
No, it’s not the code name of my new project*. It’s what we’re facing here in the United States with the rumors of bailouts for the auto industry (as a follow up to ‘Puter’s post). This is an industry that … Continue reading →
