On a number of occasions, we have referred to allegations that the Italian government used derivatives to allow it to meet the requirements for joining the Euro zone in the 1999. Given recent market reports of large unrealized losses on derivative contracts held by the Italian government, it was announced that there would be a … Continue reading “More smoke circling Italy’s government finances”
Erosion of Democracy and the Rise of the Beast
I have put the section, Erosion of Democracy, into the archive section for now. It is not dated, but I am wrestling with my rewrite. It is a nuanced argument, and I am not the best writer. In the end, I will probably end up simplifying it, and then go into depth on different aspects … Continue reading “Erosion of Democracy and the Rise of the Beast”
Recent News Bits
German HIgh Court and the ECB Sometime after the German elections in September, the German high court will make a ruling that may rock the European Union. They have recently heard arguments, for and against, the ECB OMT program — basically a program that allows the ECB to buy an unlimited amount of government bonds … Continue reading “Recent News Bits”
Rebuilding the Temple — one step closer
Israel continues to strengthen its grip on Eastern Jerusalem (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2013/0610/Israeli-policy-pivot-strengthens-grasp-on-East-Jerusalem). We would expect Israel to continue on its path to claiming all of Jerusalem (both East and West) for its own — which means kicking out the Palestinians (non-Jewish Israelis). We expect this because in order to rebuild the Temple, Israel will need to tear down the … Continue reading “Rebuilding the Temple — one step closer”
Some numbers
n my arguments regarding the erosion of democracy, the birth of the new aristocracy in America (the tremendous share of wealth controlled by the top 1%) and the growing underclass are two key issues. The existence of a healthy middle class, and a more moderate distribution of income has been a supportive element of America’s … Continue reading “Some numbers”
Bits and Pieces
I am still working on the rewrite for the Erosion of Democracy piece. It is an ambitious topic, so though it will still be relatively terse, it will take some more time. Food Production However, I recently read that there are expectations for a global bumper crop of wheat. Barring any sudden weather disaster, it … Continue reading “Bits and Pieces”