Expectant of greater things, We try climbing – Higher And Higher; An effort that costs us much, Leaving us short of breath To find only The ground below is much prettier. ~Phillip Pulfrey For the last couple of years I’ve been writing that I thought we might experience a biflation for a sustained period of… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Economics
Why We Are Afraid to Acknowledge the True Cause of the Economic Crisis
The following is a guest post by Rob Bennett, who writes at many venues. We’re grateful that Balance Junkie is one of them. This instalment of Rob’s monthly column is sure to stir some debate, so I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on his thesis here. Enjoy! My boys (Timothy, age 12, and Robert, age… Continue Reading
IEA Report Advises Governments to Embrace Renewables and Nuclear
Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post by John C.K. Daly. The good news is that on 8 November the International Energy Agency released its 2011 “World Energy Outlook.” While it will cheer nuclear advocates, overall the report makes for grim reading. Pulling no punches, the report states at the outset, “There are few… Continue Reading
Are Low Interest Rates a Solution or a Problem?
Even nectar is poison if taken to excess. ~Hindu Proverb If low interest rates are good for the economy, it should be booming by now. After all, rates have basically been falling for 30 years. Over the last 10 years or so, short term rates have been held low by central banks. Just a few… Continue Reading
Occupy Wall Street: Have We Reached the Tipping Point?
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. ~ Bishop Desmond Tutu “In the wake of the global financial crisis, politicians… Continue Reading
5 Economic Trends Affecting Your Money
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. ~Edward Abbey Although I visit the grocery store at least once a week, lately I’ve had the feeling that I’m in a different place – and that’s not just because we recently moved. I sometimes can’t believe the prices I’m seeing on… Continue Reading
Too Much Principal and Not Enough Principle
Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it. ~David Star Jordan It’s funny how rather complex issues can sometimes become a little more clear by accident. One of the spelling riddles I sometimes come across when I’m writing is the difference between principal and principle. Unlike other words like favourite and favorite,… Continue Reading
How the Leadership Void Feeds the Financial Crisis
I am more afraid of an army of one hundred sheep led by a lion than an army of one hundred lions led by a sheep. ~Charles Maurice, Prince de Talleyrand-Périgord When the financial crisis erupted in 2008, many questioned the leaders and regulators in place at the time. How could the global financial system… Continue Reading