Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Even adjusting for gas prices, consumers went on a (wealth effect- generated?) spending spree in May

 – by New Deal democrat Consumer spending is about 70% of the economy, and retail sales is our first wide measure of that spending. And since consumption leads employment, it is an important real world measure. In May, after two months of being dominated by gas prices, it was even more decisively driven by a likely […]

Ultraprocessed foods are not poison

As any pharmacologist or toxicologist will tell you, the dose makes the poison. Most rice contains arsenic. Baked goods contain acrylamide. Seafood contains methylmercury. Natural groundwater contains fluoride. But in moderation, none of those things are toxic. Thanks to RFK Jr, there’s been a lot of silly nattering about the alleged dangers of ultraprocessed foods. […]

Housing continues in the doldrums, but its decline failed to give rise to a post-pandemic recession

 – by New Deal democrat When it comes to housing, the post-pandemic economy has been odd. That’s because, as of last year by all accounts housing had deteriorated  sufficiently that a recession should already have begun. Not only did that not (quite) happen, but the current situation would be more congruent with such a recession ending […]

De-dollarization heats up

Jonathan Last has a fairly detailed piece (with links to more details) concerning something called mBridge, which looks to be China’s ‘camel’s nose under the tent’ for dethroning the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Read the whole thing. Here are some highlights: Currently, most of the world uses the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial […]

There Are Some Who Should Not Be a Part of Society

The Age of the Super A*sholes – by Robert Rich To describe both as selfish narcissists would be a wild understatement. Both are maniacally obsessed with increasing their own personal wealth, power, and control. Both have been willing to break laws, norms, and other social constraints in pursuit of these goals. Both have manipulated, bribed, […]