Government

Edgar Allen Poe vs. The FED

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you (drumroll please) total outstanding credit versus GDP in the United States from 1929 to 2012: Source: St. Louis Fed
This one chart shows exactly WHY we are where we are, folks. From the moment Richard Nixon toppled the US dollar from its golden foundation and ushered in the era of pure fiat money (oxymoron though that may be) on August 15, 1971, there has been a ubiquitous and dangerous synonym for “growth”: credit. The world embarked upon a multi-decade credit-fueled binge and claimed the results as growth.

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Will the Labour Party Help or Hinder U.K. Business?

In the U.K. the opposition party appoints a person to “shadow” the person in office thus learning the job and able to speak intelligently about alternative policies. Following the speeches of Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and Party Leader Ed Miliband, we now know more about how Labour plans to treat business.  So if  the Labour party wins the 2015 general election, would they help U.K. business or hinder it?

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Is Obama’s Black Swan Coming Soon?

What is a “Black Swan”? According to Wikipedia… The phrase “black swan” was a common expression in 16th century London as a statement of impossibility. The London expression derives from the Old World presumption that all swans must be white because all historical records of swans reported that they had white feathers. After Dutch explorer

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Obama’s Comments Worry Stock Bulls

Today Chris Ciovacco points to some other indicators that are beginning to turn negative.  Of course, we are coming to the end of the summer doldrums and so we could see a reversal of fortunes as we enter the fourth quarter but we still have to make it through the notorious months of September and October. Remember the ROC has not issued a sell signal yet but just a preliminary warning.

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Hyperinflation-1967-2011

Surviving a Hyperinflation

The most notorious recent case was in Zimbabwe and ran from 1998 – 2008. But North Korea experienced less severe hyperinflation in 2010 -2011. Other recent examples include Belarus 1994-2002, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1993, and Angola 1991-1999. You can see a list of 26 examples of Hyperinflation beginning with Egypt in 276 AD which had 1 million percent inflation over 58 years and ending with Zimbabwe. And lest we Americans get too smug we need to realize that we are the only ones on the list twice. Once in 1779 and again in 1861-1865. The result of the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

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