Archive for: The Politics of Investing

Three Reasons Why Quantitative Easing Isn’t Working

Why is printing trillions of new dollars not giving the US economy a bigger boost? Here are three reasons why… The “extra” money goes to banks, not you and me. We’re seeing little of this money. You can’t spend what you don’t have. We depend on small and medium-sized companies to generate

Wall Street Donations Continue to Pour into Presidential Campaigns

Both Obama and Romney are getting a great deal of their private employee donations from banks and insurance companies, following a pattern set in the last presidential election. Last time around Goldman’s employees gave Obama $1 million, more than any other company. Employees of JP Morgan contributed $808,799, the fourth most.

Growth in World’s Biggest Countries Grinds To a Standstill

Trillions of dollars of government spending around the world…hundreds of billion of dollars of bailouts…and money-printing to make you blush with shame…And for what?

Ratings Conspiracy: New York and London Seek To Beat Down Euro, Says Germany

Standard & Poor’s downgraded nine European countries on Friday, including core countries France, Austria and Italy.  Smacks of an American conspiracy led by speculators who want to make a killing off a falling euro, right? Well, believe me, they will, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re pulling the strings. The other

Who’s Going to Give Europe $500 Billion?

As bad as things are now in Europe, I believe they’re going to get much worse. That’s because some $500 billion in bonds is coming due during the first three months of 2012. Governments and banks will be trying to refinance the vast majority of them with new loans. Where exactly will

Politicians Refuse to Give Up On Their Favorite Pet Projects, Despite US Debt Woes

The rating agencies have put the US on a negative credit alert. The CBO says that our debt will be unsustainable by 2020 given the US’s current path. The Supercommittee agonized on how to cut the budget, but came up empty. But while balancing our budget remains a top priority and a

Why “Do-Nothing” Politicians Can’t Win This Battle

What’s going on in Europe is scary. And everybody is faulting the politicians.

It’s easy to diss Europe’s dithering government officials. They actually make Washington DC look decisive.

In truth, there’s not much too choose between them. When you strip away the superficial differences you’re left with politicians on both sides of the Atlantic who fear the electoral consequences of betraying their base: Whether it’s German chancellor Angela Merkel, President Obama or Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Korea Approves Trade Pact with US Amid Violent Demonstrations

Was the trade agreement between the US and Korea (just recently approved by Korea’s ruling party) that one-sided? No, and they rarely are. But they do expose a country’s labor force and economy to new global competitive pressures and they have a way of exposing an economy’s weaknesses.