economy Archives - Page 3 of 8 -

May 16, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

LIGHTS DON’T LIE – Lies, damned lies, statistics, and authoritarian statistics: China, Russia and other authoritarian countries inflate their official GDP figures by anywhere from 15 to 30 percent in …

Politics

May 10, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

ONE PERCENT – A telling graph, thanks to the Institute of Public Affairs: Just one per cent and we can be over the hill instead of building it up even …

Politics

May 8, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

UP TO OUR EYEBALLS – The best Treasurer Australia has ever had is depressed: Former treasurer Peter Costello thinks he’ll be dead and buried by the time the federal government …

Politics

May 5, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

“THE WORLD IS FINALLY READY FOR MARXISM” – On Karl Marx’s 200th birthday, “The Independent” discovers why Marxism has not worked before – it was too early. Here is one …

Politics

May 3, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

HILLARY VERSUS SOCIALISTS – What would Karl Marx (unhappy 200th birthday for Saturday, Karl) think of a political party that represents both the plutocracy and the workers? Hillary Clinton claimed …

Politics

April 10, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

WHAT’S A TRILLION BETWEEN FRIENDS? – I’m old enough to remember when the United States government debt was “just” one trillion dollars. Now we are entering an era of one …

Politics

April 2, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

ASSEMBLED IN CHINA – Your interesting longish read of the day is an extract from a new book, “China’s Great Wall of Debt” by Dinny McMahon: While hundreds of thousands of people …

Politics

March 27, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

GO CIOBO GO – It’s good to know that in the world of increasingly tempted by protectionism, free trade still has its fans: Australia should start negotiating a free-trade agreement with …

Politics

March 24, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

MAJORITY. WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? – Nothing. Say it again. In the House. In the Senate. And then there is the White House. President Donald Trump grudgingly signed a …

Politics

March 18, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS TO CARE, THE AMERICAN EDITION – Another grim milestone, this time from across the Pacific: The national debt exceeded $21 trillion for the first time on Thursday, …

Politics

March 16, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS TO CARE – It’s official – the “conservative” Coalition government has now accumulated more government debt in five years in office than its predecessor, Labor, had in …

Life / Politics

March 10, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

PLEASE AUSTRALIA, BE MORE LIKE HOUSTON – Some staggering figures that go towards explaining housing unaffordability in Australia: Everybody complains about high housing prices these days. But would you live …

Politics

March 9, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

OF SHARKS AND STEEL – It looks like the Australian metal exporters might be spared the wrath of The Don thanks to an unusual intervention from a friend: Greg Norman, …

Politics

March 6, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

IN WHICH I LOSE ANY RESPECT I HAD FOR NICHOLAS SARKOZY – There was a time when I had some time for Sarkozy – nice life story, banging a supermodel, …

Politics

February 28, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

THIS WILL END WELL – South Africa goes full Zimbabwe. Never go full Zimbabwe. South Africa’s parliament has voted in favour of a motion that will begin the process of amending …

Politics

Waste not to go nuclear waste

February 27, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

This morning I’ve woken up to a News.com.au headline “Cory Bernardi says a nuclear power dump could make us the ‘Saudi Arabia of the south’”. I promise I will resist …

Politics

February 19, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

ONE SMALL STEP – Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues to sheikh things up: Women in Saudi Arabia can now open their own businesses without the consent of a husband or …

Politics

February 12, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

TIME TO BUST? – Two interesting (and long) pieces about the Four Horsemen (sorry, Horsepeople (Centaurs?)) of App-ocalypse. Scott Galloway at “Esquire”: And “Eve Smith” at “Economist”: Both worth your …

Politics

February 11, 2018February 12, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

THE SADDEST POST OF THE DAY – From Glenn Reynolds: THAT WAS A BIPARTISAN PROJECT, ACCOMPLISHED WITH HELP FROM THE IRS: Republicans Repeal The Tea Party. The sad truth is, there’s …

Politics

To the far right of the far left

February 7, 2018February 7, 2018 - by Arthur Chrenkoff

One of my pet peeves is the mainstream media using the label “far-right” not as any sort of an accurate description but as a dog-whistle to their progressive audiences. Just …