Economy

Something really strange appears to be happening. All over the globe, governments and big banks are acting as if they are anticipating an imminent financial collapse. Here's some of what is being said and is apparently happening. Words: 1200

When you head out to the voting booth this November, know this… whether you pick Obama or Romney, you’re essentially voting for the same person. If you watch this video all the way to the end (it gets better as it progresses) you will understand why this is so, why that come election time you'll only have one choice - Obamney of the Republicrats party. The arguments, the debates, the smear campaigns and the emphasized differences between the two candidates are there to give you an illusion of choice.

Lately, nearly every piece of economic data is judged based on the degree to which investors perceive it will encourage/discourage central banks from embarking on a new round of quantitative easing (QE). Generally, bad data and subdued inflation is good because it means the Fed has both cause and room to ease, while good data and higher inflation are bad as they eliminate the need for easing and increase the chance that any asset purchases may contribute to already rising prices. That tendency to judge economic data in such a way is wrongheaded. [Let me explain why that is the case and more.] Words: 755

Under current law, a sharp reduction in the federal budget deficit between 2012 and 2013 will cause the economy to contract but, the Congressional Budget Office projects, will also put federal debt on a path more likely to be sustainable over time. To illustrate the effects of fiscal tightening, CBO compared its projections under current law (the "baseline" projections) with projections under an alternative set of policies — two scenarios in a broad spectrum of choices - in the infographic below.

Much has been written about the merits of the Gold Standard but there seems to be a lack of knowledge about the history of the various exchange-rate regimes over the years and why each was introduced and replaced. The infographic below does an outstanding job of doing just that.

No one seems to understand what is happening in Europe the way Graham Summers does and, as such, his insightful articles keep appearing on this site as the best choice to convey the message. Below are introductory paragraphs to each of 12 articles with hyperlinks to each should you wish to read any in their entirety.

No one cuts through the economic noise better than the writer who posts articles under the pseudonym "Monty Pelerin" - so much so that the 30 posted on munKNEE.com and have, on average, received more reads than any of the 1,700 others on the site. His articles are all timely (and some even timeless) in nature so, in case you missed one or two along the way, below is a link to a page that highlights each of his articles on the site with a descriptive introductory paragraph to each article. I dare you to read just one!

The world has created another debt bubble and we've chosen to kick the can down the road just like Roosevelt did in the ‘30s, and Japan has been doing for the last 20 years. Also, just like in the ‘30s, we are going to get the same result which is persistently high unemployment and generally declining global economic conditions unless drastic steps are taken - and the cure to our problem is staring us right in the face. [ Let me explain.] Words: 760

Goldman Sachs investment strategist Abby Joseph Cohen's massive presentation on the state of the world economy and investment environment looks at the state of several key economic and financial market metrics in key countries around the world and discusses her outlook for the rest of 2012 and beyond.

I posted information from FaceTheFactsUSA.org on the state of the American union on munKNEE.com for 11 consecutive days earlier this month. Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that Americans make up 55% of the 100,000 or so visits to the site each month, all such articles proved to be of little interest. That is a shame because FaceTheFactsUSA.org is making an unbiased effort to present substantiated information which would be invaluable in assisting Americans make an informed decision as to who to vote for in the upcoming Presidential election. Below are links to Facts 12 through 21 as posted on FaceTheFactsUSA.org and to the previous 11 Facts as posted on munKNEE.com.