Japan’s innovation struggle
byBy Urs Schoettli Recently the English language daily The Japan Times carried the headline “Kono declares war on the fax machine.” In the recent reshuffle of…
Are governments’ efforts to reduce unemployment a cost-free solution?
byOnce an economy falls into an economic slump and the level of unemployment begins to rise most commentators are of the view that it…
Do Not Trust Governments with the Control of Money
byIf there one thing that is fairly certain in this life – besides the seeming inescapability of death and taxes – is that once…
The IMF chief economist sees a threat to world economies from a liquidity trap
byIn the Financial Times from November 2 2020, the IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath suggested that world economies at present are likely to be…
The prospects for Emerging and Frontier Markets in the post-Covid environment
byThe Covid pandemic has accelerated several economic trends Technology industries will benefit Less developed countries will suffer This crisis could see ‘The African Century’…
The consequences of budget deficits for international trade
byIn all the economic mayhem ahead, no one is yet thinking of the consequences for trade imbalances. The twin deficit hypothesis informs us that…
Can economic data help to clarify the state of the business cycle?
byAccording to the popular way of thinking, various economic data can provide an analyst with the necessary information regarding the state of the economy….
The Demon-Haunted World
by“We’ve arranged a global civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost…
The Fed’s Balance Sheet May Be Headed to $40–$50 Trillion
byPresident Trump has said often that he had “created the greatest economy the world has ever seen, until the China virus came.” Maybe some…
Government Policies Have Worsened the Coronavirus Crisis
byFew would disagree that we have been and are living through some unprecedented times in 2020. A global pandemic, government-imposed and mandated lockdowns and…