German aviation company accuses Ruag of balance sheet fraud Keystone-SDA Listen to the article Listening the article Toggle language selector...
Read More »“Hate Symbols” and the Meaning of Liberty
In tyrannical societies, the state uses its monopoly of violence to dictate what citizens are permitted to say, activities they are permitted to engage in, and cultural symbols they are permitted to celebrate or display. Anyone who violates such edicts can be arrested and imprisoned. Given the tendency of states to become increasingly dictatorial and to trample on their citizens’ liberties with impunity, Murray Rothbard argued that the state itself, by its very...
Read More »Israel announces ground operation in Lebanon
Israel announced a “limited” ground operation against Hezbollah targets in the border area of southern Lebanon, sending its soldiers across the border, per local news agency Aljazeera. Israeli warplanes carried out massive strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs after civilians were ordered to leave. At least 95 people were killed on Monday by Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Market reaction At the time of press, the Gold price was up 0.02% on the day...
Read More »“I Have Bills to Pay,” Or Why the Fed Really Cut Interest Rates
Disclaimer: The following is a parody of a “leaked” transcript of a recent telephone conversation between Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.Powell (answering phone): Powell here.Yellen: Jay, how you doing, Janet here, been meaning to call you one of these days.Powell: What’s on your mind over there at Treasury?Yellen: Well, I see that you’re lowering interest rates, so I just wanted to tell you that’s great news for us...
Read More »Homeownership Is Not the American Dream
In a recent interview with Bill Maher, Nancy Pelosi discussed a recently proposed California law—Assembly Bill 1840—that aimed to provide taxpayer funds to first-time homebuyers regardless of immigration status. In defense of the proposed law, which was ultimately vetoed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pelosi stated that she wanted to help illegal immigrants achieve the “American Dream.”Setting aside the insanity of compelling California taxpayers to fund home...
Read More »Mortgage Relief Lifts China’s CSI 300 by more than 8% Ahead of the Golden Week Holiday
Overview: The US dollar is narrowly mixed on the last trading day of Q3 24. The Australian dollar, the G10 proxy for China, is leading the major currencies higher and reached its best level since February 2023 (~$0.6940). The yen and Swiss franc continue to trade heavily and are off 0.2%-0.25%. The euro firm and traded above $1.12 for the fifth time since late August but has failed to settle above there once. The soft inflation readings have boosted the chances of...
Read More »Overtime Tax Exemption: Pros and Cons
Former President Trump has proposed exempting overtime income from taxation. Is this a good idea? Some economists may point out that exempting overtime hours from taxation targets marginal labor supply. Increasing marginal take home pay from taxes encourages work, can increase aggregate supply and economic growth.Other economists may point out that overtime hours are highly cyclical; tax revenue from overtime hours rises during economic booms and...
Read More »JLS: Democracy as Secular Theodicy
ABSTRACT: Scholars across political philosophy, theology, economics, sociology, sociobiology, and history presently acknowledge that theistic and secular religions are similar in form and function. This essay goes further by establishing that all religions are congruent and otherwise complementary rather than being merely similar. All religions, regardless of their basis, are institutionalized behavioral responses to the “evil” represented by the...
Read More »Medicines regulators weigh hope and hype with new Alzheimer’s drugs
In Switzerland, some 156,900 people have Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia, and this is expected to rise to 315,400 by 2050 according to the organisation Alzheimer Schweiz. Mtv / Courtesy Everett Collection Listen to the article...
Read More »The Present Monetary System Is Heading for a Breakdown
Many economists incorrectly assume a growing economy also requires a growing money stock, assuming that economic growth gives rise to a greater demand for money. It is held that failing to increase money to facilitate increased trade will lead to a decline in prices of goods and services, destabilizing the economy and leading to an economic downturn.Some commentators believe that the lack of a flexible mechanism coordinating demand versus the money supply is the...
Read More »