[These edited extracts, from an interview in the February 1973 issue of Reason magazine, first ran in the June 1999 issue of the Rothbard-Rockwell Report.] Q: Why, in your view, is isolationism an essential tenet of libertarian foreign policy? A: The libertarian position, generally, is to minimize state power as much as possible, down to zero, and isolationism is the full expression in foreign affairs of the domestic objective of whittling down state power. In other...
Read More »Charles Hugh Smith – Rise of the ultra rich and decline of the middle class
Charles Hugh Smith - Rise of the ultra rich and decline of the middle class Charles Hugh Smith - Rise of the ultra rich and decline of the middle class Charles Hugh Smith - Rise of the ultra rich and decline of the middle class Charles Hugh Smith - Rise of the ultra rich and decline of the middle class charles hugh smith podcast, charles hugh smith bitcoin,economy,economics charles hugh smith of two minds,charles hugh smith of two...
Read More »Making Sense Eurodollar University Episode 52 Part 1
Fedwire Breaks: Anomaly or Trigger? Fedwire, the interbank system that transmits billions between 9,000-plus members, broke on Wednesday. The Fed says, "operational error" implying mere technical trivia - an anomaly. Why do some breaks stay mere anomalies while others trigger volatile, systemic consequences? Jeff Snider, Head of Global Investment Research for Alhambra Investments with Emil Kalinowski, dateless. Art by Winterfell resident, David Parkins. Topics & Time Codes...
Read More »FX Daily, March 1: Animal Spirits Roar Like a Lion to Start the New Month
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.45% to 1.1015 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, March 1(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: Equities and bonds jump back. Most Asia Pacific markets advanced 1.5-2.5% after the regional MSCI benchmark dropped 3.65% before the weekend and 5.3% last week. The recovery in European stocks was even more impressive. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 was up around 1.55% near midday, recouping...
Read More »Swiss National Bank profits cut in half by Covid
The value of Switzerland’s foreign currency and gold positions rose during the pandemic as investors sought safe havens. Keystone / Martin Ruetschi The Swiss National Bank (SNB) recorded a profit of CHF20.9 billion (almost $23 billion) in 2020, less than half of the CHF48.9 billion it made in 2019. Some CHF6 billion of the profits will be distributed to the Swiss government and cantons, compared to CHF4 billion last year. The distribution of profits is regulated by...
Read More »Swiss Retail Sales, January 2021: -0.9 percent Nominal and -0.5 percent Real
01.03.2021 – Turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays fell in the retail sector by 0.9% in nominal terms in January 2021 compared with the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover fell by 4.9% compared with the previous month. The economic sectors were affected to varying degrees. These are some of the findings from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Real turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays fell in the retail sector by 0.5% in January...
Read More »The Swiss National Bank reports a profit of CHF 20.9 billion for 2020 (2019: CHF 48.9 billion).
The increasing volatility of SNB Earnings Annual results are not really definite. Given that the SNB accumulates foreign currencies with interventions, they have huge swings. But the SNB may lose 50 billion in one year and win 60 billion in the next year or vice verse. Low Inflation, Crashes and Central Bank Money Printing The crisis caused by the Covid19 virus,is a typical crisis with low inflation (at least for now). During such a crisis, central bank money...
Read More »Keine Privatsphäre, kein Eigentum: Die Welt im Jahr 2030
Das Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) wurde vor fünfzig Jahren gegründet. Es hat im Laufe der Jahrzehnte immer mehr an Bedeutung gewonnen und ist zu einer Plattform für futuristisches Denken und Planen geworden. Als Treffpunkt der globalen Elite bringt das WEF die führenden Persönlichkeiten aus Wirtschaft und Politik sowie einige wenige ausgewählte Intellektuelle zusammen. Die Hauptstoßrichtung des Forums ist die globale Kontrolle. Freie Märkte und individuelle...
Read More »What “Normal” Are We Returning To? The Depression Nobody Dares Acknowledge
Perhaps we need an honest national dialog about declining expectations, rising inequality, social depression and the failure of the status quo. Even as the chirpy happy-talk of a return to normal floods the airwaves, what nobody dares acknowledge is that “normal” for a rising number of Americans is the social depression of downward mobility and social defeat. Downward mobility is not a new trend–it’s simply accelerating. As this RAND Corporation report documents,...
Read More »Switzerland’s low-income earners hit far harder despite lower Covid-19 infection rates
© Nikiforov Oleg | Dreamstime.com The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit low-income households far harder than those on high incomes, according to a study published by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich. Infection rates rise with income More people in the higher income range reported being infected with Covid-19 than those in lower income groups. Among those with incomes below CHF 4,000, 4% said they had tested positive and a further 8%...
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