The Cold War Heats Up

Late last night, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It’s no secret it has been building up troops with precisely this in mind. Contrary to President Vladimir Putin’s recent assertions that Russia was undertaking a limited “liberation” of separatist regions of Ukraine, he has now opted for a full-scale takeover of the country. So,…

Inflation, Deflation, and a Dot-com Redux

For the 12-month period ending in December, the CPI (Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation) increased 7%. The past few months have seen the largest increase in this measure in forty years. This was not much of a surprise to anyone and there are more than a few that believe the CPI number actually…

“Help Wanted”

This is the most perplexing labor market in our lifetimes. It’s unclear if there are too many workers or too few. “Help Wanted” signs are everywhere, but the most recent “jobs report” stated that 7.6 million Americans are unemployed and millions more are underemployed (i.e., you have a really miserable job for which you are…

Excessive Excesses Always End Badly

We heard an interesting factoid the other day. But it was one of those moments where you’re somewhat listening and not really paying attention. It said that the Japanese stock market had just hit a 31-year high, which sounds like a good thing. But then we thought, “the Japanese stock market is JUST NOW higher…

Global Superpowers Battle for Gold (and Economic Supremacy)

After a yearlong delay due to COVID, the 2020 Olympic Games were finally pulled off. Viewers around the world tuned in to watch the best athletes compete for gold in gymnastics, track and field, swimming, and . . . dressage? The world also watched as the United States and China competed in the overall medal…