Welcome to 1984
I’ve been addressing the war on cash lately, and for good reason. While everyone’s attention is focused on the war in Ukraine, inflation, and the Supreme Court, government plans to eliminate cash are accelerating.
The US Fed’s ‘Digital Dollar’ Is Almost Here
The US Fed’s ‘Digital Dollar’ Is Almost Here
Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are coming even faster than many anticipated. The digital yuan is already here. It was introduced in China last February during the Winter Olympics. Visitors to the Olympics were required to pay for meals, hotels, transportation, etc., using QR codes on their mobile phones that linked to digital yuan accounts. […]
The US Fed’s ‘Digital Dollar’ Is Almost Here
The US Fed’s ‘Digital Dollar’ Is Almost Here
The Federal Reserve was studying a possible Fed CBDC at a research facility at MIT. Now the idea has moved from the research stage to preliminary development.
A Food Shock Is Coming
A Food Shock Is Coming
While energy is making the headlines in terms of the economic impact of the war, food supply is equally in jeopardy. It’s important to understand that food on your table is one end of a long and complex supply chain.
Energy Shortages and Higher Prices
Energy Shortages and Higher Prices
The dependence of Western Europe on Russian natural gas is critical. The 27 member nations of the EU currently receive 40% of their imported natural gas from Russia.
The Economic Consequences of War
The Economic Consequences of War
The war news changes daily, and our purpose isn’t to give a dense chronology of causes, events, our purpose is to consider the economic consequences of the war, regardless of military success or failure by one side or the other.
Answering a Reader’s Question
Answering a Reader’s Question
Will soaring energy prices benefit the stock performance of oil and gas companies, or will it cause even higher inflation that depresses overall stock prices?
We May Be Witnessing ‘Peak China’
We May Be Witnessing ‘Peak China’
US foreign policy experts Hal Brands and Michael Beckley raised this possibility in an article in Foreign Affairs in October 2021. It’s not that China believes it’s superior to the US. It’s that China has realised this is as good as it gets. If you want to take Taiwan, you have to try now, because your chances […]
Capitalism with Jinping Characteristics
Capitalism with Jinping Characteristics
A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be the most disruptive geoeconomic event possible, equivalent to an invasion of Japan or Western Europe, and just short of nuclear war.
The China-Taiwan Conflict
The China-Taiwan Conflict
A critical hotspot engaging strategic thinkers today is the potential for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Of course, China has the world’s largest population, the world’s second-largest economy, and the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal.
