tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post2307146993379173112..comments2023-10-24T01:46:47.151-07:00Comments on CynicusEconomicus: An Occasional ReturnUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-43230832204034747452011-10-07T01:34:17.518-07:002011-10-07T01:34:17.518-07:00I'm delighted you have returned to posting. I ...I'm delighted you have returned to posting. I kept the shorcut on my browser to be able to re-read your posts.<br /><br />Yours is simply the most intelligent analysis I have read anywhere of the world's broken economic polity.Alexander Meynellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-34140903098925520732011-06-07T23:57:24.290-07:002011-06-07T23:57:24.290-07:00"The international fissures which led to two ..."The international fissures which led to two world wars in the past century are re-emerging against the background of an intensification of the international economic crisis."<br />Economic competition has the capacity to descend into violence because everyone feels that they are entitled to the good life, your water, your food, your property, your wife. It's not the welfare state that breeds entitlement, it's the consumer culture sculpted by advertisers, it's religious beliefs, it's human nature.<br /><br /><br />Peace is a lot more expensive than it seems on the surface because a huge number of people need to be coerced, bribed or subsidized into not trying to take what you have. The majority of international trade is backed not by gold reserves, economic output, but strong militaries. <br /><br />If you come across a candid conservative, they will tell you, as they've told me, that economic power does not only come from how many engineers you produce, but who has the "leadership skills". In other words, who has secured the critical resources with their military.<br /><br />The interdependency of globalization; the use of the U.S. military by U.S. multinationals to secure resources for the economies of other countries, has muddled this reality.A Real Black Personnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-13998809593959112362011-06-06T17:32:13.308-07:002011-06-06T17:32:13.308-07:00Great to have you back! I agree with the majority...Great to have you back! I agree with the majority of what you say and have been trying, in my small way, to raise the alarm. In particular, the energy policy comments are spot on. <br /><br />Don't be a stranger!Steve Tierneyhttp://www.stevetierney.org/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-50279270841882834042011-05-28T04:10:11.713-07:002011-05-28T04:10:11.713-07:00This sums it up far more eloquently than I.
"...This sums it up far more eloquently than I.<br /><br />"In order to satisfy the interests of the international finance elite, the world's leading imperialist powers are increasingly resorting to a policy of social counterrevolution at home and colonial war abroad. This was the message to emerge from the latest meeting of G8 countries. In the course of implementing their program, the major powers and power blocks are increasingly coming into confrontation with one another.<br /><br />The international fissures which led to two world wars in the past century are re-emerging against the background of an intensification of the international economic crisis. The only progressive alternative is the unification of the European, US and world working class on the basis of an international socialist perspective."<br /><br />Events are experiencing a surge, where is all this heading?<br /><br />http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/may2011/pers-m28.shtml<br /><br />I'll be back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-67906514422503298942011-05-26T15:12:10.411-07:002011-05-26T15:12:10.411-07:00The level of public sector support for the zombie ...The level of public sector support for the zombie banking sector in the UK is quite astonishing. The adjusted debt excluding the financial interventions totalled £910.1 billion in April 2011. Add the financial interventions back in and that balloons to £2252.9 billion. That is quite mind-boggling.<br /><br />Interest rates are low to reduce the burden of debt servicing and inflation reduces the principle in real terms.<br /><br />I can't help thinking that the mistakes of Japan are being repeated. When the banking sector gets into this position you need to wipe out the debts owed to the sector and start again. We are being consigned to a similar elongated period of depression.<br /><br />If the problem was just consumer demand fuelled by consumer debt then the burgeoning debt of financial companies themselves as a proportion of national income would not be the most notable trend over the last quarter of a century.SpiritSkillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12225172385830110611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-84224967339612532972011-05-26T13:02:03.041-07:002011-05-26T13:02:03.041-07:00This is how I see it.
The fizzling out of the Sov...This is how I see it.<br /><br />The fizzling out of the Soviet Union signalled the end of what had been. The end of history someone said.<br /><br />The demise of the USSR also signalled to Western power elites the way was open to rule the world. Who/what was there to stop them? <br /><br />Thatcher, Gorbechev, Reagan and revolutionary technology wasted no time, neoliberal globalism was born.<br /><br />On the domestic front in Britain, the unions were smashed and the transfer of public wealth to the private sphere ran amok. Public utilities were sold off at fire sale prices. Deregulation ruled, has anyone seen Syd?<br /><br />The EU surged ahead with its undemocratic, unaccountable agenda.<br /><br />Neoliberal global politics had begun to blur the boundaries of left and right.<br /><br />A deal had been struck. The left argued, if the right could have their unfettered no holds barred capitalist economic agenda, then we, the left, can have our unfettered social redistributive welfare state.<br /><br />Capitalism would be the engine to fund socialism's utopia.<br /><br />Blair's New labour was the son of Thatcher, and Cameron’s conservatives became the neocon liberal right. The voter just became confused. <br /><br />Had you noticed, how, over the years as the left tacked further to the left, they took the Tories with them?<br /><br />We're all liberal now.<br /><br />New Labour. Multicultural global left liberal socially - neoliberal right economics.<br /><br />Cameron's Tories. Multicultural global neocon/liberal socially - Neocon/neoliberal right economics.<br /><br />To me, this alliance contained within, the seeds of mutual destruction. How could capitalism stand idly by and watch their loony left colleagues blow away all the hard earned cash on their crazy schemes?<br /><br />And to rub salt into the wounds the capitalists sit on their hands and witness them borrow billions more to stoke the fires of absurdity into the bargain.<br /><br />Result, the left have squandered billions into a black hole. The banksters want their money back and proceed to rape and plunder the productive class by way of years of higher taxes and draconian austerity measures.<br /><br />Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy.<br /><br />Why? I can only think it was part of the bread and circuses of keeping the herd distracted while cattle prodding them into the holding pen. <br /><br />This is barely scratching the surface of what has/is taking place. The bottom line is, this a do or die struggle for Anlgo American global hegemony.<br /><br />Hang on to your tin foil hat.<br /><br />I'll be back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-47647004184653390532011-05-24T16:11:16.010-07:002011-05-24T16:11:16.010-07:00CE. Don't know if you can watch this out there...CE. Don't know if you can watch this out there, but I think you might enjoy the first part of Adam Curtis's latest series for the BBC:<br /><br />"All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace"<br /><br />I think it covers quite a bit of what you've discussed over the last couple of years.Lemmingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-53216556204039161122011-05-06T20:01:23.924-07:002011-05-06T20:01:23.924-07:00Nice to see you back :-)
Just because you run a bl...Nice to see you back :-)<br />Just because you run a blog, no need to write unless you have something new to say - & it's good to read your 'hi guys i just got back' perspective.chaingangcharliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04803774361542678154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-171320783065730672011-05-04T16:55:01.560-07:002011-05-04T16:55:01.560-07:00Two words: peak oil. It has either happened in 200...Two words: peak oil. It has either happened in 2005 or it will happen very soon. The interesting part is when oil production will decline, which will be around 2020, after non-conventional oil production is expected to peak. Falling productive capacity due to expensive fuel will not fuel investment in alternatives in time to save civilization from collapsing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-68553135757701619952011-05-01T06:08:21.806-07:002011-05-01T06:08:21.806-07:00Welcome back aboard Skipper - enjoy your leave ash...Welcome back aboard Skipper - enjoy your leave ashore?<br /><br />I'm not 100% onboard with this linked article as there are one or two pieces missing, but it tells it about as good as it gets.<br /><br />"....Such an impression would be partly right and partly wrong. In order to understand the real situation we need to make a clear distinction between the capitalist elite and capitalism itself. Capitalism is an economic system driven by growth; the capitalist elite are the folks who have managed to gain control of the Western world while capitalism has operated over the past two centuries. The capitalist system is past its sell-by date, the banking elite are well aware of that fact – and they are adapting.<br /><br />Capitalism is a vehicle that helped bring the bankers to absolute power, but they have no more loyalty to that system than they have to place, or to anything or anyone else. As mentioned earlier, they think on a global scale, with nations and populations as pawns. They define what money is and they issue it, just like the banker in a game of Monopoly. They can also make up a new game with a new kind of money. They have long outgrown any need to rely on any particular economic system in order to maintain their power. Capitalism was handy in an era of rapid growth. For an era of non-growth, a different game is being prepared....."<br /><br />http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article17568.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-19633046884563785922011-04-29T07:16:27.712-07:002011-04-29T07:16:27.712-07:00I haven't even read this yet, but it's mad...I haven't even read this yet, but it's made my day! Welcome back!Lemmingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-52318448209852684872011-04-28T14:20:36.076-07:002011-04-28T14:20:36.076-07:00Welcome back, even if it is just a flying visit! ...Welcome back, even if it is just a flying visit! <br /><br />Will Americans whose homes have been foreclosed without due process be able to claim them back?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-21386808084810612552011-04-28T10:57:02.448-07:002011-04-28T10:57:02.448-07:00Thanks for returning, Cynicus. As always, a fasci...Thanks for returning, Cynicus. As always, a fascinating and infomative read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820485130017459619.post-53296810328773330012011-04-28T07:17:54.401-07:002011-04-28T07:17:54.401-07:00Welcome back!Welcome back!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com