I avoid watching politicians debate each other on TV because I have more important business tasks to accomplish. I realize I'm giving up a huge source of inspiration for sarcasm. Oh well, we can't have it all in life.
Here comes a new oil barrel tax to fund green technologies. The UN COP21 architects would be proud. I have no problem with this fee. It will destroy part of the US shale industry, but that's to be expected after years of overinvestment in wells that are only economically viable at higher oil prices. Kermit the Frog once said that it's not easy being green, but he didn't mean green energy.
The IMF lectures China on getting into better financial shape. Good luck with that one. China is flailing around for a workable economic policy. Beijing cannot admit that its Ponzi scheme is unraveling because it can't afford to frighten away the Western investors who were dumb enough to start trading the yuan onshore. The IMF can't afford to look bad after adding the yuan to its reserve basket. It all looks like two poker players in a televised tournament who know they can't bluff each other anymore but are still bluffing the audience.
The mortgage bond market just isn't much fun anymore. Taking the punch bowl away is good news for responsible homeowners because there will be fewer secondary bids for mortgage products that should not exist. Issuing paper backed by other paper is usually pretty dumb. Of course, if the Federal Reserve ever had to sell a big chunk of its MBS holdings, the banks would have to hire back MBS traders in a hurry. Catching a falling knife is usually pretty dumb.
More political debates are ahead. They won't mention any of the issues I blogged about here. That's too bad.
Here comes a new oil barrel tax to fund green technologies. The UN COP21 architects would be proud. I have no problem with this fee. It will destroy part of the US shale industry, but that's to be expected after years of overinvestment in wells that are only economically viable at higher oil prices. Kermit the Frog once said that it's not easy being green, but he didn't mean green energy.
The IMF lectures China on getting into better financial shape. Good luck with that one. China is flailing around for a workable economic policy. Beijing cannot admit that its Ponzi scheme is unraveling because it can't afford to frighten away the Western investors who were dumb enough to start trading the yuan onshore. The IMF can't afford to look bad after adding the yuan to its reserve basket. It all looks like two poker players in a televised tournament who know they can't bluff each other anymore but are still bluffing the audience.
The mortgage bond market just isn't much fun anymore. Taking the punch bowl away is good news for responsible homeowners because there will be fewer secondary bids for mortgage products that should not exist. Issuing paper backed by other paper is usually pretty dumb. Of course, if the Federal Reserve ever had to sell a big chunk of its MBS holdings, the banks would have to hire back MBS traders in a hurry. Catching a falling knife is usually pretty dumb.
More political debates are ahead. They won't mention any of the issues I blogged about here. That's too bad.
