Reading

Created
Wed, 18/12/2024 - 00:41
How The Resource Squeeze Will Play Out

Contrary to what many economists will claim, we’re going to move into a resource constrained era. This is a combination of climate change, environmental collapse and civilization decline.

Simply put, per capita, there’s going to be less stuff. As Gibson line runs, the future will be unevenly distributed. This will hit some places harder and sooner. Germany and Europe are in decline already. China is actually increasing production and availability of most products. The US is in decline, but actively cannibalizing its allies, especially Europe, but also Taiwan, so the stuff shortage will be slower and there may be short to medium term increase.

Created
Wed, 18/12/2024 - 00:00

We listen and we don’t judge.

LADY MACBETH: I hate it when you introduce me as your “Dearest partner of greatness.” What’s wrong with “wife”?

We listen and we don’t judge.

MACBETH: I know I said, “Bring forth men-children only,” but I’ve always dreamed of being a Girl Dad.

We listen and we don’t judge.

LADY MACBETH: If you invite overnight guests to stay with us again without checking with me first, I will kill you them.

We listen and we don’t judge.

MACBETH: I don’t know what the poor cat does in the adage, okay? Every time you bring it up, I just nod.

We listen and we don’t judge.

LADY MACBETH: Sometimes, when you’re about to confess to murder, I pretend to faint so everyone pays attention to me instead.

We listen and we don’t judge.

Created
Tue, 17/12/2024 - 21:45

In the last decade, constant headlines have made reference to the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’. This phrase is now synonymous with the fact that millennials and younger generations depend on their parents for financial support when buying their first home. These conversations tend to come in two flavours. The first tastes of avocado toast […]

Created
Tue, 17/12/2024 - 16:49
Today, I consider the Greek situation, the decision by the UK Chancellor to further deregulate the financial services sector and then to calm everyone down or not, some music. The Financial Times published an article (December 12, 2024) – The astonishing success of Eurozone bailouts – which basically redefines the meaning of English words like…
Created
Tue, 17/12/2024 - 11:30
Trump only cares about his agenda of deportation, revenge, tariffs and personal profits. He’s fine with Elon doing whatever as long as it doesn’t interfere with his own agenda. The Daily Beast reported in his last term that when pressed about the rising deficit, he would say: “Yeah, but I won’t be here,” the president bluntly said, according to a source who was in the room when Trump made this comment during discussions on the debt. The episode illustrates the extent of the president’s ambivalence toward tackling an issue that has previously animated the Republican Party from the days of Ronald Reagan to the presidency of Barack Obama. But for those who have worked with Trump, it was par for the course. Several people close to the president, both within and outside his administration, confirmed that the national debt has never bothered him in a truly meaningful way, despite his public lip service. “I never once heard him talk about the debt,” one former senior White House official attested. He never talked about it when he ran for reelection both times either.
Created
Tue, 17/12/2024 - 10:00
The AP reports: A former FBI informant pleaded guilty on Monday to lying about a phony bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. […] Smirnov will get credit for the time he has served since his February arrest on charges that he told his FBI handler that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had paid President Biden and Hunter Biden $5 million each around 2015. Smirnov had been an informant for more than a decade when he made the explosive allegations about the Bidens in June 2020, after “expressing bias” about Joe Biden as a presidential candidate, prosecutors said. […] No evidence has emerged that Joe Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes as president or in his previous office as vice president. While Smirnov’s identity wasn’t publicly known before the indictment, his claims played a major part in the Republican effort in Congress to investigate the president and his family, and helped spark a House impeachment inquiry into Biden.
Created
Tue, 17/12/2024 - 09:42
An independent expert talks about witnessing the extreme violence against Palestinians, a Texan congressman calls out Blinken for US complicity while Israel continues to bomb Syria. Greg Barns calls out Dutton as a danger to Australia. Respecting human rights while countering terrorism @UNGeneva Independent expert @profbensaul: “My job is to encourage gvts to respect human Continue reading »