On Big Trouble in Little Ireland and Other Links

I am finally back after taking most of August off and I should be up to near a full posting schedule in short order. While I was away, the site got a re-design and a speed upgrade. If you have visited since yesterday, you should notice that things run faster and much more smoothly – at least that’s what I’ve been told!  I’m excited about putting some of the ideas I have been thinking about to paper and look forward to your comments.

For now, I want to give you some links from the past few days as I am still in catch-up mode. The topic of the day is Ireland. I will have a lot more to say about Ireland and Europe more generally, piggy backing on what Claus and Edward Hugh have been writing. But, for now, suffice it to say, things have taken a turn for the worst in Ireland. And given that Ireland has been the crisis nation most praised in Europe to date, this is worrying.

Topic of the day: Ireland

• Irish Ask How Much Is Too Much as Bank Rescue Trumps Austerity – Bloomberg
• Mortgage crisis gets worse with 36,500 now in arrears – Irish, Business – Independent.ie
• To default, or pay through the nose – Irish, Business – Independent.ie
• Anglo: a weapon of mass financial destruction – Irish, Business – Independent.ie
• Wind up toxic bank, urges Conor Lenihan – Irish, Business – Independent.ie
• Irish Worries For The Global Economy « The Baseline Scenario

The Usual Fare

• Fed’s Fisher says ball is in fiscal court, not Fed’s | Reuters
• David Rosenberg: Five signs the economy began the double dip in Q3
• FT.com / Europe – Sweden raises rates as economy strengthens
• In struggling housing market, buyers and sellers are out of sync
• EU austerity policies risk civil war in Greece, warns top German economist Dr Sinn – Telegraph
• Barack Obama is locked in a lose-lose situation – Telegraph
• Despite Europe’s Debt Crisis, Lending Remained Strong – NYTimes.com
• FT.com / Columnists / Wolfgang Münchau – Do not fall for talk of European solvency
• Financial Armageddon: ‘I Love the Delusion of the Markets at this Point in the Cycle’
• Mind – Research Upends Traditional Thinking on Study Habits – NYTimes.com
• It’s Very Tough To Tell Just How Drunk Someone Is: Scientific American Podcast
• New Economic Perspectives: Is the Economy as Broke as Lehman Was? The Angelides Committee Sidesteps the Mortgage Fraud Issue
• The Purge at Cato | FrumForum
• White House considers pre-midterm package of business tax breaks to spur hiring – Washington Post
• Marginal Revolution: What stance will (should) Republicans take on payroll tax cuts?
• FT.com / Columnists / Martin Wolf – Why the Balls critique is correct
• Chris Whalen – Memo to Obama: time to break the refinance strike by the big banks
• FT.com – Gillian Tett – Cautionary tale about exit strategies from 1930s Japan
• Junk bonds market set for record year | Business | The Guardian
• The bliss of an 18-month, paid, Swedish paternity leave. – By Nathan Hegedus – Slate Magazine
• Gallup – Republicans Remain Disproportionately White and Religious
• Defiant Dick Fuld blames false rumours and the Fed for collapse of Lehma | Business | The Guardian
• Tony Blair’s prescription for economy rejected by Labour candidates | Politics | The Guardian
• Paul Krugman – The Economic Narrative – NYTimes.com
• Paul Krugman – Jan Hatzius Is Shrillish – NYTimes.com