Political Economy

Various news wires are reporting leaks of the IMF/EU/ECB review of Greece. Apparently they are concluding that the implementation of the conditions for last year's aid package have ground to a halt. They are also concluding that the Greece…

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Good Soldiers today. As I can’t know where you stand on these wars, I can’t say whether or not reading the book will change your mind. But I can guarantee you that its on-the-ground perspective…

German Finance Minister Schaeuble wrote a letter earlier this week to the ECB, IMF and euro zone finance ministers that appears to be putting the proverbial cat among the pigeons. The latter has been leaked to the press. He seems to be…

ECB intransigence leaves little alternative to breakup. Europe’s payments-surplus nations are waging financial war against the deficit countries. Without a common union based on mutual support within a mixed economy – one capable of…

Chandler: Many people in the market have concluded that new Greek aid is a done deal. The EU/IMF/ECB concluded their review before the weekend and it is expected to lead to Greece being able to draw down its next tranche of aid under the…

Marc Chandler: The Fed cannot rule out renewed Treasury purchases. It does not or should not deny itself its policy options. It is committed to do what is necessary to prevent a slide into deflation, which indeed is a forgotten element of…

I wrote three posts on why human reasoning has not evolved to pursue truth. Rather our minds were designed to argue a ‘side’ irrespective of the facts. In a sense, the facts don’t really matter. I came face-to-face with this phenomenon…

Investors became comfortable with Lula's economic team, his cabinet, and his general attitudes towards markets. The bottom line was that Lula inherited a strong, vibrant economy and was smart enough not to mess with success. Will Humala…

The global crisis has brought many countries to their knees, none more so than the small island of Iceland whose losses amount to seven times its GDP. Yet while Iceland’s recovery has in many ways been remarkable, this column argues that…

Greece and Ireland have become the litmus test for whether economies will be sacrificed in attempts to pay debts that cannot be paid. An interregnum is threatened during which the road to default and permanent austerity will carve out more…