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At the weekend, I saw three articles asking essentially the same question about sovereign debt crisis contagion: why Italy and why not Japan (the US or Germany)? Here's my answer.

In my view, fiat currency is a confidence trick. The key to confidence in a fiat currency is the belief of citizens that the government issuing the currency will manage its finances in a way that promotes general “life, liberty and…

If you were reading the newspaper back in May, you might have seen a small reference to a statement from Treasury Secretary Geithner to the effect that he could delay the day of reckoning until August. You probably didn't see any specifics,…

This comes from the Washington post: Since 1980, the debt ceiling has been raised 39 times. It was raised 17 times under Ronald Reagan, four times under Bill Clinton and seven times under George W. Bush. Congress is currently in a…

Tom Ferguson gives a comprehensive view of the politicss of the European sovereign debt crisis.

Warren Mosler argues that either way the debt ceiling debate goes, the economy remains vulnerable to looming external shocks. And that is bullish for bonds.

The contagion to Italy is a turning point in the euro zone crisis. I feel we have reached a point where the wrong decisions could mean disaster. However, I continue to hope that the Europeans will recognize how destructive the current…

The problem is if “markets become skittish about Spain or Italy, which cannot be bailed out. So EU leaders will cut Greece loose” and indeed, there is talk about doing just that – allowing Greece to default. The policy of extend and pretend…

Now that Italian bonds are getting crushed and contagion is clearly spreading to the core, Greece will have to be cut loose.

Marshall Auerback argues that President Obama remains close to Wall Street via Geithner, Summers, Rubin, et al. Given the strong mutual cultural antipathy between Wall Street 'Yankees' and Southwestern 'Cowboys', it is not surprising that…