Saturday 27 November 2021

Economics and/or Politics

 

As the world desperately tries to get out of the grips of the Covid Pandemic, there is something very insidious happening. Politicians increasingly believe they are economists, and economists are gradually embracing political views which affect the understanding of economics.

Prior to the pandemic, the world was in an economic growth era. Despite Trump’s use of trade barriers on China, the economy in the United States was roaring. The stock market was soaring to historic heights, while the greatest beneficiaries were Blacks and Hispanics who saw never heard of employment levels. The ability to exploit its oil and gas resources saw the U.S become a net exporter of oil, thus reducing the price of oil and gas on the world market. A new trade deal between the U.S. Canada and Mexico also helped the economy of the three countries. All these favorable economic factors were suddenly destroyed by the pandemic. Massive injection of cash into the economy was needed to finance health programs and the creation of vaccines. Furthermore, additional expenditures were used to support the millions of people who were forced to stop work and stay at home. In effect the whole economic model was turned upside down. Monetary and fiscal policies took a backseat and expenditures became the norm and money printing came to the fore as never before.

Then came the 2020 elections and a senile President Biden was elected. The hate for Trump saw Biden reverse Trump’s executive orders, and the United States entered a new era of policies based on ‘new economic’ concepts closely resembling communism rather than Liberalism, let alone Conservatism. Supported by a cabal of socialist Democrats in Congress, Biden proceeded to make some decisions which are today hurting the North American, and as result the world economy. Massive spending to pay workers to stay at home, the complete reduction of oil and gas exploration and therefore production in the U.S, coupled with other strange foreign policies turned the economy into an environment rarely seen before.

We are now in a full-blown recession, but which is being labelled as the greatest recovery of all times. The ‘Build Back Better’ policy of the Biden administration is being supported apparently by many Nobel Economic Prize winners, but when analyzed one must ask whether these economists are politicians or do, they still embrace their economic philosophies. These are some of the facts: We have millions (U.S 10m) of job openings yet we have millions unemployed (U.S 8.6m).These numbers are mirrored in other western countries. So, in effect we have more job openings than workers willing to work because they are being paid to stay at home. As a result, wages are rising because companies must do so to attract workers. With less oil being produced, Biden ask Saudi Arabia to produce more, still not enough, so the price of gas at the pump has risen. In addition, a supply chain problem has arisen, ships stuck at ports because there are no workers and truck drivers to transport goods. Now we have too much money chasing to few goods. Classical case for rampant inflation.

However socialist politicians and some economists claim that the inflation is ‘transitory’, so they continue to print money which reduces the value of the currency. While claiming that wages are increasing, they forget to acknowledge that a reduction in purchasing power of the dollar and rising prices due to inflation is in effect a reduction in real earnings.

What we see happening in the United States is also repeating itself, at different levels, in other Western countries. The latest COP26 climate change conference is going to make things worse, Taxes, increasing fees on carbon are going to further increase prices as much of what the world consumes is derived from oil. If this continues, inflation will not be ‘transitory’ as claimed by both politicians and economists. To bring some sanity to the problem we shall inevitably see a rise in interest rates, hopefully not to the levels of the Carter era. The current policies of the current crop of industrialized world leaders cannot be good for the economy. Printing money to subsidize socialist policies is a sure recipe for economic catastrophe. But what is worse is that too many economists are supporting these idiotic policies made by politicians who have no idea but one goal- getting re-elected, and so the world pays for their follies.

Wednesday 3 November 2021

The Conference of Pinocchios (COP26)

The world leaders are coming back home after their farcical gathering in Scotland to discuss the effects of climate change. While most people are aghast at the hypocrisy of these elitists, there are some important factors that ordinary citizens ignore, and we do so at our own peril.

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, who believes in his own mind that he is a world leader, requested that the rest of the world follow his lead to have a carbon tax. He sincerely believes that his actions to tax carbon in Canada will be the solution because it will drastically affect consumption. Thankfully, most of the world is not taking his advice seriously, but in Canada he will surely continue to raise the tax, and yet not achieve the goals that he sets for reducing pollution.

Trudeau’s Canadian carbon pricing will rise from $20 (2019) and $40 (2021) to $170 per ton by 2030. These increases will affect everything we consume, through the higher cost of fuel, heating, transportation and of course consumer goods. While the acceptance of carbon pricing is not universal, taking the opportunity to get socialist monetary policies in place, the leaders agreed on a global corporate tax of 15%. They also agreed to cut Methane emissions by 2030 down from 2020 levels.

 In effect everything will be taxed to support a socialist redistribution of wealth agenda. The Pinocchios are going to send billions of our tax dollars to developing countries to help them combat climate change. The problem is that this money will be squandered by despots who espouse corruption as a way of life. The money, in the main, will find its way into personal Swiss banks in the name of corrupt officials. As a result, very little affect on climate and more wasted taxpayers’ money. Deforestation was a major issue at this year’s conference. It is true that in countries like Brazil, the corporations are cutting trees at an enormous rate, but giving money to stop deforestation is not the solution, criminal laws are the solution. If you want to stop a crime you do not give money to bribe the culprits- you use a stick, not a carrot.

While hypocrisy has been used to describe this conference, because of the use of jet planes and huge motorcades by the attendees, it is the side meetings and pronouncements made in closed door meetings that are more important. Quietly but surely, the most dangerous Canadian, in my opinion, Mr. Carney was at the conference representing his new office as climate finance envoy, and he stated that the banking industry is about to release hard numbers to show it can wipe out its carbon footprint. His grand project is to ensure that corporation with trillions of dollars will commit to net-zero emissions of CO2 by mid-century. He wants every future financial decision to take climate into consideration. As a result, under the UN, he is now Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). He also told Bloomberg “that his ‘efforts will be ruthlessly, relentlessly on getting members to live up to their net zero promises”. Independent governments will not be making policies, the Chair of GFANZ will be. This means that the Reset is now in full swing.

Once it was fossil fuels generating too much CO2, then it was called GHG, we added methane and deforestation to the cause of rising seas, floods, and forest fires. In fact, every natural catastrophe is now being attributed to climate change, even though there are many scientists who have different opinions about the root cause of climate change. We have been told that humans are the problem because we are increasing our carbon footprint by all our actions, in fact some say that it is our very existence that is causing the problem, so now we are going to target your food source. A recent study is now targeting the CO2 that you generate by eating steaks, lamb fish and chips etc. Soon we shall be told that plant base foods will be the only source for our food. This will be the next controlled substance “FOOD”.

Hypocrisy is used to describe this Conference, but it is the lies that are being used which will have greater effect. The climate has been changing for eons. COP26 targets is 2050, but the largest polluters China and India were not part of the conference, and their targets will be perhaps reduction by 2060, and 2070 respectively.  The joke about is about the lies defining the problem: Global warming. If emissions are cut in developed countries, and China, India and other developing countries do not adhere to the 2050 target, that will leave pollution to continue for at least another 10 years or 20 years. With very little effect in limiting the rise in the temperature. In the meantime citizens of developed countries will be sending their hard-earned money to these countries to help them ‘transition’ to a cleaner world.

This is the 26th time that these leaders have met to limit pollution, yet they have achieved very little. Our children have been indoctrinated for years to support their agenda of wealth redistribution and socialist policies. In fact, the only result is that our leaders have produced more hot air and are now real Pinocchios.