Author: Bionic Mosquito

The Bank for International Settlements says the entire strategy of stimulus by global central banks is based on a false premise. So begins the latest commentary by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard. The world’s monetary watchdog has thrown down the gauntlet. It has challenged the twin assumptions of secular stagnation and the global savings glut that have possessed – some would say corrupted – the Western economic elites. I would say “corrupted.” It has implicity indicted the US Federal Reserve and fellow central banks for perverting the machinery of interest policy to conjure demand that may not, in fact, be needed, and ensnaring … Continue reading →

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From the gospel according to Woodrow, chapter 11: 17 On his arrival, Barack found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Barack, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 23 Barack said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 32 When Mary reached the place where Barack was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Barack saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, … Continue reading →

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Rise up this mornin’, Smiled with the risin’ sun, Three little birds Pitch by my doorstep Singin’ sweet songs Of melodies pure and true, Sayin’, “This is my message to you-ou-ou”: . “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right. Singin’: “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right!” . –        Bob Marley . Those three little birds are named Ambrose, Evans, and Pritchard: The world’s political and economic order is stronger than it looks… Readers have scolded me gently for too much optimism over the past year, wondering why … Continue reading →

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I can’t remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride But something touched me deep inside The day the music died –        Don McLean . Perhaps the most dissected lyrics in all of rock music (maybe except for that walrus thing).  I will now shed light on the true meaning (no matter what Don McLean might try to get you to believe). Patrick L. Smith, the left-leaning columnist at the left-leaning Salon has offered the following: I have watched my favorite daily…At the pace of crabgrass across a lawn, its correspondents have cautiously but stealthily corrupted the narrative. … Continue reading →

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Switzerland will hold a referendum to decide whether to ban commercial banks from creating money. The campaign – led by the Swiss Sovereign Money movement and known as the Vollgeld initiative – is designed to limit financial speculation by requiring private banks to hold 100pc reserves against their deposits. Not a gold standard: The Swiss federal government confirmed on Thursday that it would hold the plebiscite, after more than 110,000 people signed a petition calling for the central bank to be given sole power to create money in the financial system. If successful, the sovereign money bill would give the … Continue reading →

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The Guardian is out with an examination of conspiracy theories and the reasons why people go for these (HT The Daily Bell). From the piece, with my initial thoughts in italics: From 9/11 to the Paris attacks, from Ebola to Isis, every major global event attracts a corresponding counter-narrative from the ‘truthers’ [this is good news], some so all-encompassing that they take over people’s lives [probably not healthy unless focused on real investigation and action]. Are our brains wired to believe, as a new book argues? [Wired to believe authority, perhaps] And could such thinking actually be beneficial? [For the healthy … Continue reading →

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…for Trump or Cruz?  Yes, because George Soros tells me not to: That is why, as 2016 gets underway, we must reaffirm our commitment to the principles of open society and resist the siren song of the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, however hard that may be. Why?  He says we have nothing to fear but fear itself.  Not exactly, but that is what he says. Trump and Cruz offer an irrational, fear-based response to Muslim terrorism, according to Soros (he is right, but not for the right reasons).  We must not let this irrationality control how we … Continue reading →

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I refer to the investigative report by Seymour Hersh, with thanks to Robert Wenzel: Barack Obama’s repeated insistence that Bashar al-Assad must leave office – and that there are ‘moderate’ rebel groups in Syria capable of defeating him – has in recent years provoked quiet dissent, and even overt opposition, among some of the most senior officers on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff. The military’s resistance dates back to the summer of 2013, when a highly classified assessment, put together by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, then led by General Martin Dempsey, forecast that the … Continue reading →

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There are issues that bring together a subset of libertarians, traditional conservatives and modern liberals.  War is one of these.  Many readers will be familiar with traditional conservative Pat Buchanan and his views on war and empire; on the left one will find Noam Chomsky.Then there are those on one side or the other of the political spectrum who can appreciate a position, and not an ideology. Speaking the Unspeakable: Why the Establishment Wants to Silence Donald Trump, by Sam Husseini. Much of this post will be a restatement of Husseini’s position; however, at the end I would like to … Continue reading →

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When the British armed forces occupied the Middle East at the end of the war, the region was passive. From chapter 43: “The Troubles Begin: 1919 – 1921”; A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin With this sentence, Fromkin begins his examination of the troubles for western imperialists throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.  Of course, there were interventions before this time (Britain already had significant presence in Egypt and India, for example), yet – corresponding with the overall theme of Fromkin’s book – his examination centers on the aftermath of the fall of the Ottoman … Continue reading →

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From Alejandro Chafuen at Forbes: TheBestSchools.org, an online resource for campus and online education, has just released a ranking of the 50 most influential think tanks in the United States. From this list, Mr. Chafuen has culled the subset that he considers the “Leading Conservative / Libertarian Think Tanks.”  On the list are the likes of the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, American Enterprise Institution, and Hoover Institution – each with annual revenues from about $30 million to over $110 million. TheBestSchools.org, some of the results are similar, especially the top four free market groups: Heritage Foundation, Cato, Mises Institute … Continue reading →

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From The Dan Patrick Show, and an interview with Geddy Lee from RUSH: “If RUSH were doing their final show, and you absolutely knew it was your final show, what would be the last song you played if it was your choice?” “Working Man.” RUSH recently completed their R40 tour – forty years of this trio playing together.  The last song?  Working Man.  There are other hints floating around that the band is done touring, although they may have one more studio album in them. Regular readers know my affinity for RUSH.  While my history with the band doesn’t extend … Continue reading →

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The long awaited Paul Bonneau reply has arrived.  It is not a reply to either of the two questions raised in the post in which he promised a reply; it is a reply to my post “Why Culture Matters.”  In any case, I will address certain points. Bionic Mosquito has written a thoughtful piece on the border/immigration issue. The money quote? “So what does culture have to do with maintaining a libertarian order? This, to me, is quite simple: the less conflict, the less chance that some self-proclaimed and self-pitying disadvantaged group will look to a savior to deliver them … Continue reading →

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In response to my most recent post regarding the Fed and interest rates, I receive an email query.  Having received permission to publish the email, here it is (with my thoughts / comments interspersed): Thanks for today’s article. I’ve been waiting for someone to address IOER for a long time. Please consider putting your mind to this as it may benefit those of us trying to navigate the storm ahead.  In reality, the Fed’s dual mandate is:  (1) to maintain and preserve the US dollar hegemony/monopoly here and abroad; and (2) keep alive the US federal government, its benefactor and … Continue reading →

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Western states spend trillions annually, purportedly in order to keep their citizens safe from terrorist attacks.  One might look at events such as what occurred in Paris and suggest that this demonstrates the failure of such efforts.  Another might suggest that the rarity of such attacks represents the success of these state efforts. So, which is it, or is it something else entirely?  From Spiegel comes “Europe’s Jihadists: What the Paris Attacks Tell Us about IS Strategy.”  This story offers an opportunity to examine possible answers to the question. NB: in this post I am not examining this issue from … Continue reading →

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