New Appearance

This is my latest appearance on BNN:

http://watch.bnn.ca/market-call/january-2012/market-call-january-10-2012/#clip598290

BNN Special

My discussion on “How High Debt kills GDP”, BNN, December 13 2011:

 

In segment 1, I show – and measure – how a high debt load crushes GDP. I introduce the concept of “scientific bankruptcy” and show its implications for the US going forward. 

 

 http://watch.bnn.ca/headline/december-2011/headline-december-13-2011/#clip585060

 

In segment 2, I propose a means by which the debt load of all levels of government could be eliminated. I also ask why economists fear debt reduction when the evidence shows clearly that lifting a massive debt load always results in faster levels of growth.

 

 http://watch.bnn.ca/headline/december-2011/headline-december-13-2011/#clip585061

 

In segment 3, I discuss Canada’s experience in eliminating the debt burden of its own social security plan, the Canada Pension Plan, and then ‘semi-privatizing’ it. The lessons for Social Security are clear and very promising.

http://watch.bnn.ca/headline/december-2011/headline-december-13-2011/#clip585063

Latest Seeking Alpha Article: Where is the Economy headed?

Confused as to the direction of the economy? With whispers that the US economy and Greece going nowhere, what is going on with the Economy? Read our Seeking Alpha article here and decipher where our economy is really headed towards:

http://seekingalpha.com/article/305784-where-is-the-economy-headed?v=1320661654&source=tracking_notify

Of things to come

This is a teaser for our upcoming Seeking Alpha post. Click to enlarge.

Stay tuned for the official post once the article is up.

Blog Exclusive: Hyperinflation- Just Say No

The following post was originally published for Seeking Alpha. The topic of this post is one close to my heart and due to a pressing need to share this knowledge, I’ve decided to publish this exclusively on The Occasional Contrarian instead.

As it becomes increasingly apparent that actually sitting down and dealing with the US debt situation is too much for economists, policy makers, and politicians to cope with, I am starting to see a few economists wondering aloud as to whether we should just leave things be, allow the Fed to send us into a hyperinflation and simply wipe out our debts that way. After all, hyperinflations typically do not last long, and one would tidy up all of that outstanding debt so that the US could start again, fresh, as it were.

A fairly prominent economic commentator, who shall not be named here, cheerfully observed recently that countries that inflate away their debts are not ostracized from the global financial community. After the dirty deed is done, and their balance sheets vastly improved, he found that memories are short, and lenders are delighted to return to lend once again, the financial risks having been massively reduced. With virtually all debts erased, repay-ability is not longer an issue. A little unpleasantness for a wholesale, debt-free, economic renewal seems like a reasonable price to pay!

Anyone who thinks this way, or actually writes such rubbish for popular circulation should have their economics degrees stripped from their walls, and they should be placed in one of those stocks of olden times. Then we’ll encourage the village children to throw rotten tomatoes and mock them. Hyperinflation has devastating consequences for any country that suffers it, and for anyone in the US to even contemplate such a course of action for that country verges on complete madness. Consider what happens in such events.

Putting cash in uncertain times

In these uncertain times with world economies cast in doubt, where should you put your money?
More importantly, should you be invested in the market now? My thoughts, now shown on BNN.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Certainly looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Who is AA+?

Consider that over the past 40 years, the purchasing power of the US (and Canadian and most European) currency has fallen by more than 95%, the question is not “why did S&P lower the rating on the US national debt by one notch”, but “why has the S&P not lowered its rating of US government debt from ‘AAA’ to ‘C’ for speculative a long time ago? And while they are at it, why are the ratings on the national debts of [most] Anglo-Saxon countries as high as they are, given their abysmal records of maintaining the purchasing power of their currencies?