Tag Archives: austerity policies

The Economic Ruination of Greece

Popular Economics Weekly It is now beyond a reasonable doubt that Germany and its austerity cohorts want to drive Greece out of the Eurozone by insisting that it adhere to its agreement to pass most of its meager budget surplus … Continue reading

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The Bernanke-Yellen Led US Recovery

Financial FAQs Friday’s January unemployment report should close the books once and for all on the debate whether austerity cutbacks in government spending (and debt) such as happened in Europe, or pro-active government policies by the U.S. Federal Reserve Banks … Continue reading

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The Political Consequences of Inequality

Financial FAQs Paul Krugman recently highlighted the dangers of Europe’s austerity policies and the growing inequality of the developed world, the worst since the Great Depression. The result then, as now, has been the growing strength of right wing parties … Continue reading

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Deflation Is Now Major Concern

Popular Economics Weekly We wrote recently about the Eurozone in danger of becoming Japan, which has suffered through some 2 decades of a deflationary spiral, before Prime Minister Abe opened the stimulus spigots. Why is deflation (or disinflation, which is … Continue reading

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Employment Report Won’t Cause Fed to Raise Rates

Financial FAQs Unemployment falls below 6% for first time since 2008 as U.S. adds 248,000 jobs said today’s MarketWatch headline at the release of the Labor Department’s September unemployment report. But it won’t be enough to push Janet Yellen’s Federal … Continue reading

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Austerity Must End With Q1 GDP Plunge

Popular Economics Weekly The final Q1 2014 GDP growth estimate of minus (-2.9) percent, down from the second (-1) percent drop, was a shock for several reasons. Firstly, it means our domestic economy is still sputtering, five years after the … Continue reading

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Wisconsin’s Austerity Lesson

Popular Economics Weekly Governor Scott Walker is having his own problems with the ongoing investigation into staffers using public funds for political campaigning as a County Manager, but it doesn’t seem to faze him as he touts the success of … Continue reading

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The Great Income Divergence—II

Financial FAQs Ben Bernanke is now defending his record as Fed Chairman. He shouldn’t have to, as without the Fed’s easy money policies—such as QE3—the economy would surely have plunged back into recession, as the European Union has done with … Continue reading

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Managing Fed’s Expectations—Why Austerity Now?

Popular Economics Weekly It seems that Ben Bernanke’s Federal Reserve has lost its nerve. Last week’s FOMC meeting confirmed that its Open Market Committee has decided to end the monthly QE3 security purchases sooner rather than later. We already see … Continue reading

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A Greater Recession, if Fed QE Ends Too Soon

Financial FAQs The stock and bond markets are sinking because of Fed Chairman Bernanke’s seemingly offhand remark that the Fed could slow down its QE purchases of securities as early as its June FOMC meeting. Now Organization for Economic Development … Continue reading

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