Category Archive: 5) Global Macro

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Houston, We Have An Oil (and inventory) Problem

2022-03-07

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2022-03-07

If only, like in the aftermath of the Apollo 13 explosion, we could just radio Houston to get started in figuring out just the way out of our fix. Mission Control would certainly buzz all the right people with the right stuff, summoning the best engineers and scientists from their quiet divans to the frenzied and dangerous work ahead.

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For The Fed, None Of These Details Will Matter

2022-03-06

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2022-03-06

Most people have the impression that these various payroll and employment reports just go into the raw data and count up the number of payrolls and how many Americans are employed. Perhaps the BLS taps the IRS database as fellow feds, or ADP as a private company in the same data business of employment just tallies how many payrolls it processes as the largest provider of back-office labor services.That’s just not how it works, though. In fact,...

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War in Ukraine: are sanctions working? | The Economist

2022-03-04

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Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted an unprecedented response from the West: economic warfare. Our experts, Patrick Foulis and Matthew Valencia, weigh in on whether sanctions will be enough to stop further aggression from Russia. 00:00 - The West’s economic warfare 00:38 - Sanctions on Russia: explained 01:57 - The impact of sanctions 03:53 - How has Russia responded? 05:46 - Can sanctions help stop Putin? Read all our coverage on the war...

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War in Ukraine: An unfolding refugee crisis | The Economist

2022-03-04

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Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is driving its people to the country’s western borders. So far the majority have headed to Poland, which is opening its arms to the newcomers. 00:00 - Ukranians are fleeing to Poland 00:42 - Poland welcomes Ukrainian refugees 01:30 - Ukraine and Poland’s shared history 03:04 - This could be just the beginning of Ukraine’s exodus 03:50 - This is not Europe’s first refugee crisis Read all our coverage on the war...

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War in Ukraine: Kyiv fights back | The Economist

2022-03-03

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As Russian troops advance towards Kyiv, Ukrainian forces are preparing to fight back. Our correspondent reports with the latest from Kyiv. 00:00 - Kyiv prepares to fight back 00:42 - Tank traps and Molotov cocktail factories 01:42 - Exodus from Kyiv 02:39 - Life in the city 03:20 - Morale remains high in Kyiv 03:50 - Zelensky: an inspiring wartime leader 04:34 - Social media inspiring the citizens 05:35 - What will happen next? Read all our...

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SWIFT Isn’t The ‘Nuclear Option’ For Russia, Because Russia can sell the dollars elsewhere and NOT via Swift

2022-03-01

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2022-03-01

As everyone “knows”, the US dollar is the world’s reserve currency which can only leave the US government in control of it. Participation is both required and at the pleasure of American authorities. If you don’t accept their terms, you risk the death penalty: exile from the privilege of the US dollar’s essential business.From what little most people know about that essential business, it seems like it has something to do with that thing called...

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Briefing Even More Inventory

2022-03-01

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2022-03-01

Retail sales stumbled in December, contributing some to the explosion in inventory across the US supply chain – but not all. Inventories were going to spike even if sales had been better. In fact, retail inventories rose at such a record pace beyond anything seen before, had sales been far improved the monthly increase in inventories still would’ve unlike anything in the data series.

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Could Putin really start a nuclear war? | The Economist

2022-03-01

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After invading Ukraine nearly a week ago, Putin has now ordered Russia’s nuclear forces to be on high alert. Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s defence editor, answers questions on whether the war in Ukraine could escalate into a nuclear conflict. 00:00 - Putin has raised the stakes 00:40 - Is Putin threatening nuclear force? 01:23 - What does Putin hope to achieve? 02:07 - How has the West responded so far? 03:11 - Are Putin’s threats posturing or...

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Geopolitics and Degrowth

2022-02-26

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2022-02-26

The Geopolitics of Degrowth holds that real power flows not from waste, centralization and coercion but from decentralization, relocalization and the free flow of value. Conventional geopolitics is all about more: more military power, more sanctions, more coercion, more influence. The Geopolitics of Degrowth is all about the the power of less: wasting less, consuming less, needing less from other nations, reducing dependence on rivals,...

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War in Ukraine: what will happen next? | The Economist

2022-02-26

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Russia’s war in Ukraine is likely to be Europe's most intense conflict since the second world war. What might happen next? And what will this war mean for the world? Our experts answer your questions. Read our coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://econ.st/3pcnVPl Sign up to our daily newsletter to keep up to date with the latest developments: https://econ.st/3sezh7h What’s happening in Kyiv? Watch our correspondent’s take:...

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Our Financial System Is Optimized for Sociopaths and Exploitation

2022-02-25

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2022-02-25

Let's call this financial system what it really is: the MetaPerverse, a conjured world of self-serving cons. We live in a peculiar juncture of history in which truth has been banished as a threat to the maximization of private gain, i.e. the hyper-pursuit of self-interest. Evidence that supports a causal chain has been replaced by cherry-picked data that supports a self-serving narrative: both the evidence and narrative are manufactured to serve...

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War in Ukraine: what’s happening in Kyiv? | The Economist

2022-02-24

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Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine. What’s happening now and how will the war unfold? The Economist’s correspondent, Richard Ensor, reports from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Read our coverage of the Ukraine crisis here: https://econ.st/3pcnVPl Sign up to our daily newsletter to keep up to date with the latest developments: https://econ.st/3sezh7h Will war in Ukraine lead to a wider cyber-conflict?...

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The Red Warning

2022-02-24

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2022-02-24

Now it’s the Russian’s fault. Belligerence surrounding Donbas and Ukraine, raw materials and energy supplies to Europe threatened by Putin’s coiled bear. Why wouldn’t markets grow worried?There’s always a reason why we shouldn’t take these things seriously, or quickly dismiss them out of hand as the temporary product of whichever political fear-of-the-day.

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Our Leaders Made a Pact with the Devil, and Now the Devil Wants His Due

2022-02-22

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2022-02-22

The unprecedented credit-fueled bubbles in stocks, bonds and real estate are popping, and America's corrupt leaders can only stammer and spew excuses and empty promises. Unbeknownst to most people, America's leadership made a pact with the Devil: rather than face the constraints and injustices of our economic-financial system directly, a reckoning that would require difficult choices and some sacrifice by the ruling financial-political elites,...

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Green building: can mushrooms help? | The Economist

2022-02-22

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The construction industry is responsible for 11% of the world’s man-made CO2 emissions—due to its reliance on concrete and steel. What alternative materials could be used in the future? Film supported by @Infosys 00:00 - What are some sustainable alternatives? 00:31 - Why is construction bad for the environment? 01:08 - The problem with concrete 02:00 - Promising alternatives to concrete 03:07 - Can mushrooms help construct buildings? 04:09 - The...

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Russia and Ukraine: how will the West react? | The Economist

2022-02-16

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A Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent. What is at stake and how will the West respond? Shashank Joshi, The Economist's defence editor, answers your questions. 00:00 - What’s happening in Ukraine? 01:10 - Is Putin bluffing? 02:08 - Is Ukraine prepared for conflict? 03:00 - What’s at stake for both Ukraine and Russia? 04:00 - How would an invasion impact the world? 05:09 - Does this situation threaten peace elsewhere? 06:25 - How should...

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How AI can make health care better | The Economist

2022-02-15

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AI has the power to transform health care. From more efficient diagnoses to safer treatments, it could remedy some of the ills suffered by patients. Film supported by @Maersk 00:00 - Can AI help heal the world? 00:45 - How can AI spot blindness? 04:01 - Protecting patients’ privacy 05:10 - How to share medical data safely 06:11 - Medical AI is rapidly expanding 08:02 - What do the sceptics say? 08.36 - Using AI for new medical devices 11:08 -...

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How to make computers less biased | The Economist

2022-02-10

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You might think technology is the great leveller. But as AI and other data-driven innovations race farther and faster ahead, the automation of racial bias is causing growing concern. 00:00 - Can technology be racist? 00:50 - Bias in facial-recognition tech 03:50 - Why do data discriminate? 05:50 - What can be done? 07:00 - How can regulations help? Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter to keep up with our latest stories:...

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Disputed Borders: Russia v Ukraine | The Economist

2022-02-09

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Vladimir Putin has already annexed Crimea and plunged Donbas into war. Now, he has amassed 100,000 troops at the Ukrainian border. Why can’t Russia leave Ukraine alone? 00:00 - The world’s eyes are on Ukraine 00:55 - Russia and Ukraine’s shared history 02:08 - Caught between Russia and the West 04:04 - Ukraine’s post-independence struggles 06:30 - Putin’s domestic issues 07:47 - Will Putin invade Ukraine? Find The Economist’s coverage on...

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How Empires Die

2022-02-08

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2022-02-08

When the state / empire loses the ability to recognize and solve core problems of security and fairness, it will be replaced by another arrangement that is more adaptable and adept at solving problems. From a systems perspective, nation-states and empires arise when they are superior solutions to security compared to whatever arrangement they replace: feudalism, warlords, tribal confederations, etc.

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