Bi-Weekly Geopolitical Report
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Venezuela: An Update, Part II (May 20, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady (N.B. Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the next issue will be published June 3.) In Part I of this report, we provided readers with a short history of Venezuela to bring some context to the current situation. This week, Part II, will examine the attempts by the opposition to oust Maduro, the… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Venezuela: An Update, Part I (May 13, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady On May 10, 2018, Nicolas Maduro was reelected as president of Venezuela. However, there were numerous irregularities during the vote and, as such, the U.S. and the Organization of American States (OAS) refused to view the election as legitimate. Shortly after Maduro was officially inaugurated on January 10, 2019, the National Assembly, which… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Reflections on Domestic Policy and American Hegemony: Part III (May 6, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady Part I of this report was a review of the reserve currency and the savings identity. In Part II, we showed how the Nixon and Reagan administrations used America’s hegemonic power to force some of the economic adjustment of U.S. policy onto foreign governments. This week, in the final segment of this report,… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Reflections on Domestic Policy and American Hegemony: Part II (April 29, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady Two weeks ago, we introduced this report with a review of the basics of the reserve currency and the savings identity. This week, we will examine two important historical analogs, the Nixon and Reagan administrations. #1: The Nixon Analog As President Nixon prepared for the 1972 presidential campaign, he faced a number of… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Reflections on Domestic Policy and American Hegemony: Part I (April 15, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady (Due to the Easter holiday, our next report will be published April 29.) The dollar is the world’s reserve currency. As such, there is a constant demand for dollars from foreign countries to provide liquidity for global transactions. Because of the reserve currency status, U.S. monetary and fiscal policy affects the world economy… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – When Hegemons Fade (April 8, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady In our Daily Comment report, a section on Brexit has become something of a regular feature. As part of keeping up with developments, we have commented on nearly every twist and turn (or lack thereof) in the Brexit process. In a recent WGR series, we discussed the Irish problem[1] and how it relates… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Modern Monetary Theory: Part IV (April 1, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady In Part III, we examined the role of economic paradigms in the equality/ efficiency cycle. This week, we conclude this four-part series with a discussion on the flaws of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and market ramifications. The Flaws of MMT All of the major economic paradigms previously discussed lead to eventual problems. Capital-friendly… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Modern Monetary Theory: Part III (March 25, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady In Part II, we discussed the principles and consequences of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). This week’s installment will be devoted to the importance of paradigms. Next week, we will conclude the series with a discussion on the potential flaws of MMT along with market ramifications. The Importance of Paradigms Every major shift in… Read More »
Weekly Geopolitical Report – Modern Monetary Theory: Part II (March 18, 2019)
by Bill O’Grady In Part I of this four-part series, we introduced this report and discussed the origin narratives of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). This week, we will examine the principles and consequences of the theory. Principles of MMT[1] MMT begins its analysis with a focus on macroeconomic identities and flows.[2] The theory states that the… Read More »