Monthly Archives: February 2009

The new President is busily mortgaging the country. I wonder if anyone told him the previous incumbent has been a bit heavy on the national credit cards and borrowing too, and he has to pick up the tab for all that as well. The US Senate has shown there is still a vibrant democracy at [...]

On Wednesday a leading retailer presented some findings on how the public think about green issues, whilst telling us of their progress in greening their company. In a recent survey 26% of the public said it was not their problem. 38% asked what was the point of doing something, when whatever they did would be [...]

It’s a grumpy adult who does not share some child like sense of fun at the possibilities of play in the snow. When I had young children at home we looked forward to the snow, to make Snowmen, hurl snowballs, and see if there was a local slope that you could slide down. I also [...]

Many policy makers and commentators are looking for a magic bullet, a single package, a measure which will solve the crisis. They will look in vain. We need to remember that the UK crisis – and the US one – were born of over borrowing. Collectively British people and their government spent too much and [...]

What is it that makes the MPC hate us all so much? In 2006-8 their decisions meant lots of people would be sacked in industry and commerce by keeping rates too high, despite warning. They did that well, as forecast. Now they want to bash the savers, by almost eliminating interest on deposits. They are [...]

I do support free trade, and I don’t think strikes are a good way of resolving disputes. Yet I do take my hat off the strikers this morning who highlighted the manifest injustice of EU law, and have won the concessions of some jobs for locals. It shows the foolishness of making these laws at [...]

Half a cheer for President Obama saying no-one in a semi nationalised US bank will earn more than $500,000. Where the bank is loss making and dependent on taxpayers dollars it is difficult to see why anyone is paid as much as $500,000. Here in the UK I am blocked from asking questions about pay [...]

The Governor should keep base rate where it is this week. The problem is not that base rate is too high. The problem is the shortage of money at sensible rates for the banks to borrow and lend to customers. That requires a different fix. It has been fashionable this week for people to find [...]