Could you disconnect, even if you wanted to? – Nick Gogerty – Here is an interesting map from William Easterly’s site AidWatch. It shows the distance from major cities as a function of geography and time. Most of us are a few hours away from each other.
A few things to consider when looking at a network diagram like this:
People and things spread fast
Ideas spread faster
Feedback loops amplify and intensify certain things
Individuals can’t really opt out of this process easily Designing Better Futures
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A Ponzi scheme that works – The greatest strength of America is that people want to live there – The Economist
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Deflation – Larry Doyle – Although the American consumer is much more accustomed to inflation and the threat of inflation, I am increasingly convinced that the threat of deflation remains the greater challenge. This battle between macroeconomic deflationary forces versus governmental supported inflationary programs is THE ultimate issue facing our economy in 2010 and beyond – has logic – Sense on Cents
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Stimulating By Saving – John Tamny – Consumers aren’t spending as much this holiday season, and that’s a good thing. – … Most economists place consumption at the center of all economic activity, but it seems in doing so that they ignore what truly drives economic advances. Consumption is always going to occur–it is one reason we work–but we truly stimulate the economy when we save. … – Forbes
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James Grant: Let the Good Times Roll – Why James Grant Thinks the Economic Recovery Might Be More Robust Than Widely Expected – New York Magazine
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Bubble-onomics: 10 Predictions for 2010 – Andrew Butter -` 1: S&P 500 2: Oil 3: Gold 4: U.S. House Prices 5: U.K. House Prices 6: U.S. 10-Year and 30-Year Treasury Yields. 7: U.S. Commercial Property 8: Hong Kong Housing 9: Dubai Freehold 10: Shanghai Stock Market – Seeking Alpha
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FACTBOX: 10 big U.S. financial scandals of 2009 – The year of the Ponzi scheme will be followed by heightened regulation and more aggressive prosecutions, experts say. As 2010 approaches, regulators and prosecutors are scrambling to uncover and pursue more fraudsters, while lawmakers seek to close regulatory gaps and give officials more resources. – Reuters
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The economic statistic of the decade – Felix Salmon – Mike Mandel has four nominees for his “Economic Statistic of the Decade” award, including home prices (obvs), Chinese growth, and global trade. But the most startling one, for me, is US household borrowing … – Reuters Blogs