The City

Laffer’s paradox and the folly of high taxation, part 2

In part 1, I presented Arthur Laffer’s eponymous curve and the implications it has for British tax policies. In brief, there is really no way for tax rates to go anywhere but lower from here.

Laffer’s paradox and the folly of high taxation, part 1

Arthur Laffer, legendary US economist and adviser to two presidents, visited the UK last month. His message: taxes are way too high. If not lowered dramatically, high rates of tax threaten an economic “destitution”.

Cultural Marxism costs money too

There are two ways to look at the world The individual has good incentives, the group does not From victimisation to victimhood There’s a lot…

It has all gone so dreadfully wrong for the Establishment

When it rains, it pours for those in power Have the people suddenly woken up? How will the Establishment respond? Our Betters have been very…

When worlds collide

Artificial intelligence is “colliding” with our world Where some see danger, others see opportunity A sci-fi classic can help to illustrate the point One of…

The triumph of geopolitics, part 2

Amid recession and war, German opposition parties are rising in the polls The government is now pursuing a hydrogen energy dream This might go over…

The triumph of geopolitics, part 1

Germany is headed for yet another Energiewende This one might be even more disastrous Will Britain follow a similar (misguided) course? The economy is in…

How does a mania like climate change actually end though?

Following the science that changes We’re all Anabaptists now What’ll be the next climate change catastrophe? Leaders around the world are withdrawing, delaying and reversing…

Looking behind the headlines

Economic data can be misleading It can also be subject to political spin This is particularly true in election years “There are three kinds of…

Is wind power the greatest bait and switch of all time?

How did we end up relying on the wind for our energy!? How to fudge the numbers on energy cost and reliability What does a…

If wind energy companies think the energy transition is “a fairy tale”, what’s the truth?

Wind energy sceptics are being proven right The racket at the heart of wind power is even worse than we thought What happens next if…

From pitchforks to politics

Widespread EU “pitchfork” protests continued this week The far right is surging in the polls The EU is on course to become ungovernable Although scarcely…

What if net zero is just really expensive entertainment?

Net zero was never plausible So, why are we trying it anyway? What happens when we fail miserably? History is full of vast endeavours that…

Net zero: the law versus reality – who will win?

What if we cannot reach net zero? But it’s the law that we must! You cannot legislate against physics While President Joe Biden pursues his…

What does the US presidential race look like from the inside?

The ugly truth about the Republican nomination Will lawfare help or hinder Trump? No Covid-era accountability in sight Nigel Farage is fully defrosted and back…

Money, forgotten casualty of war

Are frozen Russian foreign reserves being dangled as a carrot to lure Ukraine to the negotiating table? Does dollar “weaponisation” threaten the US currency’s global…

Someone got the Davos guest list wrong…

Inviting the bears into the wolves’ lair There is no such thing as a market failure WEF cures are worse than the disease The film…

The geopolitical year ahead

Multiple geopolitical trends are converging There could be huge financial market implications Investors need to be aware and to prepare The past two years have…

The EU’s worst nightmare: pitchforks!

Farmers are revolting in Germany and neighbouring countries Populist parties continue to rise in the polls The EU may not survive in its current form…

All Quiet on the CBDC Front

Why the sudden radio silence on CBDCs? If guns don’t kill people, do CBDCs freeze you? Time to escape the digital world with more of…