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Economists predict the future course of economic events to show we have a sense of humor. If we could do so accurately, we’d all be very rich, and we’re not; we’re comfortable, but not fantastically rich (except in our enjoyment of the dismal science).
Why can’t we predict the future? Because the world is a complicated place, and millions of things are occurring at once. For example, we know that if nothing else changes, and the government increases the money supply, price rises will be the inevitable result. But we can never rely upon the ceteris paribus (all else equal) assumption that this will be the only alteration in the economy. People might stop buying as much as before, saving for a rainy day. If so, the tendency for more money chasing the same amount of goods and services to instill price rises will be somewhat ameliorated.
By how much? That all depends upon the rate of decrease in buying, and we have no crystal ball on that one. We can’t even determine if the Fed or the central bank will increase the stock of money in circulation. The future course of inflation depends upon what side of the bed Fed officials get out of, and we have no idea about that either. Quite possibly, they themselves don’t know. We are fortunate to have economic law, but that only takes us so far.
Consider another example. Economic law tells us that an increase of the level at which the minimum wage is pegged will increase unemployment of low skilled workers, provided that nothing else changes. But things are forever changing. It is quite possible that as the minimum wage rises, an innovation will come along that increases the productivity of unskilled workers. If so, if this force is powerful enough, and if […]
They’re Trying to Shut Us Down
Over the last several months, I’ve lost count of how many times the powers-that-be have tried to shut us down. They’ve sent hackers at us, forcing us to take extreme measures on web security. They sent attorneys after us, but thankfully we’re not easily intimidated by baseless accusations or threats. They’ve even gone so far as to make physical threats. Those can actually be a bit worrisome but Remington has me covered.
For us to continue to deliver the truth that Americans need to read and hear, we ask you, our amazing audience, for financial assistance. We have a Giving Fuel page to help us pay the bills. It’s brand new so don’t be discouraged by the lack of donations there. It’s a funny reality that the fewer the donations that have been made, the less likely people are willing to donate to it. One would think this is counterintuitive, but sometimes people are skeptical because they think that perhaps there’s a reason others haven’t been donating. In our situation, we’re just getting started so please don’t be shy if you have the means to help.
Thank you and God bless!
JD Rucker