Politics and Government
Nathan Lewis reviews John Tamny’s Popular Economics in Forbes.com.
From Forbes.com, Ralph Benko praises Kelley Paul.
At Bloomberg Business, Anthony Effinger writes Steve Hanke’s finance course has Wall Street clamoring for grads.
At the FT, Martin Wolf writes about “An economic future that may never brighten.”
From Newsmax, Steve Forbes attacks Clintonnomics.
The Washington Post on the iconic Arthur Laffer: “his schedule includes Rick Perry at 10 a.m., Ben Carson at noon, Jeb Bush at 1:15 p.m. and Bobby Jindal at 5. Dinner is scheduled with Ted Cruz. He has already met at least once with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.”
From Forbes.com, Ralph Benko says bring on the militant Republicans Pride movement.
Monetary Reform
Judy Shelton, at The Hill asks Is Central Banking The Problem Or The Solution?
Jerry Bowyer returns to Forbes.com with Like Turning on a Switch: The Gold Standard and Japan’s Economic Miracle
The Fed’s Day of Reckoning Approaches: Christopher Whalen in the National Interest on why the Fed cannot raise interest rates even though it must.
Reuven Brenner at Asia Times, Bernanke, Summers, Krugman, the High Priests of Macro-Strology, Part 1 and Part II.
Larry Kudlow in the NY Sun: “I would suggest laying off Mrs. Clinton and instead showing us economic-growth policies that will foster 4% or 5% growth and another 12 million jobs. The GOP needs a positive growth message…. Watching the GOP presidential candidates at last week’s New Hampshire Republican Leadership Summit, we heard little discussion of growth. While several candidates have tax-reform plans, both good and bad, there were no specifics in the Granite State.Ditto for rolling back regulations, replacing Obamacare, or immigration reform. I also don’t recall a discussion of free trade, even though there’s a big trade bill coming up in the House and Senate. And I heard no mention of a stable and sound dollar.”
Jeff Cox at CNBC asks where’s the economic growth?
From Investors.com, James Dorn writes monetary stimulus created psuedo wealth.
In the Weekly Standard, Matthew Schoenfeld writes about The Federal Reserve’s Inequality Problem: “In 2013, the U.S. economy grew just 2.2 percent, yet stock prices rose more than 28 percent in real terms. This means that the stock market grew 13 times faster than the economy, the highest ratio since the abandonment of the gold standard in 1971. In 2014, stock prices grew five times faster than the economy.”
Richard Rahn, in the Washington Times, on how global monetary policy is thwarting growth:The Federal Reserve had forecast the U.S. economy to grow about 4 percent near the beginning of each year for the last five years. But during each year, the Fed was forced to reduce its forecast until it got to the actual number of approximately 2 percent. (Other government agencies have been making equally bad forecasts.) These mammoth errors clearly show that the forecast models the official agencies use are mis-specified and contain incorrect assumptions.
Aziz on “How to Euthanize Rentiers”
George Selgin at Alt-m.org on How the Fed Ended Up Fueling a Subprime Boom.
George Leef at Forbes.com on the wealth and poverty of cities.
On USA Today, Professor John Taylor debates interest rate policy.
Gerald P. O’Driscoll at Alt-m.org on monetary standards: “The argument is that the gold standard, free trade and free capital flows are interlinked. It exemplifies how the selection or evolution of a monetary standard also affects other economic institutions. Along with the rule of law, they were the source of strong economic growth in both the West, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 19th century.”
Aziz nails What The UK’s Low Productivity Is Really Telling Us: “You can’t starve yourself to strength. You can’t beat yourself to growth.”
From TGSN, Ralph Benko presents part 12 of his interview with Lewis Lehrman.
Tax
John Tamny at Forbes.com with thoughts about how the best way to spread Jordan Spieth’s wealth around is to let him keep it.
In the New York Times, Farhad Manjoo alleges that Intuit stymies “return-free filing” a massive administrative tax simplification (and mega-hassle reducer).
Robert Merry, editor of The National Interest, writes on abolishing the IRS … and the unsinkable Grover Norquist.
John Tamny at Townhall.com does not like the Rubio-Lee tax plan.
At The Daily Beast, Brea Tremblay describes “The Crazy Tax Scam You’ve Never Heard Of.”
World
Steve Hanke calls Greece down and probably out.
From Bloomberg, Evgeni Pismennaya discusses Russia’s SuperYellen.