MARKETS

Will Trump’s “State Capitalism … a Hybrid Between Socialism and Capitalism” Make America Great Again?

To be clear, Trump is not pursuing traditional socialism, where the means of production are owned by the state. Nor is he trying to copy exactly China’s state capitalism—but he is applying its methods with what the Journal calls “American characteristics.”

Fake Tax Reform

After supposedly chomping on the bit for years to pass meaningful tax reform, Republicans are now set to blow an historic opportunity. Whatever version of the Bill that emerges from the House and Senate Conference Committee (which will be signed by President Trump...

Wealth Creation is Not a Zero Sum Game

Wealth Creation is Not a Zero Sum Game

Those producing and trading goods and services for profit are not taking anything away from others—the producers and traders are creating material values that would not exist without their productivity.

Calm Before The Storm

In light of the 30-year anniversary of the Black Monday Crash in 1987 (when the Dow lost more than 20% in “one day”, we should be reminded that investor anxiety usually increases when markets get to extremes. If stock prices fall steeply, people fret about...

A New Challenge to the Dollar

In a move that was little noticed outside of the financial world, China announced the creation of an oil futures contract (open to international traders) that will be denominated in Yuan and convertible into gold. This move provides the first official linkage of oil...

Blowing Off The Roof

Of all the absurd Washington pantomimes none has been as reliably entertaining and maddening as the annual debates to raise the debt ceiling. Although the outcome was always a foregone conclusion (the ceiling would be raised), the excitement came when fiscal...

Video: John Allison on Principled Leadership

Video: John Allison on Principled Leadership

On July 21, 2011, Wake Forest University Schools of Business Distinguished Professor of Practice John Allison address the Master of Arts in Management Class of 2012. The retired chairman and CEO of BB&T discussed Principled Leadership with the incoming class of business students.

The Swamp Strikes Back

On August 21st many Americans witnessed the moon cast a historic but short-lived shadow across the United States. One day later, President Trump reversed his previously stated position on the 16 year old Afghan War, thereby eclipsing the possibility that the United...

Bernie Madoff: Lessons From an Ayn Rand Villain

Bernie Madoff: Lessons From an Ayn Rand Villain

Madoff was what Ayn Rand would call a second-hander: someone who tries to gain values by pleasing and manipulating others rather than thinking for himself based on observation of facts and supporting himself through productive work.

The EU and Japan Move Closer

Any news that emerged from last week’s G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany was bound to be overshadowed by the high theater of the first-ever meeting between U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. As a result, the biggest actual development from...

Damn the Deficits, Huge Tax Cuts Ahead!

Donald Trump has made good on one of his most audacious campaign promises by submitting what he describes as the biggest tax cut in U.S. History. For once, at least, this does not appear to be Trumpian braggadocio. It really may be the mother of all tax cuts. But if...

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