Juggling Dynamite

Ralph Nader knows a thing or two about running for the US presidency. He ran as an independent or third party candidate in five elections. He kept his name off the ticket this time around and is calling the Donald Trump win “a nightmare.” In an interview with Bloomberg TV Canada’s Amanda Lang, the U.S. consumer advocate talks about what he fears most under a Trump presidency, why he thinks this presents an opportunity for Canada to lead, and how he sees the 2020 election as an end to the two-party tyranny. Here is a direct video link.

Thinking people can’t help but ask: how much better off might the world be today, if after 9/11 the US had not taken the terrorist bait and chased them back to battle in the Middle East, flooding hundreds of billions in cash and equipment into the coffers of the bad guys, but rather used the funds and military personnel to invest in a massive renewable energy and water management infrastructure build at home, including a continental electric grid fueled by all sources of non-polluting domestic power and fuel efficiency innovations across all buildings, machinery and products. Not only would the government have less debt today, but the benefits would compound through reduced utility and health care costs for businesses and households indefinitely. In addition there would be fewer devastated military families, no PTSD epidemic or crippling funding deficits for critical education, health and elder support programs at home. Interest rates would not be stuck at zero nor the economy plagued by non-productive debt and dysfunction.

America (and the free world) could have it all, if we would just stop wasting good money and talent on self-destructive fossil fuels and a corrupt corporate cartel that is trying to hold back necessary progress in order to enrich themselves at the expense of everything else. Yes we can evolve.

A. Gary Shilling President and founder Gary Shilling and Kroll Bond Rating Agency Head of Research Christopher Whalen discuss deflation, OPEC’s oil production cuts and the dollar. Here is a direct video link.

Here is a link to part 2:

Here is my partner Cory Venable’s recent update chart of the US 10-year Treasury yield.

Daniel Kahneman’s work in behavioral science has been fundamental in developing my understanding of humans and our vulnerability to repeated mental errors, especially in matters of money. Michael Lewis’ new book (and the discussion below) helps to fill in some context for Kahneman’s life and thought evolution, with partner Amos Tversky.  Their work is also useful in warning of the human tendency to prefer leaders and advisors who offer the most confidence and certainty, even though their over-confidence is actually dishonest and often dangerous.

Bestselling author Michael Lewis discusses his new book, “The Undoing Project,” which tells the story of two Israeli psychologists–Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman–and their groundbreaking work uncovering the hidden biases of the human mind. Here is a direct video link.