Profile avatar
jos.gallacher.be
Scot, European citizen, economic policy aficionado, green tinged democratic socialist, social democrat, book lover, coffee addict and pedant. In that order.
730 posts 201 followers 187 following
Prolific Poster
Conversation Starter

We don't need monster trucks on our streets

What concerns me most about today’s news is that Israel has its own “clandestine” nuclear weapons programme. If it attacks nuclear sites in Iran, it draws attention to its own nuclear infrastructure from the reactor at Dimona to its assembly and storage facilities near Haifa. This is terrifying.

The House of Lords suggests measuring the economic impact of financial regulation. Why not also measure the economic impact of financial speculation. We need finance that is focused on business investment and not rent extraction.

Not sure about the Nordic hype, but shaping institutions to deliver finance for investment is a welcome move. I’ve long believed the state needed new institutions to compensate for the failure of the financial sector. Let’s see the implementation, but this is a step in the right direction. #EconSky

Alphaville being a bit harsh on OBR. Aren’t most of their assumptions “little more than a guess, born out of partial data and crude extrapolation”?

The sums involved in US government procurement are so vast that from this side of the Atlantic you immediately think that there must be several layers of massive overcharging. Quite possibly by the same people calling for a crackdown on waste.

Towards a Dad Book canon: pick one

Is anyone making the case that higher taxes would be good for the economy? #EconSky It might be politically difficult but there is a macro case to be made.

Is calculus knowledge or a skill for the future?

I've always argued the US would be the first to impose capital controls.. and that such controls would become acceptable if they served US interests. ... on.ft.com/4mG4jyU

Latest edition of #LRB has arrived. No doomscrolling until I’ve read the best bits.

“Trade negotiations are frequently as much about struggles between domestic constituencies as between countries.”

"Unless party members, affiliated unions and MPs stand up and assert themselves to take back control of Labour, in the next period of its history we may not only lose a government. We could also lose a party" Powerful piece by @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"Nous qui enseignons l’histoire, la géographie et l’EMC, sommes convaincu·es d’une chose : un jour viendra où nous enseignerons le génocide des Palestinien·nes de Gaza" Le collectif @aggiornamentohg.bsky.social s’inscrit dans le combat pour le soutien au peuple palestinien regards.fr/bientot-nous...

Financial deregulation is like a game of Jenga. #EconSky #finance on.ft.com/3Hfjoaz Should ordinary US retirement accounts be investing in private assets?

Read the embedded piece. Should be no surprise to anyone who remembers 2008 crash and has even modest familiarity with crypto. But nonetheless a great explanation of how this catastrophe in waiting has wormed its way into the financial & political system.

Occasionally there are moves in the right directions. on.ft.com/3FzUVMy EU plans sweeping stress test of non-banks

#EconSky

There are 37.4 million people in the UK paying income tax. The top 1% earn over £201,000. That is 374,000 people. Where am I going with this? I’m thinking about how to get a bigger contribution from the highest paid cohort. What I need is the mean income of the top percentile. Where could I find it?

Yes. I wonder if economics gets a much of a look in during trade negotiations.

Do people pursue hubris?

Is this a tautology?

I wrote about the risks of a "sudden stop" if investors lose faith in America. The bond market is amplifying those risks minute by minute as yields shoot higher after the budget monstrosity paulkrugman.substack.com/p/gaming-out...

Take the time to read this excellent thread. Begin by reading the Liberty Street article he begins with. It’s quite short. Then read his critique. This is the question of the moment. The issue is not tariffs and trade; it’s macro imbalances.

AI wouldn’t be so scary if we called it Imitation Intelligence. #AI

I’m old fashioned enough to think the BBC should be leading on what the deal is and what it means. Rather than the political claims from both sides.

This #playlist is a good one for getting going on a lazy Sunday. open.spotify.com/playlist/0Ye...

"The BoE went from having the world’s most aggressive QE programme to the world’s most aggressive QT programme. The BoE’s record of running these programmes in a cost-effective fashion is poor — it is the unwelcome standout in terms of costs to the taxpayer among central banks." on.ft.com/3YMnJrR

10 French films…. Merci La Vie Leon Diva Le Grand Bleu Belleville Le Dîner De Cons Le Rayon Vert Trois Couleurs Bleu Jean de Florette La Lectrice

Look! Here’s a banker arguing for the roll back of regulations put in place after the banks crashed the economy. Who would have thought it. on.ft.com/43d7buj Ringfencing is bad for UK banks and customers

Day 9 of Lois asking Steve Reed to join her at the football. ⚽ Something stinks about Thames Water's sewage plant upgrade costs. How can it be 15x more expensive than building a new one in other countries? Perhaps Environment Secretary Steve Reed can tell her? #LoisvSteve

Before I leave stormy Spain for sunny Edinburgh, I’m posting this once more.