MADRID | On Wednesday, the markets gave some credence to the possibility of reviving the Eurobond, but once again this option ended up hitting what Barclays describes (our emphasis) as “the wall which Merkel and Germany have turned themselves into. It is clear that in order to launch a Eurobond, the governance system in the euro zone has to improve, and not only that, it will also need a reform…
Another crystal clear note from Nordkapp analysts in Madrid: “If Germany keeps its ironclad determination of not accept the monetisation of the bad sovereign debt in the hands of the banks, if the holes in the Spanish banks are not monetised, if a haircut is not applied to Greek debt, an exit to the crisis with all its consequences will be delayed. Each day that passes without resolving the crisis…
LONDON | Just how does innovation relate to the economy, and what does it mean that US and European firms hold all positions at the Top 10 list? The 100 leading innovative firms added more than 400,000 new jobs in 2010 over 2009, three percent more than the prior year and greater than the percentage increase in growth experienced by the S&P 500 for the same period, a comparison of market…
NEW YORK | Can a government compel citizens to purchase basic health insurance? For President Obama, it should, indeed. For all Republican candidates, this would be a clear violation of individual rights. The US Supreme Court agreed on Monday to take up the case of President Barack Obama’s landmark health care reform in March. By June, the nation’s 9 top justices -viewed as one of the most conservative benches in…
A curated selection of links we hope can enlighten us all; some come from our corner, some do from other corners of the net. And as always, our comment widgets are anxious to get your suggestions: Are we all Greeks? Yes, we are It’s not just economics, euro sceptics! Apple's sleazy secret police lose their leader Czech leaders, arrogant and corrupt how to get your ex back Three US economic misconceptions…
NEW YORK | Every Republican candidate is trying to get as much political momentum as possible these days. And the tax code renewal is particularly inspiring the frontrunners. Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax proposal (9 percent federal sales tax, a 9 percent income tax and a 9 percent levy on businesses) has been a big point of focus, both because of his claims of the plan’s simplicity, as well as the…
WASHINGTON | No more than a 1% of U.S. citizens accumulate 20% of the income and 35.6% of the wealth (in assets, labor income and capital), which constitutes the largest concentration of wealth on the richest hands since the existence of statistics in this country. But at the same time, they contribute a 38% of federal tax income. In addition, there are 43 states that have their own income tax. In…