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Author Archives: Geoff O'Reilly
Watch out, it’s October …
No-one seems to understand why, but this time of year is often tumultuous. (Particularly in the financial world. 1929. 1987. 2008.) This year is looking pretty interesting too. So called “geo-political risk” has risen sharply. Gaza and Ukraine have settled down … Continue reading
Posted in debt, financial markets, tough times
Tagged delusion, economic growth, market value, US economy, Wall Street
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Are you scared yet?
Our leaders (of both political hues) seem to be on a mission to make us feel scared. It’s a centuries old political ruse: raise popularity and power by appearing to save the populous from what they are scared of. But … Continue reading
Australia’s place in the world
It’s hard to comprehend how fortunate we are to live on this remote island continent, Australia. No-one is inclined to just move in and build “settlements” on our land. No-one can build a tunnel under our border or fire cheap … Continue reading
Bombs away …
Last week the Pakistani air force was bombing it’s own people in the northern province of Wazirstan. Well over 100,000 people fled. The Iraqi “government” has started bombing its own Sunni people in the north with a few helicopters, and plans … Continue reading
Posted in politics and leadership
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Monetary policy is broken
There’s been a lot in the media recently about ballooning housing prices and debt – and not just in Australia. The IMF has recently warned that Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and others, face the possibility of major economic … Continue reading
Propaganda that stokes fear controls the masses
“the only thing we have to fear is … fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance” … Franklin D Roosevelt (1933 Inaugural Address) Fear is created by propaganda. Fear paralyses. Fear controls the masses. … Continue reading
Posted in inequality, power and democracy
Tagged elites, fear, Fox News, free media, propaganda
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US GDP downer pushed the market up!
About an hour after my last post, the US Department of Commerce released it’s final revision of data for US GDP for the first quarter of 2014 … a staggering -2.9%. Bloggers, twitterers and columnists went into overdrive: “This is the … Continue reading
Posted in financial markets, risk
Tagged delusion, economic growth, Federal Reserve, market value, US economy, Wall Street
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Approaching a market top?
A weird complacency seems to have settled over Wall Street. Stock prices are at a record. The S&P 500 broad index, currently at 1950, is remorselessly approaching 2000. It’s been climbing with hardly a pause for breath for more than five years. That’s … Continue reading
Posted in debt, financial markets, risk
Tagged bank behaviour, China debt, delusion, Dubai, economic growth, Federal Reserve, unemployment, Wall Street
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Celebrity insider trader goes to gaol …
Back in 2012 Rajat Gupta was sentenced to 2 years gaol in New York for insider trading. He appealed, of course. But that failed. So last week off he went to a friendly gaol nicknamed Club Fed (where he can have visitors … Continue reading
Historic rivalries, oil and interference … a toxic mix
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” … Vladimir Lenin It feels like we might be in one of those “weeks” … From this distance the Middle East looks unbelievably complex. Scant few can … Continue reading
something 2 ponder 