Current Affairs
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Tuesday I Ching Blogging: The Economic Crisis – It’s going to be bad….
It's been a while since I last consulted the oracle. With all the turmoil in stock and credit markets the time is now right. I asked: how bad will the economic crisis be? And the I Ching answered that it… Continue reading
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The China Milk Crisis
I have been distracted of late by US politics and the economic crisis. Thus, I have not commented on the milk contamination scandal in China. Bottom line: Chinese diary producers, as many as 22 companies, have been adding a toxic… Continue reading
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Finance is Immoral
Decades ago, “finance” was generally understood as financing something other than finance itself; that is, stocks and bonds and money were tied to the production and circulation of goods and services, which were for the most part tangible, or “real”… Continue reading
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The Strategic Implications of the AIG Take Over
As per my last post, I have been consumed, in the last 24 hours, with the dramatic moves in the US financial system. The Fed's take over of AIG is simply stunning. I think "take over" is a better… Continue reading
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The Tao of Fed
I lost a bet today. In the craziness that followed yesterday's financial news, a couple of colleagues and I disagreed on what the Federal Reserve Board would do today. I thought an interest rate increase was all but inevitable: the… Continue reading
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Thoughts in the Midst of a Financial Crisis
Well, it's been a busy weekend for the captains of American finance. Not quite the way they want to spend a Saturday and Sunday. With Lehman Brothers bankrupt and Merrill Lynch sold off and AIG teetering on the brink of… Continue reading
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China? What’s That?
A quick search of the four major convention speeches – those of Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin – reveals the following: The word "China" was mentioned once in the Obama speech and once in the Biden speech; it… Continue reading
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Just so you know….
…I am already sick of the Olympics – and they haven’t even begun yet. Perhaps it’s because I am not fond of scrambled eggs and tomatoes. And I will certainly avoid the opening ceremonies: all such performances, anywhere any… Continue reading
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Life Without a “True Emperor”
Mencius has much to say about political leadership. For him, a wise leader, some times termed a “true emperor,” is key to stability and prosperity. The US has suffered for so long with the venal and bumbling Bush administration, that… Continue reading
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Keeping the Confucian-Mencian Spirit Alive
The people who are best at continuing the finest traditions of Confucianism in the PRC today are those brave enough to stand up and speak truth to power. People like Chen Guangcheng. We all should learn from such people and… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 