economics
We All Need A Lucky Break This Thanksgiving
By: Lynn R. Godwin If there’s a single lesson that life teaches us, it’s that wishing doesn’t make it so. –Lev Grossman Say it ain’t so Lev. Say it ain’t so. Folks need to wish for things. Without wishes, what would marketers do? We need wishes (along with needs and wants) to fulfil. Wishes keep…
Read MoreA Primer on Futures Contracts
Dr. Hassan Shirvani Futures contracts, together with options and swaps, are examples of the derivative securities which are so-called because they derive their values from the performances of other financial assets or commodities. As such, they are essentially side bets, not unlike placing bets in a horse race. Given their wide popularity on Wall Street as highly effective investment and hedging instruments, this post briefly…
Read MoreRestarting the transatlantic relationship in the global economy
By Dr. Beverly Barrett Beverly Barrett, Ph.D. The transatlantic relationship is being renewed, as the world emerges from the pandemic. U.S. President Joe Biden’s discourse on his recent travels to Europe indicate a unique commitment to the relationship with partners Europe. Grounded in in decades of cooperation grown out of the partnership of post-World War…
Read MoreMyth of the Free Markets: A Catholic Perspective
By Dr. Hassan M. Shirvani The importance of economic education in fostering higher levels of social welfare and political stability is widely acknowledged. However, judging by the poor quality of most public economic debates, the level of economic literacy, even in major industrial countries, seems to be still awfully low. This is particularly evidenced by the increasing tendency of many debaters to refute the views of their opponents, not…
Read MoreAlexander the Great’s most difficult Challenge from the PAST is a Great Phoenician Legacy TODAY!
My Negotiation Experience in Macedonia” by Dr. Habib Chamoun-Nicolas Alexander the Great: Macedonia and the Phoenicians It is known that Alexander the Great of Macedonia experienced great challenges when attempting to conquer Tyre, the great trade city of Phoenicia. The Phoenicians were known to be a pacifist culture and people, however, if they were attacked,…
Read MoreECONOMICS OF A TRAGEDY: DID DUOPOLY BRING DOWN THE BOEING 737 MAX?
This story begins in 1916, when businessman William Boeing wanted a plane to fly him from place to place among his business interests, but a satisfactory model was not available. So Boeing decided to produce his own. Over the next century, this effort evolved into the greatest airliner manufacturer of all time, the Boeing Company.
Read MoreHow Will You Measure Your Life?
Clayton Magleby Christensen (1952-2020) was a renowned Harvard Business School professor, theorist and business consultant known for developing the theory of “disruptive innovation”. Considered the most influential business idea of the early 21st century, his work changed how people in business discussed innovation and approached management. He twice ranked number one (2011 and 2013) by…
Read MoreThe U.S. Presidential Election and the Future of our Economy
Joe Biden is now the president-elect of the United States of America. Many voters are celebrating this victory, but on the other hand many are not (about 70 million Trump supporters). But the reality is that on January 20th, at noon, we will have a new president of the United States. What does a Biden…
Read MoreQuantitative Easing, Helicopter Money, and the Coronavirus Crisis
Exceptional economic and financial crises often demand exceptional remedies. It was in this spirit that many governments, fearing another Great Depression, intervened heavily in their economies during the 2007-2009 financial crisis. While the adopted fiscal actions, involving both government expenditures and tax cuts, were quite substantial, they were nevertheless easily eclipsed by the massive levels of central bank monetary interventions. In the United States, for example, the level of…
Read MoreTrade for Texas: Strength in North America
By Dr. Beverly Barrett –This spring, within two weeks, the United Kingdom has requested two extensions to determine the country’s way forward in relationship to the European Union (EU), regarding “Brexit.” Since the British popular referendum nearly three years ago, these extended deliberations remind that trade is politically charged and important given the trade rules…
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