Musings on the past to explain the present and inform the future
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America’s Long Struggle to Create a Central Bank
On this day, December 23, 1913, President Wilson entered the Oval Office. In a jubilant mood he went around the room to shake hands with key advisers and associates while giving a congratulatory nod to the influential Congressman from Virginia, Carter Glass. Wilson proceeded to use the four golden pens … Continue reading America’s Long Struggle to Create a Central Bank
What is the President’s Brain Trust?
Do you ever wonder what the keys are to successful presidential leadership? Are you curious why past presidents like George Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were able to steer the country through calamities and turbulent periods? Historians might say these leaders had charisma, or an ability to manage a … Continue reading What is the President’s Brain Trust?
A Christmas Carol – the Virtues and Vices of the Market Economy
This week in 1843 Charles Dickens published his book A Christmas Carol that would become a gift of joy and timeless tradition for society. But Dickens also imparted an incredibly powerful story of economic ideas that sheds light on severe economic problems while inspiring charity. Dickens invokes Adam Smith, the Scottish … Continue reading A Christmas Carol – the Virtues and Vices of the Market Economy
Reluctant War President and the Pandemic
Back in May 2020, when countries around the world were several months into lockdowns to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. President proclaimed that America was at war with an ‘invisible enemy’ and that he was a war time president. Indeed, we are living in peacetime with no … Continue reading Reluctant War President and the Pandemic
The Troika Strikes Back
With a raging virus holding back the economic recovery and a return to normalcy, much attention has focused on President Biden’s pick for his core economic team. Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve, is slated to be the U.S. Treasury Secretary. The Treasury Secretary is a prominent cabinet … Continue reading The Troika Strikes Back
Pandemic in Peace Time vs. Public Health Crisis of World War I
COVID-19 is once in a century public health storm. The only comparable event is the Spanish Flu from a century ago that coincided with World War I. As the world enters a winter with a resurgence in cases, there are waves of record COVID cases popping up in major urban … Continue reading Pandemic in Peace Time vs. Public Health Crisis of World War I
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