Global Economy

The world's largest container ship just entered a US port. Just in time for record low levels in the Baltic Dry Shipping Index, which is a measure of how much ships can charge.

Why, with interest rates historically low, are businesses not investing in the much predicted boom? Could it be business owners know more than the central bankers?

This incident is one more example that demonstrates the contempt with which the US government holds private companies. Private companies are literally being conscripted to serve the state.

Central banks worldwide are putting their faith in negative interest rates. Unfortunately, these central bankers do not understand what interest rates are supposed to do, or how manipulating them will lead to a bust.

Central Banks now pay interest on bank reserves held at the Fed. It may sound like only a minor change, barely worthy of notice, but it's actually a very recent and radical experiment for central banks, with large implications for monetary freedom.

Between conflicts with Eastern Europe, and the threat of a Birtish exit, the EU has some real problems. 

Whether we're talking about central banks or the US Supreme Court, governments everywhere continue to centralize power in the hands of the very few. The problem with this, though, is that successful central planning is impossible and leads to economic chaos.

Global markets are showing they can't handle even a tiny bit of tightening by the Federal Reserve, and other central banks are doubling down on rock-bottom interest rates, writes David Haggith. After six years of "recovery" can we ever abandon endless easy money?

Many US states by themselves have large economies when viewed in a global context. Texas by itself has an economy the size of Australia's.

Negative rates will fail because the problem with the economy is not a problem of too little consumption or demand. The problem stems from a distorted economy caused by manipulated interest rates.