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Welcome to the web site of The Purple Muse. We offer commentary
and opinion on the major issues being debated in our world today.
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Friday, March 29, 2013
Spin, Lies, Conspiracy and Truth Update
Check out my updated article Spin, Lies, Conspiracy and Truth, http://www.thepurplemuse.com/id33.html. I recommend that everyone read Gavin Menzies book, The Lost Empire of Atlantis, to learn about the fantastic
history of the Minoan civilization during the Bronze Age. Where did
all the copper go that was mined in the Lake Superior by ancient miners? It amazes
me how traditional historians and archaeologists have ignored new information concerning the history of the world that
has been found in many countries around the world.
TPM
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Graham Hancock Interview Video
If you have any interest in my article Spin, Lies, Conspiracy and Truth, I suggest you watch
a one hour interview with Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval at http://www.taofear.com/. This interview was recorded in 1996. I believe the fundamental principles that are discussed
are even more relevant today.
TPM
Sunday, March 24, 2013
World's Largest Container Ports
If anyone is wondering if the US is winning or losing the global economic
battle I suggest they check out the Journal of Commerce: THE JOC TOP 50 WORLD CONTAINER PORTS. The top 4 ports, using 2011 data, are Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzen, China. Number 5 is Busan,
South Korea. Numbers 6 through 8 are all in China. China has 13 of the Top 50, assuming I counted them correctly. Los
Angeles is number 16. Long Beach, California is number 21. The port of New York and New Jersey is number 25. Savannah,
Georgia is number 44, giving the US 4 of the Top 50. Containers are only part of the goods that are shipped through ports around
the world. However, they are an important measure of world trade. Take a look at the JOC document and look at
the major growth in world trade in recent years. Through out history trade has made cities and nations wealthy.
The primary economic focus of the US must be producing goods and services that can compete effectively in the world market.
We must strive to fundamentally change this chart in the years ahead. TPM
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The Middle East Conflict - Updated
I have updated my article on The Middle East Conflict, originally written in 2006, after reading
Bernard Lewis's book, The Middle East - A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years, http://www.thepurplemuse.com/id4.html.
I don't see how anyone from the west can resolve the fundamental issues between Jewish
and Muslim true believers in the Middle East.
TPM
Saturday, March 16, 2013
What is Austerity?
Many of the many media outlets that I follow on Twitter have been posting articles
related to current and proposed US government "spending cuts". There is a lot of whining about possible government
mandated "austerity" measures that could have a "negative" impact of some people. I find this entire discussion to be ridiculous. The fiscal baseline that the authors of these articles
consider to be the beginning of the discussion is a hugely stimulative $1T annual fiscal deficit. After a few years
of massive deficits under Obamanomics this is now the new normal for liberal progressives. They can't stand the thought
of cutting the growth of spending, much less any real spending reductions. They suggest we should print as much fiat
money as possible so that they can redistribute the wealth of the US citizens more fairly. There is nothing austere about cutting deficits from the $1T range to about $0.8T or so. This is not austerity.
This is simply slightly less stimulative. Liberal progressives complaining about the "cuts" that cause
the lowered stimulus can't stand the thought of implementing any form of fiscal responsibility until their social re-engineering
goals are complete. The argument that is taking place today
is about how to regulate the level of stimulus being injected into the economy. No one is really taking on the extremely
hard task of fundamentally restructuring the governments long term unfunded liabilities as well as its current deficits. The
US has been over consuming for many years and more importantly has been making long term commitments that it can't keep for
decades. The negative impact of real austerity hasn't
hit the US yet. The longer we keep the fiscal charade going the deeper the pain we will ultimately feel. Our not so
great economy is being supported by the Federal Reserve's ultra-low interest rate policy and $1T per year of government debt
and mortgage bond purchases and about a $1T or so deficit. What would our economy look like if the Federal Reserve behaved
rationally and the government was fiscally responsible (had something close to a balanced budget)? Very few current day Americans understand how live in an age of austerity. However, many of us will get an
opportunity to learn how to live under austere conditions sometime down the road. At some point the age of government
and Federal Reserve stimulus will come to an end. The debt drug that is offsetting the pain of bad fiscal policy will
wear off. I hope everyone is ready to deal with it. The age of austerity will be upon us. TPM
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Keep On Cruising
My wife and I got home yesterday from a three week winter break in Florida and the Caribbean.
I just updated the Cruising section of the site, http://www.thepurplemuse.com/id35.html. I plan to blog about my observations from our trip after I do some research.
TPM
Friday, March 1, 2013
Jim Rickards Video Interview
Check out the video interview with Jim Rickards that I have posted on thepurplemuse.com.
Rickards is the author of Currency Wars, a book I reviewed in one of my articles. The insight provided by Rickards is
worth far more than the 20 minutes it takes to watch it.
TPM
8:39 pm
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