TRADING ECONOMICS

Found a really cool site 'Trading Economics' - here.

Love how the information is arranged.  Even though I'm not especially organised, I really love organised information.

It seems a good site for sticky-beaking into GDP and debt to GDP particulars of countries, as well as a host of other related information (I've yet to check out).

US debt-GDP is over 100%.  But the US economy is on top of the heap in terms of GDP.

The EU collective is next.  Followed by China, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Brazil and Russia.

Russia's debt-GDP looks to be the lowest of the pack.  

Japan, US, France and UK have the highest debt-GDP rankings.

This is embarrassing:  I've only a vague idea what inflation actually is.   

Venezuela's is off the planet. 

So what is it?  The following is info sourced from an 'Inflation Tutorial' - here.

It's the annual percentage increase in the cost of goods and services.  As inflation rises, the currency buys you less in goods and services.  

Two theories re rising inflation:

1. too few goods to meet buyer demand; or
2. rising costs of production.

In high inflation cases, domestic export products become 'less competitive' -- meaning what?  Guessing they're not as saleable as goods from countries with lower inflation rates.

So the goal must be to keep (a) production costs low and (b) production high?

So is this a never-ending loop of economic infinity to Infinity? 

Production will never be enough and profit will never be enough.  

It's a process of churning things out of the soil and out of factories so that we buy and have 'things', while those that control production have profits.

An endless loop of churning out and selling things for profits sounds pointless and probably unsustainable.  But there's no alternative. 

Gradually rising, or controlled, inflation isn't supposed to be a big deal (I think) ... as long as the wages rise corresponding to inflation.  

I'm guessing that workers then have to constantly battle for an increase in wages to keep in step with inflation.  

Where there's a strong union, that's probably easy.  But not everyone has a strong union -- or any union -- representation.  

A lack of inflation can signify a weakening economy, according to the 'Inflation Tutorial'.

Interest rates are closely associated with inflation figures.  

Reserve banks take inflation calculation data into account when calculating the figures that set interest rates.  Tutorial on that is here if anyone's real keen.

USA - War or Bluff?

Former Kremlin advisor gives Russia's view of the crisis in Ukraine Chris Uhlmann reported this story on Tuesday, April 15, 2014 07:19:43 [ Alexander Nekrassov, a former adviser to the Kremlin -] ... the economic situation in the European Union and America. Now, if you look at the G7 countries, they are all insolvent. They are all bankrupt. Their total debt is about $30 trillion and growing. And of course we understand that when countries are in a desperate economic situation and they don't really know what to do with it, they try to stage all sorts of spectacular foreign policy stunts, which we are witnessing now. Now America is facing default in two years time, and America is very aggressive across the world and in Europe as well. Now, the cynics in Russia are saying that America needs a big war. I think that the best possible way to solve this situation is for everyone to take a step back, because all this rhetoric does not help, all this aggressive rhetoric does not help anyone. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2014/s3985549.htm

G7 Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper France President François Hollande Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi Japan Prime Minister Shinzō Abe United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron United States President Barack Obama European Union (2014 Chair) Council President Herman Van Rompuy Commission President José Manuel Barroso The European Union is also represented within the G7. The G7 are the seven wealthiest major developed nations by national net wealth, representing more than 63% of the net global wealth ... (2013). The IMF's Managing Director usually participates. [source - wikipedia - here]

Although this dates back to April 2014, it's useful to bear in mind the economics mentioned.

How's the remark about US need for a 'big war'?

Some blog I was on said it was a toss between Japan, China or Russia. 

Not sure why Japan was mentioned, as it's got very close ties to the US (as I understand).

I'm guessing Russia is 'it', although the US looks to be a 'challenger' in the Pacific region, given it's reportedly planning on focusing it's aircraft carrier naval fleet (I think it was) in the region over the next decade.

So what's going to happen?  Is the US going to go to war?  Will it be with Russia or with China?

Most likely Russia, I reckon.  China's where US probably produces their cheap goods, so they're probably not bent on disrupting that.

Russia is singled out for constant Ma-look-what-he-did! (but got no proof) accusations, vilification as an 'aggressor', singled out for sanctions, singled out for a press smear, singled out for 'shunning' and so on -- so it's 'henpecked' by the US-NATO mob as well as the EU arm of this 'thing' that seems to call the shots on a collective, bullying basis.

It's like a form of international 'mobbing' behaviour, that's usually confined to toxic organisations and workplaces.

So is this all bluff or is Russia 'it'?