Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve launched its first salvo against inflation, raising interest rates by a quarter-percent. It was a pretty weak shot given 7.9% CPI, but Jerome Powell and other Fed presidents ratcheted up the tough rhetoric last week. Powell raised the possibility of 50 basis-point rate hikes at future meetings and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly, “With the labor market so strong, inflation, inflation, inflation is top of everyone’s mind.”
Suddenly, Fed chair Jerome Powell is a tough guy.
Is he though?
Earlier this week, Powell delivered what Reuters called “his most muscular speech to date” on the battle against inflation.
AMC Theaters bought a gold mine last week.
A literal gold mine.
This may be the dumbest thing you read today. Not my words, but this CNN article I’m about to tell you about.
Last week, I asked the question: is the US undermining the dollar’s credibility?
It appears the answer is — yes.
In another blow for dollar dominance, Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering pricing at least some of its Chinese oil sales in yuan.
The Fed is supposedly about to step into the ring to fight inflation. But all indications are it’s going to be a feckless fight.
The credibility of the dollar is taking some self-inflicted blows. And the world is watching.
Could this hasten the end of the greenback as the world’s reserve currency?
Not too long ago, the national debt pushed above $30 trillion. Today, Uncle Sam is $30.26 trillion in the red. And he’s on the fast track toward $31 trillion.
Today, most people don’t bat an eye at the national debt. But that wasn’t always the case. As David Stockman pointed out there was a great deal of concern about the national debt when he was President Ronald Regan’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Now inflation is Russia’s fault. Or is it greedy businesses pushing up prices? Maybe a combination of the two.
It seems that government officials and central bankers are looking everywhere for a place to pin the blame for inflation except the one place they need to look — in the mirror.
Economic sanctions serve as a powerful foreign policy tool for the US government. But could this ultimately backfire on the US?
Over the last several years, many countries have made a concerted effort to limit dependence on the US dollar. The economic warfare waged against Russia reveals exactly why.
