Paulitical Economy™
A snapshot of what’s going on in the world’s economy.
Episodes
Hello everyone,
I hope you had a nice weekend. Things are finally starting to warm up here in the Toronto area: it has been a long winter. And now that we’re near the end of March the birds are making their way back north including the Toronto Blue Jays (as some of you know I’m a birdwatcher and baseball fan).
Four more of my podcast interviews are now available for your viewing enjoyment.
I was on a live radio show in Singapore cal...
- Homicides in the US are the lowest in 125 years.
- Canada’s economic decline has outpaced all other developed nations over the last ten years.
- And so has our happiness.
- I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.
- California has by far the highest gasoline prices in America.
- And Kansas the lowest.
- California has by far the highest gasoline prices in America.
- Delta’s passenger revenue miles go negative.
- And economy class revenue even more so.
- And a look back.
- If y...
- Carnival Corporation is charging record prices.
- And a look back.
- A look at what and who caused Canada’s housing affordability crisis.
- And how housing affordability crises around the world have contributed to lowering the globe’s fertility rate.
- Construction of rental properties in Canada is soaring.
- And rents are falling.
- But construction of single-family detached homes has slowed.
- And an increasing number of...
- An increasing number of homes listed for sale in Canada are vacant.
- A look at Canada’s poor record on economic growth.
- And sadly, it’s primarily self-inflicted.
- In Financial Ructions:
- More Canadians are starting new companies in the US than they are in Canada.
- This is a significant change over the last ten years.
- More Canadians are starting new companies in the US than they are in Canada.
- Book Review
- We continue our review of George Selgin’s great book False Dawn.
- One of the b...
- We continue our review of George Selgin’s great book False Dawn.
- A Wall Street Journal article looks at how older Americans are significantly wealthier than the next generation.
- Spoiler alert, it’s a result of bad policy.
- As cocoa bean prices soared, chocolate consumption fell.
- Now it’s the bean prices that are falling and government imposed minimum prices are causing an inventory glut.
- Amazon sales continue to soar.
- Especially in web services.
- Inflation in the US contin...
- Eddie Bauer: Another retailer is going by the wayside.
- And a look back.
- For Canadians who file for insolvency, on average they owe money to over 10 different lenders.
- The Chart of the Century shows car prices in Canada going down 15% over a nine-year period.
- When in fact they actually increased 23%
- US jobs numbers are once again revised downwards.
- And Canada continues to struggle.
- Vancouver and Toronto lead ...
- Pepsi has had 14 straight quarters of declining volume.
- Management springs into action.
- Despite beef prices rising more than 30% over the last two years, Tyson is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in its beef division.
- A look at the main causes of housing affordability crises.
- Spoiler alert, it’s distorted interest rates.
- Weight loss drug Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk’s share price is losing weight faster than its...
- Politics in the U.S. is significantly more divided than back in the 1950s/60s.
- But the country is not divided because of the politics.
- The politics is divided because of monetary policy.
- But the country is not divided because of the politics.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods continues to have impressive sales growth.
- They have bought Foot Locker which had been struggling for some time.
- French luxury goods company LVMH is still experiencing weak sales growth.
- Particula...
- Uber is experiencing uber sales and profit growth.
- By charging more and giving less.
- Pubs in the U.K. are banning some politicians from their establishments.
- It’s a tax revolt.
- Ranking airlines:
- Southwest in the U.S. has improved.
- But U.S. airlines score poorly on a global basis.
- Inflation in the U.S. remains firmly above the Fed’s arbitrarily set 2% confiscation rate.
- Coffee still soaring and eggs coming...
- Delta Airlines passenger revenue growth is barely in positive territory.
- But falling fast in economy class.
- Walmart takes to the air.
- In less than two years drones will be delivering to over 40 million Walmart customers.
- Saks Global files for bankruptcy protection.
- A look at the evolution of Canada’s housing affordability crisis.
- The Bank of Canada first handed the baton to municipal and then federal governments...
- A look at how pension plans compare between the Canadian private and public sectors.
- Car prices in the U.S. and Canada have soared.
- And no, it’s not because of tariffs.
- Macy’s seems to be turning around its business.
- And more evidence of the Special K phenomenon.
- But not all luxury companies are benefiting, and Saks Global may be filing for bankruptcy protection.
- And we take a look back.
- Continuing our luxur...
- The price of weight-loss drugs is plummeting.
- Used luxury watches are a multibillion dollar business.
- And so are fakes.
- TV watching via streaming has taken over.
- And YouTube leads the way.
- The percentage of American homeowners with a mortgage has been declining.
- But is due to a generational divide with the next generation’s monumental mortgage debt funding the retirement of mortgage-free Boomers.
- Audiobooks ...
- Electric vehicle demand is a fraction of what auto manufacturers thought it would be.
- But government involvement helped to distort expectations.
- Ford takes a huge write-down.
- But government involvement helped to distort expectations.
- Coty is a leading cosmetics/fragrance company founded in Paris.
- Its sales are falling, but not as fast as its share price.
- And we take a look back at this interesting business.
- Do you know what a flacon is?
- And we take a look back at this interesting business.
- Its sales are falling, but not as fast as its share price.
- We revisit ...
- Christmas with Andy Williams and the murder trial of his ex-wife.
- The US restaurant industry is seeing negative foot traffic.
- This is what happens when inflation drives dining costs through the roof.
- However, after a rough patch in late 2024, Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants continues to generate decent sales growth.
- A quick, closer look at Costco Travel.
- And great deals on car rentals too.
- And some people wi...
- Lululemon continues to struggle in the US.
- While Costco continues to relentlessly drive sales higher.
- People continue to flock to RH for luxury furniture.
- But investors refuse to do likewise with the share price.
- The overall rejection rate for new credit applications is the highest in at least ten years.
- Almost half of mortgage refinance applications were rejected.
- Auto parts sales in the US continue to do well.
- ...
- I’m reposting my first and so far only Pollitical Economy (2023) which asked you for your favourite Christmas movie.
- Giving you some Christmas viewing ideas.
- Another look at Canada’s housing affordability crisis.
- It’s more widespread than people think.
- And how it’s predictably fueling anti-immigration attitudes.
- It’s more widespread than people think.
- Netflix is shooting the lights out.
- And now they’re buying Warner Brothers.
- And a look ba...
- And now they’re buying Warner Brothers.
- Apple is a pretty impressive business founded by a very impressive entrepreneur.
- But its share price is way ahead of the business i.e. expensive.
- We take a look back.
- But its share price is way ahead of the business i.e. expensive.
- After many quarters of negative comparable store sales growth, Best Buy’s sales are actually accelerating.
- Strongest growth in over four years.
- Hewlitt-Packard adjusted sales have now grown for six straight quarters.
- And we take a look bac...
- Home Depot sales are once again weakening.
- They’re blaming a lack of hurricanes.
- Target department store sales are accelerating downwards.
- With discretionary items taking the biggest hit.
- Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly turning to off-price retailers such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
- Sales are accelerating upwards.
- Core inflation in Canada remains elevated.
- And I add some comments on the scandalous in...
- Americans are dining out less often.
- Traffic has been down eight months in a row.
- Yet Darden, owner of Olive Garden, is seeing same store sales accelerate.
- But not Wendy’s:
- US same store sales are accelerating downwards.
- They said that lower income consumers remain under pressure.
- And we take a look back.
- As financing costs go up, used car sales go down and loan losses go up.
- CarMax, the largest used car dealer in the US, is struggling...
- Manufacturing in the US has been contracting for most of the last three years.
- Chipotle has a younger customer base that is struggling economically and thus eating at home more often.
- Its share price is down 47% this year.
- Starbucks comparable sales finally turn positive – just.
- Introducing the PM Loser Index.
- McDonald’s sales tick down a bit but still in positive territory.
- Traffic from low-income consumers was down alm...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!