Asymptosis: Always Approaching

Tag: recession

  • Yeah, Right, The Recession’s Over

    We’ve been hearing more about “jobless recoveries” over the years, but it’s pretty profound how rapidly the trend is increasing. Calculated Risk: Months to Return to Full Employment 1981:  28 1990:  31 2001:  47 2007:  ?? This multi-decade trend suggests to me that there’s something secular and structural at play. I suggest this. Related posts:…

  • Why Prosperity Requires a Welfare State

    I’ve been spending a lot of time lately pondering James Livingston’s insights on how modern, high-productivity, post-industrial economies work, as expressed in two of his posts which I link to and encapsulate here. What finally closed the loop for me was re-reading Ray Kurzweil and others on past trends, and what the future holds: exponential…

  • All Cashed Up with Nowhere to Go: What Caused the Depression(s), and What to Do About It

    I’ve been meaning to post about this great two–part article by James Livingston (H/T to Mark Thoma), on the causes of the Great Depression and the current…whatever it is. Livingston’s explanation for both cases (in my words): There were oceans of money with not enough productive uses available (like, investments in physical plants and wages–things…