The nature of the economic system so many governments are attempting to grapple with right now is unprecedented in modern history. For much of the span of human history since industrialization, governments could reasonably promise their subjects some kind of more. The promise of more held that the economy–no matter the political system in charge of it–could be expected to grow, largely through population growth and rising demand.
Enter the End of More. A central theme of my equally cheery-titled new book, The End of the World is Just the Beginning, the pie for many countries is as big as its going to get. This is especially true for countries staring down terminal demographies: Germany, Italy, China, Japan. With population growth firmly in the rear view mirror, these countries can’t rely on a baby boom to spur consumption-led growth.
Which brings us to our current problem with inflation. Central banks’ primary tool in battling inflation is through raising interest rates. Making borrowing more expensive usually dampens demand, thereby pressuring prices to fall. The trick is not dampening demand too much, and risking recession. For the world’s oldest populations, this is going to be an near-impossible balancing act.
And now for a bit of good news–The End of the World is now officially a New York Times best seller! On behalf of myself and my entire team: thank you, thank you, thank you.
We will continue to post our analysis and updates on this and other topics related to the Ukraine War. This newsletter and its affiliated videologues are, and always will be, free. New subscribers can sign up here.
Finally, a reminder:
Russia’s strategic shift from thunder runs to a civilian obliteration has already forced ten million Ukrainians from their homes, with nearly four million now living in limbo in foreign lands. All proceeds from all formats of all of our previous books are being donated to the Afya Foundation, a charity which provides medical assistance to refugees from the Ukraine War.
The buttons below will direct you to our purchase pages where you can both find out a bit more about each book, as well as select purchase options ranging from e-services to your local bookstore.
Having difficulty keeping up with the chaotic and quickly-changing landscape of Russia sanctions and commodities markets or inflation?
We have been offering a series of in-depth presentations on various industries.
So far, we’ve tackled the challenges facing energy, agriculture, industrial materials and inflation. You can purchase access to the recordings of both of these webinars via the buttons below:
