Speculation about Speculators

Andy Spero | July 28, 2009 | 0 Comment(s) |

Manipulation is the Real Issue

There’s an article in Tuesday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal that announces that Traders Blamed for Oil Spike.

It highlights more of the speculation-is-bad commentary that’s been in vogue since at least the Spring of 2008. In fact, we recall hunting for and posting the following John Maynard Keynes quote during that time:

“Speculators may do no harm as bubbles on a steady stream of enterprise. But the position is serious when enterprise becomes the bubble on a whirlpool of speculation.Read the rest

Unearthly Discipline and Freewill

Andy Spero | March 18, 2009 | 0 Comment(s) |

In this post, we muse and speculate on items and notions that we don’t completely understand.  That’s nothing new–as we’ll readily admit–but we think it’s worth the time to contrast the certainty of God-given freewill with the lack of managerial discipline within firms and governments–well, actually, all organizations and societies. Unfortunately, we all must constantly deal with the harmful side effects of that lack of discipline.

In many of our posts, including one from yesterday, we often advise or admonish policymakers to follow the Hippocratic Oath: “first, do no harm.”… Read the rest

Principles Lost and More

Andy Spero | October 3, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) |

Or–to seriously mix our metaphors–falling head-over-heels for the wolves’ claims that the “sky is falling.”

Our favorite line from the play and movie, A Man for All Seasons, is Saint Thomas More’s statement at his trial in which he gently belittles one of his perjuring accusers, Richie Rich:

“Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world…Ahh, but for Wales?”

Mr. Rich received an appointment from Henry VIII in Wales for his efforts.

After performing a short and cursory search of the web, we’re… Read the rest