Based on yesterday's discussion at Dan Allosso's Book Club, we don't include defense spending into the consumer price index for calculating inflation or other market indicators. What other things (communal goods) aren't included into these measures, but which potentially should be to take into account the balance of governmental spending versus individual spending. It seems unfair that individual sectors, particularly those like defense contracting which are capitalistic in nature, but which are living on governmental rent extraction, should be free from the vagaries of inflation?

Throwing them into the basket may create broader stability for the broader system and act as a brake via feedback mechanisms which would push those corporations to work for the broader economic good, particularly when they're taking such a large piece of the overall pie.

Similarly how might we adjust corporate tax rates with respect to the level of inflation to prevent corporate price gouging during times of inflation which seems to be seen in the current 2023 economic climate. Workers have seen some small gains in salary since the pandemic, but inflationary pressures have dramatically eaten into these taking the gains and then some back into corporate coffers. The FED can increase interest rates to effect some change, but this doesn't change corporate price gouging in any way, tax or other policies will be necessary to do this.

1. Federal Reserve Bank, “Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2019” (Washington DC: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2020).

!- for : global capacity renewable energy storage - this is not realistic

Cortellessa, E., & Wolfe, L. (2021, October 15). Why Is the U.S. Hoarding Hundreds of Millions of COVID Vaccines? Washington Monthly - Politics. https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/10/15/why-is-the-u-s-hoarding-hundreds-of-millions-of-covid-vaccines/

“The Squamish Nation fought for decades to get their land back. In 2003, 10.5 acres of the 80-acre government-designated reserve were returned to their original inhabitants.”

To Big To Fail? Above The Law? Shadow Government?

The term "shadow government" comes up often when investigating Revolving Door partnerships between corporations and former government policymakers. One particular public corporation, BlackRock Investments is the poster child of revolving door activity and comparisons to a shadow government.

BlackRock is front and center in the manipulation of todays Real Estate bubble.

BlackRock should be marketed as;*The Largest Asset Manager and Keeper of The Neo-liberal Flame; We Kill Children to Make You Money and We Enjoy Doing It!*

Pathak, P. A., Sönmez, T., Unver, M. U., & Yenmez, M. B. (2020). Leaving No Ethical Value Behind: Triage Protocol Design for Pandemic Rationing (Working Paper No. 26951; Working Paper Series). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w26951

Correa, R., Du, W., & Liao, G. Y. (2020). U.S. Banks and Global Liquidity (Working Paper No. 27491; Working Paper Series). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27491

Bianchi, F., Faccini, R., & Melosi, L. (2020). Monetary and Fiscal Policies in Times of Large Debt: Unity is Strength (Working Paper No. 27112; Working Paper Series). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27112

Hay River is a town in the Northwest Territories, Canada that was incorporated at a town in 1963. It is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, at the mouth of the Hay River. This town is located 201 air kilometers southwest of Yellowknife. The town was permanently settled in 1868 by the Hudson’s Bay Company to establish a trading post with Anglican and Catholic missions. The Catholic church built during the late 1800s in Hay River is still being used today in the Hay River Reserve. The Hay River Reserve is home to about 300 K’atlodeechee First Nation and was created in 1974. Before the arrival of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the area was used by the Slavey Dene people. The town had a population of approximately 3,606 in 2011. Most members of the current Hay River community have ties to the postwar construction of the Mackenzie Highway. Due to its important transportation and communication amenities and abilities, Hay River earned the nickname “the hub of the north.” This town houses the staging point for shipping up the Mackenzie River and the commercial fisheries of Great Slave Lake. The economy of Hay River today relies heavily on private enterprise (The Canadian Encyclopedia, n.d.). 

References

The Canadian Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Hay River. Retrieved from Historica Canada: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hay-river/

Great Bear Lake is located near the Arctic Circle in the Norwest Territories (Kujawinski). Great Bear Lake is the eighth largest lake in the world and spans more than 12,000 square miles. The only residents near the Great Bear Lake are the Sahtuto’ine, which means the “Bear Lake people.” They reside in the town of Deline and the population is about 500. In March of 2016, Great Bear Lake was declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, which acts to conserve the lake. Great Bear Lake is the first Biosphere Reserve to be controlled by an indigenous group. The Sahtuto’ine were granted self-government by the government of Canada and are now the sole people responsible for the happenings at Great Bear Lake. Great Bear Lake is a significant part of Sahtuto’ine culture. The Lake is viewed as essential for human life, based on a prophecy from the 1930s. The prophecy holds that the Great Bear Lake has the purest water in the world and that people will migrate from all over the world to drink its water and catch its fish. Climate change effects have already been witnessed at the Lake and locals believe that the prophecy will come true sooner than expected. These fears pushed the locals to have the lake preserved. Some locals believe that the Great Bear Lake gave life to every other lake and for that, it must be protected. Images of Great Bear Lake and its people can be found below: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/travel/great-bear-lake-arctic-unesco-biosphere-canada.html?_r=0

References: Kujawinski, Peter. "Guardians of a Vast Lake, and a Refuge for Humanity." The New York Times. February 07, 2017. Accessed May 03, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/travel/great-bear-lake-arctic-unesco-biosphere-canada.html?_r=0.

Author affiliations:

• Costas Azariadis, Professor of Economics, Washington University in St.Louis
• James Bullard President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Aarti Singh Jacek Suda

Sometimes there isn't an easy fix for the repercussions of an easy fix we made before to a previous issue.. Instead of a band aid, we need to input the necessary monetary/other resources to completely fix the issue, or it will be a constantly recurring issue

This working paper was discussed in the Washington Post's Wonkblog on 28 May 2015 http://wapo.st/1LN3snw

Author affiliations:

• Costas Azariadis, Professor of Economics, Washington University in St.Louis
• James Bullard President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Aarti Singh Jacek Suda

active link to this working paper Optimal Monetary Policy at the Optimal Level Bound

Author affiliations:

• Costas Azariadis, Professor of Economics, Washington University in St.Louis
• James Bullard President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Aarti Singh Jacek Suda