Inflation is one of the most pernicious phenomena that permeates our society. It not only erodes the purchasing power of our money and prejudices a majority of the people; it also creates micro-economic havoc by inducing distortions in our production activities. It is not just the ‘general price level’ that moves up and down, but it rather induces something we call the ‘Cantillon... »
The Inflation-Manipulation Saga and the Gold Price
July 25 2014
Olav Dirkmaat
3 Questions You Should Ask about Flight MH-17
July 18 2014
Yesterday, Malaysia Airlines lost another of its Boeing 777s. After flight 370 it is now flight 17 that went down. It all happened when Obama was announcing he would expand the economic sanctions on Russia, again. With 298 fatalities, among whom 189 Dutch, the assault has stirred emotions worldwide. The US now blames Russia, Russia blames Ukraine, Ukraine blames the separatists, and the separ... »
Olav Dirkmaat
Fooling Some of the People All of the Time
July 11 2014
Corporate fraud, questionable accounting practices and plain deception are nothing new on Wall Street. Hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital even wrote a book about it. Aptly called ‘Fooling Some of the People All of the Time’, the book narrates a story about a private equity... »
Olav Dirkmaat
Volatility Down, Stock Prices Up: The Signs of a Perfect Storm
July 4 2014
“Step aside,” tells Mark Spitznagel to his investors. He hardly expects anyone to listen. “It is the hardest thing to do right now,” he says, “and makes you look like a fool.” In times like these, in times of severe overvaluation, the ones warning investors are scorned. People who risk their money at the top of a bubble get even more excited by the promise of ea... »
Olav Dirkmaat
