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On Monday May 6, 2013, the US Senate passed a bill requiring online retailers to collect sales tax just like their brick and mortar cousins. Although the bill has to pass the House, The Marketplace Fairness Act (also called The Internet Sales Tax Bill), if passed, will seriously affect the way business is done on […]
How The Internet Sales Tax Bill Will Affect Online Competitive Pricing: Part 1 Read More »
On April 23rd, the Pew Research Center released its analysis of recent US Census Bureau data. It supported with data, what the rhetoric was already suggesting. During the first two years of the “US economic recovery”, the mean net worth of households in the upper 7% of the wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28%, while
The Great Age of Decoupling Read More »
A Mark Buchanan article in Bloomberg last week was called “Beware of Economists Peddling Elegant Models”. In it, the theoretical physicist proposes that – “Mathematics can be beguilingly elegant. It can also be dangerous when people mistake its elegance for truth. Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity might be the best example of elegant math,
Beware of the Alchemists Read More »
We live in fascinating times indeed. Daily we see gossip reported as news and news as gossip. I am eagerly looking forward to June when Jeff Daniels reclaims his role as Will McAvoy on HBO’s The Newsroom. I so admire his ‘civilizing mission’ to help his news program’s audience, make more informed decisions in the
The Cult of Short Termism Read More »
HM Treasury’s website notes that “The Budget is the single most important economic and financial statement made each year by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Parliament and the nation.“ The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, presents the next Budget on Wednesday, 20th March. As the dominant party in the coalition government focuses on
Budgets and Inflation Worries Read More »
My first experience in Venezuela was a teenager in the 1980s when our family visited Caracas. Some years before the 1989 riots in Caracas, anyone could feel the tension in the air. Like Trinidad, weak oil prices took a toll on the economy, and social tensions were high. It was the first time I had
Venezuela and Trinidad Read More »
Many would say that the drug trade is responsible for much of the increase in violence that terrorizes the Caribbean region. It would appear that the United States is not just aware of the escalation in violence but is already taking action to combat the drug trade. In his blog, Kevin Edmonds points out that
Drones, Ponzi Schemes and Caribbean Money Launderers Read More »
Starting in the 1960s, certain Caribbean territories were granted independence from the United Kingdom, and since then, some of them have struggled to define themselves in the new global landscape. At first, they continued with their monoculture of sugar cane or bananas, and as that collapsed, they switched their dependence to tourism. Given the risks
Caribbean Offshore Financial Centers Read More »
As the Caribbean comes to terms with the implications of FATCA, some territory governments are considering signing Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with the United States. By way of background, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is part of the effort by the US government to prevent money laundering, and reduce tax evasion. It has implications
The IRS, FATCA and Caribbean IGAs Read More »
There is an Oliver Stone series running on Showtime. It is called The Untold History of the United States and requires viewing material for anyone who wants to appreciate contemporary geopolitics truly. The United States has been and continues to be powerful enough to shape the entire world’s politics. As my High School history teacher,