The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

A Volatile Mix of Opportunity and Risk…

First, the world was crashing. Then it was the world recovering with stimulus cash galore.

The unimagined market dislocation during the initial months of covid-19 in 2020 was a boon to the distressed asset class. Companies and governments both borrowed at unprecedented levels to combat demand slumps and fight off complete collapse. Everyone was writing the comparison stories to 2008/2009.

Then boom…credit spreads decreased, and equity markets rocketed back. By the…

The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

A new social contract and constitution should still be Chilean…

A modern conversation on socialism in the United States usually dies with the verbal sword: “Do we want to become Cuba, Venezuela, or the Soviet Union?” In Latin America, socialism finds life support with a few simple words: “Look at the Nordic countries.” The comparison unfortunately is laden with misconceptions about policies in the countries and falsehoods on democratic socialism.

Far from being socialist, the Nordic countries are…

The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

Whether loans or grants, the bill will be hefty and still may not prevent economic catastrophe….

When the fireworks went off (social distance permitting) in many countries to celebrate the New Year, the sentiment in many countries was that 2021 would be different. The feelings made sense. Vaccines had been approved with distribution around the corner. Equity markets were rising, and businesses were planning office re-openings. And politicians were talking the next phase and post-covid life.

The New…

The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

Dispersing with the political and economic remnants of civil war….

This is not Lebanon. This is Lebanon. Maybe both statements are true.

The hope, the destruction, and the hope again…or is it the destruction, the hope, and the destruction again?

Lebanon has long swept its challenges under the rug and celebrated its successes. But the explosion back on August 4th in the port area of Beirut — the capital of Lebanon — , in a figurative and physical…

The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

The distribution of vaccines is changing the economic outlook in 2021 with most politicians and investors forecasting a continued recovery. Yet the political and economic risks that preceded the covid-19 pandemic remain alongside the lockdown measures necessary to combat the virus.

The year will be turbulent for some countries as public confidence and investor sentiment vacillates with optimism and skepticism on vaccine acceptance rates and economic output numbers. …

Putting Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Ukraine under the microscope

The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

The month of November was positive. Markets trended upward with justification in some situations and bet on pure hope in other situations.

December may provide a reversion to the mean. That said, below are three markets to watch:

Uzbekistan

Betting long on the banking sector…not sure yet

Uzbekistan is changing…it has been a long four years since the death of former Uzbek President Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov and his iron-fist style of…

The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

Trade, commerce, and economic growth…why discuss other things, at least, for now?

We are less than 60 days away from inauguration day for president-elect Joe Biden. Some South American politicians and activists, including Argentinian President Alberto Fernández and Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, seemingly cannot wait for that day. Others, such as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, may be more hesitant. Both sides should be excited and cautious.

A Biden administration should be expected to be a partner to…

The article was originally published in “The Musings Of A Politics Junkie & Closet Economist.” To read more, please visit the website.

A Biden presidency will be more diplomatic and engaging with Europe…so goes the thinking of many Joe Biden supporters. The thinking appears to have some believers in Europe, considering some quick congratulations from European Union (EU) officials to Joe Biden on his election to the U.S. presidency. Biden has said he wants to “elevate diplomacy as the United States’ principal tool of foreign policy.” He may want to get the U.S. “back at the head of the table”…