In this week's Off the Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles discuss:
- Limits To Growth
- Our current system is acting as if they don't exist
- Financial Chicanery
- All the smoke & mirrors can't hide the fact it's a zero sum game
- False Stability
- The current calm will end when the central banks fail
- Energy, Energy, Energy
- In the end, ownership/access to energy is all that matters
In this excellent and far-reaching discussion, Chris and Charles ponder one of the great mysteries of today's financial system: it's priced for perfection. As if economic and earnings growth are going to grow, and only grow, forever.
While there are a preponderance of data points that show that the health of the US and global economy is *not* well, and that growth is indeed challenged or absent (see today's announcement of 0% Q2 GDP growth in the Eurozone) across much of the landscape, it's the net energy available to power that counted-upon economic growth that is the most important component.
As as talked about so often on this site, if you trust in math, there's a lot to be worried about. At current demand/supply trajectories, as well as the cost trends for obtaining the fuels we depend on, global net BTUs/capita are heading in the wrong direction the optimists are so desperately counting on.
by cmartenson 
