Comments on: The Enemy Within http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/ sex and politics Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:38:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY » Blog Archives » Vote of Confidence http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-31846 SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY » Blog Archives » Vote of Confidence Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:58:05 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-31846 [...] Also, there seems to be a new culprit responsible for the rising inflation - the euro. Remember, first it was the retailers and their cartel agreements. Then if was the City of Ljubljana. Now its the euro. All in all, a good portion of this interview was used up by Janša whimpering about his job and effectively saying that if they want this job they can have it. And so he’s off to appear before the parliament. [...] […] Also, there seems to be a new culprit responsible for the rising inflation - the euro. Remember, first it was the retailers and their cartel agreements. Then if was the City of Ljubljana. Now its the euro. All in all, a good portion of this interview was used up by Janša whimpering about his job and effectively saying that if they want this job they can have it. And so he’s off to appear before the parliament. […]

]]> By: SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY » Blog Archives » Where Have All the Farmers Gone? http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-24113 SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY » Blog Archives » Where Have All the Farmers Gone? Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:11:32 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-24113 [...] Slovene farmers protesting god-knows-what With the sharp increase in food prices (according to this, the prices in UK could go up 30% by the end of the year, and you already know the situation in Slovenia), one would think that there would be no more farmers’ subidies. No? Happy cow = happy farmer So, my (rather rude) question is: [...] […] Slovene farmers protesting god-knows-what With the sharp increase in food prices (according to this, the prices in UK could go up 30% by the end of the year, and you already know the situation in Slovenia), one would think that there would be no more farmers’ subidies. No? Happy cow = happy farmer So, my (rather rude) question is: […]

]]> By: crni http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-21421 crni Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:51:30 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-21421 This mess is out of the government's hands. The ECB now sets the borrowing rate. YU inflation was caused by printing huge lumps o money in Topcider. So really, there is nothing they can do. As for price control and government invtervention, that is the dumbest idea ever. Remember the laws in old YU that forbid everyon from owning foreign currency? Remember the official exchange rate? Exactly. The market finds a way, whether the government dwarves are jumping up and down or standing still. This mess is out of the government’s hands. The ECB now sets the borrowing rate. YU inflation was caused by printing huge lumps o money in Topcider. So really, there is nothing they can do. As for price control and government invtervention, that is the dumbest idea ever. Remember the laws in old YU that forbid everyon from owning foreign currency? Remember the official exchange rate? Exactly. The market finds a way, whether the government dwarves are jumping up and down or standing still.

]]> By: pengovsky http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20999 pengovsky Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:43:16 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20999 @Dietmar: I suspect something like this is happening here as well. The only problem is that Slovenia cannot rely on so-called "economy of scale" because it doesn't have a market of 80 milion consumers. @alcessa: Yearly inflation in the Eurozone in <a HREF="http://www.manufacturing.net/article.aspx?id=148416&menuid=36" rel="nofollow">August was 1.8 percent</A>, meaning that from January to August prices went up 1.8 percent in the eurozone (Slovenia included). In that same period, however, prices in Slovenia <a HREF="http://www.stat.si/indikatorji.asp?ID=1" rel="nofollow">went up 3.5 percent</A>, which is 0,2 percent outside the 1,5 percent margin allowed. Not much, you'll say... But in August alone prices went up 0,3 percent, puttnig Slovenia outside the "green zone". Furthermore, Germany can politically afford to break Maastricht critera, as it bankrolls almost the entire EU. Slovenia obviously carries little weight in that departement. As far as good economists are concerned.... They're not those who get to act. The government does. And it ain't doing notin'... @Iva: Economy only takes care of itself in theory, provided all players have continually the same positions. Moreover, perhaps you're unaware of the fact that the Law on Price Control is still in use - there are prices which government does control and will control. Like price of tap-water in Ljubljana, for example. (more on that on Saturday) Even more - if you had to choose between a collapsing economy and government intervention, which would you chose? Because if the market is taking care of itself, I wonder who'll take care of the people? @Dietmar: I suspect something like this is happening here as well. The only problem is that Slovenia cannot rely on so-called “economy of scale” because it doesn’t have a market of 80 milion consumers.

@alcessa: Yearly inflation in the Eurozone in August was 1.8 percent, meaning that from January to August prices went up 1.8 percent in the eurozone (Slovenia included). In that same period, however, prices in Slovenia went up 3.5 percent, which is 0,2 percent outside the 1,5 percent margin allowed. Not much, you’ll say… But in August alone prices went up 0,3 percent, puttnig Slovenia outside the “green zone”.

Furthermore, Germany can politically afford to break Maastricht critera, as it bankrolls almost the entire EU. Slovenia obviously carries little weight in that departement.

As far as good economists are concerned…. They’re not those who get to act. The government does. And it ain’t doing notin’…

@Iva: Economy only takes care of itself in theory, provided all players have continually the same positions. Moreover, perhaps you’re unaware of the fact that the Law on Price Control is still in use - there are prices which government does control and will control. Like price of tap-water in Ljubljana, for example. (more on that on Saturday)

Even more - if you had to choose between a collapsing economy and government intervention, which would you chose? Because if the market is taking care of itself, I wonder who’ll take care of the people?

]]> By: Iva http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20998 Iva Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:23:28 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20998 I have absolutely no idea about economy and the like, so correct me if I'm wrong, but ... Had the government intervened in this price rising thingie - wouldn't that again be the politics trying to take control over economy? So, contrary to something that we want (that is, a free economy)? Aren't the prices rising because the economy is taking care of itself? Just a thought of somebody not aligned with anybody. :D I have absolutely no idea about economy and the like, so correct me if I’m wrong, but … Had the government intervened in this price rising thingie - wouldn’t that again be the politics trying to take control over economy? So, contrary to something that we want (that is, a free economy)? Aren’t the prices rising because the economy is taking care of itself? Just a thought of somebody not aligned with anybody. :D

]]> By: alcessa http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20982 alcessa Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:36:45 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20982 I have just remembered that Maastricht criteria for joining the EU are not fixed, so I checked: <b>Inflation rate</b>: No more than 1.5 percentage points higher than the 3 best-performing member states of the EU (based on inflation). Don't know about the best-performing member states, but it seems quite normal for EU members to do worse than required (Germany did that for, I think, 3 consecutive years, to the EU stability pact). Also: we do have some good economists, don't we. Let us hope they will get the chance to act. I have just remembered that Maastricht criteria for joining the EU are not fixed, so I checked:

Inflation rate: No more than 1.5 percentage points higher than the 3 best-performing member states of the EU (based on inflation).

Don’t know about the best-performing member states, but it seems quite normal for EU members to do worse than required (Germany did that for, I think, 3 consecutive years, to the EU stability pact).

Also: we do have some good economists, don’t we. Let us hope they will get the chance to act.

]]> By: Dietmar http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20978 Dietmar Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:19:32 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20978 A little bit it reminds me of the days after we got the Euro in Germany. There were quite a lot of prices which went up. There was some time during which it was forbidden to increase the prices, but a the end a lot of stuff is now twice the price it was before. Some significant price changes could also lead to a chain reaction. A little bit it reminds me of the days after we got the Euro in Germany. There were quite a lot of prices which went up. There was some time during which it was forbidden to increase the prices, but a the end a lot of stuff is now twice the price it was before. Some significant price changes could also lead to a chain reaction.

]]> By: pengovsky http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20977 pengovsky Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:18:18 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20977 @alcessa: I'm not really in favour of price control. It's just that the gov't is snowing us with socialist rhetoric, and I'm just saying that if they mean it they should reinstate price control as well... As thing stand they're just full of shit, while the situation in (not so slowly) slipping out of control. @alcessa: I’m not really in favour of price control. It’s just that the gov’t is snowing us with socialist rhetoric, and I’m just saying that if they mean it they should reinstate price control as well… As thing stand they’re just full of shit, while the situation in (not so slowly) slipping out of control.

]]> By: pengovsky http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20976 pengovsky Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:14:28 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20976 @alcessa: Well, pre-Nazi Germany had it worse, right? :D Re: inflation: Right, but the problem is that Maastricht Criteria state that inflation should be around Eurozone inflation (circa 2% at the moment) and being 75% above that <B>is</B> a problem. Secondly: From Zimbabve's point of view a .5 percent increase is not much. But from Slovenia's point of view it's a lot. @venera: ;) Conspiracy theory. Me likes... @alcessa: Well, pre-Nazi Germany had it worse, right? :D

Re: inflation: Right, but the problem is that Maastricht Criteria state that inflation should be around Eurozone inflation (circa 2% at the moment) and being 75% above that is a problem.

Secondly: From Zimbabve’s point of view a .5 percent increase is not much. But from Slovenia’s point of view it’s a lot.

@venera: ;) Conspiracy theory. Me likes…

]]> By: venera http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20975 venera Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:25:01 +0000 http://www.pengovsky.com/2007/09/06/the-enemy-within/#comment-20975 Trust me, this is only some cunning method of our government to stop the young generations from developing all sorts of obesity related diseases. Bread is on the black list for its calories, so lets make it so expensive, it is out of our shopping lists. And I even think the sacking of the three ministers is connected somehow with this same issue. (Health, Science, Transport...they didn't come up with this smart solution, so they got fired). :) Trust me, this is only some cunning method of our government to stop the young generations from developing all sorts of obesity related diseases. Bread is on the black list for its calories, so lets make it so expensive, it is out of our shopping lists. And I even think the sacking of the three ministers is connected somehow with this same issue. (Health, Science, Transport…they didn’t come up with this smart solution, so they got fired).
:)

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