Economists have too many hands. On the one hand, they may declare something good. On the other hand, they may say, “well, not so much.” Some of them may have even a third or fourth hand. My ex-boss, an economist himself, once remarked that he wished he could chop off some of these hands. […]
Here is a look at the causes and effects of the surge in food and energy prices. Among the myriad of economic reasons conjectured to be behind this so-called silent tsunami, I feel that the influx of institutional investment and speculation is the most likely cause. I present my personal views in this article. Originally written for the Wilmott Magazine, this article contains a bit of technical analysis.