"Just in time" logistics is highly efficient when everything works, but it LOSES ON REDUNDANCY. Modern systems are more vulnerable to planned shocks than ever. Big Finance lets businesses borrow 20% to make a 20.5% investment, extremely high leverage that would slam into a wall if someone intentionally threw a wrench into the machine. Or, black swans.
Highly conformist economies can get away with debt, but if there's a change, like a demographic shift, then the old debts can suddenly snowball into chains. That's what people realize in their guts, with the recent election, even if they can't articulate it.
If the state sees the collapse coming, and declares bankruptcy ASAP, things actually usually turn out ok. If they are in denial and "extend and pretend", then we get Greece or Weimar 2.0 and get to enjoy some real history.
Universities are highly leveraged and politically connected, so they would be ground zero in an act of economic terrorism. No parenthesis there, because this is something that actually would be real terrorism.
I wonder what the Big Ed equivalent of the TSA would look like. ;)
Attention everyone: Quebec students DID this, this year.
They actually brought down their provincial government over it.
Bunch of raving Marxists who caused violent riots, serial vandalism, scared off a lot of GDP from Montreal & area, and ruined many a kid's degrees - Yes.
But boycotted classes for an entire semester and forced a provincial election, replacing a Liberal government with an even more Marxist, separatist Bloc Quebecois? Yes.
"Just in time" logistics is highly efficient when everything works, but it LOSES ON REDUNDANCY. Modern systems are more vulnerable to planned shocks than ever. Big Finance lets businesses borrow 20% to make a 20.5% investment, extremely high leverage that would slam into a wall if someone intentionally threw a wrench into the machine. Or, black swans.
ReplyDeleteHighly conformist economies can get away with debt, but if there's a change, like a demographic shift, then the old debts can suddenly snowball into chains. That's what people realize in their guts, with the recent election, even if they can't articulate it.
If the state sees the collapse coming, and declares bankruptcy ASAP, things actually usually turn out ok. If they are in denial and "extend and pretend", then we get Greece or Weimar 2.0 and get to enjoy some real history.
Universities are highly leveraged and politically connected, so they would be ground zero in an act of economic terrorism. No parenthesis there, because this is something that actually would be real terrorism.
I wonder what the Big Ed equivalent of the TSA would look like. ;)
Capt.
ReplyDeleteI think you will like this blogger, particularly this rant:
Hipsters On Food Stamps, Part 1
http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/11/hipsters_on_food_stamps.html
Attention everyone: Quebec students DID this, this year.
ReplyDeleteThey actually brought down their provincial government over it.
Bunch of raving Marxists who caused violent riots, serial vandalism, scared off a lot of GDP from Montreal & area, and ruined many a kid's degrees - Yes.
But boycotted classes for an entire semester and forced a provincial election, replacing a Liberal government with an even more Marxist, separatist Bloc Quebecois? Yes.