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Who will guard the search engines?

Who will guard the search engines?

How search engines operate should be considered of great importance by anyone who claims to take democracy seriously, regardless of one’s political sympathies.

What is freedom of speech without 'freedom of reach?'

What is freedom of speech without 'freedom of reach?'

After Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X) in autumn 2022, there has been plenty of turmoil surrounding the platform. For instance, some groups were upset after the team responsible for “moderation” has been shut down. Instead of limiting freedom of speech, X primarily limits users ability to reach others. ("Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of reach"). Even so, some argue that the platform falls short in ensuring a respectable tone and combating the spread of disinformation (intentional spread of false information) as well as misinformation (false or inaccurate information that is unintentionally spread).

Make money real again!

Make money real again!

Why is counterfeiting problematic? Most respondents to such a question would likely come up with the following answers: 1) it could undermine trust in the financial system, 2) counterfeit money could fund criminal activities, 3) counterfeit money could cause inflation. Historically, inflation referred to an increase in the money supply, unlike today when economists and lexicographers have re-defined it to mean rising prices). However, these answers may overlook the bigger picture.

Globalism makes freedom of speech impossible

Globalism makes freedom of speech impossible

Last year there were burnings of religious books in Sweden, leading to a diplomatic crisis. During a press conference, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson emphasized that the government is currently not planning to restrict freedom of speech, although some of his government colleagues seem to take a different view.

The Multi-Headed Elites

The Multi-Headed Elites

This piece was published April 22, 2024 at Brownstone Institute. It was co-written with Tuomas Malinen, CEO and the Chief Economist of GnS Economics.

The imperial boomerang

The imperial boomerang

We have earlied pondered the likelihood of a financial event horizon (warning: Swedish) for the United States. Since then, little has improved, rather the opposite - at least gauging from the budget outcomes and national debt perspectives.

Central bankers talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk

Central bankers talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk

Trust is a topic increasingly being discussed. Whether it is trust in each other, in the media, or in our authorities, trust is generally seen as a cornerstone of a strong and well-functioning society. The topic was also the theme of the World Economic Forum at its annual meeting in Davos earlier this year. Even among central bank economists, the subject is becoming more prevalent. Last year, Agustín Carstens, head of the BIS (“the central bank of central banks”), said that “[w]ith trust, the public will be more willing to accept actions that involve short-term costs in exchange for long-term benefits” and that “trust is vital for policy effectiveness”.

The colour of the cat doesn't matter

The colour of the cat doesn't matter

Jerome Powell, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, stated during a hearing in March that the central bank has no plans to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDCs) or consider it necessary at present. He said this even though the material Fed staff presents to Congress suggests otherwise - that CBDCs are described as one of the Fed’s key duties.

Bitcoin and the waterwheel

Bitcoin and the waterwheel

Biologist Stuart Kauffman introduced the concept of the “adjacent possible” in evolutionary biology in 1996. A bacterium cannot suddenly transform into a flamingo; rather, it must rely on small exploratory changes (of the “adjacent possible”) if it is ever to become a beautiful pink flying creature. The same principle applies to human societies, all of which exemplify complex systems. It is indeed challenging to transform shivering cave-dwellers into a space travelers without numerous intermediate steps.

Pride comes before a fall

Pride comes before a fall

The Governor of the Swedish Central Bank, Erik Thedéen, recently expressed significant skepticism about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as a phenomenon, dismissing Bitcoin as “an instrument for pure speculation.” He also pointed out that if there is no possibility to expose oneself to Bitcoin in the Swedish financial system, it might end up “more in criminal hands.” The European Central Bank is on the same track. In a recent blog post, they amused themselves by comparing Bitcoin ETFs to “the Emperor’s new clothes.”

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