So many reasons to worry and an absolute crackpot in charge

Recession

We’ve already got so many reasons to worry.[1] Add softening of capital requirements and stress test requirements that had been imposed on banks following the financial crisis.[2] Really, just add the less publicized theme of the Trump presidency: de jure and de facto deregulation.[3]

Jeanna Smialek, Peter Eavis, and Emily Flitter, “Banks Want Efficiency. Critics Warn of Backsliding,” New York Times, August 20, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/business/bank-regulation-federal-reserve.html


Greenland

Hopefully, this will be the last word here on Donald Trump’s fantasy of buying Greenland.[4] It’s an authoritative last word. And for legal as well as political reasons, Trump’s fantasy is almost certainly just that: a fantasy.[5] Oh, and by the way, neoconservative wet dreams notwithstanding, the Pentagon probably wouldn’t even know what to do with it.[6]

Scott R. Anderson, “Why Trump Can’t Buy Greenland,” Lawfare, August 16, 2019, https://www.lawfareblog.com/why-trump-cant-buy-greenland

Kyle Mizokami, “Why The Pentagon Wouldn’t Even Want Greenland,” Jalopnik, August 21, 2019, https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-the-pentagon-wouldn-t-even-want-greenland-1837415427


  1. [1]Rebecca Ballhaus and Nick Timiraos, “Officials See Few Options if Slowdown Hits,” Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/options-dwindle-to-boost-u-s-economic-growth-11566431581; Jon Hilsenrath, “After Record-Long Expansion, Here’s What Could Knock the Economy Off Course,” Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-record-long-expansion-heres-what-could-knock-the-economy-off-course-11559591043; John Kemp, “Global economy is probably in recession,” Reuters, August 7, 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-global-economy-kemp/column-global-economy-is-probably-in-recession-idUKKCN1UX1OF; Colin Kruger, “‘Insane levels’: Can a world where profitless companies are flying last?” Sydney Morning Herald, August 10, 2019, https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/insane-levels-can-a-world-where-profitless-companies-are-flying-last-20190808-p52f3d.html; Damian Paletta, Thomas Heath, and Taylor Telford, “Stocks tank as another recession warning surfaces,” Washington Post, August 14, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/14/stocks-tank-another-recession-warning-surfaces/; David Scutt, “The ‘doom loop’ that could bring on a global recession,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 15, 2019, https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/the-doom-loop-could-bring-on-a-global-recession-20190815-p52h9v.html; Jeff Stein and Jonnelle Marte, “With deficit rising, worries grow the U.S. may be out of tools if recession hits,” Washington Post, August 21, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/21/us-deficit-expand-by-more-than-billion-over-years-than-previously-expected-cbo-says/; Tim Wallace, “‘Very real’ recession risk as economy contracts for first time in seven years,” Telegraph, August 9, 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/08/09/recession-risk-now-real-economy-contracts-first-time-seven-years/; Tim Wallace, “World economy faces a risk that’s far bigger than Trump’s trade war,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 9, 2019, https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/world-economy-faces-a-risk-that-s-far-bigger-than-trump-s-trade-war-20190809-p52ffs.html
  2. [2]Jeanna Smialek, Peter Eavis, and Emily Flitter, “Banks Want Efficiency. Critics Warn of Backsliding,” New York Times, August 20, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/business/bank-regulation-federal-reserve.html
  3. [3]Alex Leary, “Trump Administration Pushes to Deregulate With Less Enforcement,” Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-pushes-to-deregulate-with-less-enforcement-11561291201
  4. [4]Alex Leary, “White House Cancels Trump’s Visit to Denmark After Greenland Flap,” Wall Street Journal, August 20, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-says-he-will-postpone-meeting-with-denmark-prime-minister-11566347264; Rick Noack, John Wagner, and Felicia Sonmez, “Trump attacks Danish prime minister for her ‘nasty’ comments about his interest in U.S. purchase of Greenland,” Washington Post, August 21, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/danes-furious-over-postponement-of-trumps-visit-call-his-behavior-insulting/2019/08/21/82d0a5f4-c3b8-11e9-8bf7-cde2d9e09055_story.html; Alexandra Petri, “The Emperor’s New Island, a tale of Trump buying Greenland,” Washington Post, August 16, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/08/16/emperors-new-island-tale-trump-buying-greenland/; Vivian Salama et al., “President Trump Eyes a New Real-Estate Purchase: Greenland,” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-eyes-a-new-real-estate-purchase-greenland-11565904223; Vivian Salama and Andrew Restuccia, “Greenland Tells Trump: ‘We’re Open for Business, Not for Sale,’” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/greenland-tells-trump-were-open-for-business-not-for-sale-11565960064
  5. [5]Scott R. Anderson, “Why Trump Can’t Buy Greenland,” Lawfare, August 16, 2019, https://www.lawfareblog.com/why-trump-cant-buy-greenland
  6. [6]Kyle Mizokami, “Why The Pentagon Wouldn’t Even Want Greenland,” Jalopnik, August 21, 2019, https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-the-pentagon-wouldn-t-even-want-greenland-1837415427