More confirmation, if ever it was needed, on the "poodlehood" of Tony Blair, courtesy of this morning’s Financial Times:

Blair kept quiet on Wolfowitz candidacy

Tony Blair was sounded out on the candidacy of Paul Wolfowitz to lead the World Bank before the White House announced his nomination but did not share the controversial proposal with cabinet colleagues or fellow European leaders.

The British prime minister was informed about Mr Wolfowitz’s possible candidacy and relayed to Washington that he would not oppose him.

Cont. reading: Poodlehood

(Wolfowitz)

My Back Pages

Since I reopened Whiskey Bar back in January, huge numbers of readers – well, OK, one or two – have asked me why I’m not “writing” anymore.

Go read the rest and reply here!

UNITED NATIONS (RBN) – France is to put to a vote on Thursday a U.N. resolution referring the Schiavo case to the International Criminal Court, daring Washington to cast an embarrassing veto or accept a judgement by a court it opposes.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to order Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube reinserted, rejecting a desperate appeal by her parents to keep their severely brain-damaged daughter alive. The U.N. Security Council has been deadlocked on where to refer the case to the ICC as a possible crime against humanity.

Cont. reading: U.S. May Veto UN Vote on Schiavo

The most recent life expectancy statistics for France has just been published (4 page pdf, in French), and within that document comes a nice visual of one of the most amazing "laws" of social sciences:

For the past 250 years, life expectancy has increased with amazing regularity (interrupted only by war) at a rate of one trimester per year.

(see also this graph, from this study by Oepen and Vaupel, discussed on the Maternal & Child Health blog)

Cont. reading: Life Expectancy

News, views, whatever and a link to the forerunner

Tweedledee and Tweedledum

Killing prisoners: Eat Our Shorts, Dude

Christians? In the Name of the Son

Full Court Press

(I need to find a new form for Billmon posts. Any ideas? Please email them.)

Gen manipulated corn is save. It is thoroughly tested. The controls are strict. There are self regulating elements in the industry that will not fail. The government strictly controls the gen companies and will inform the public immediately in case any irregularities occur.

You do believe this bullshit? Here is news:

Cont. reading: GM Bullshit

Here’s a strong argument to those that say that taxes are a drain on growth and must be cut:
there is no correlation whatsoever between public spending levels and growth per capita, as this graph below shows

The economic performance of the US over the past 10 years is pretty much identical to that of sclerotic, socialist, rigid France, and significantly worse than that of socialist, statist Sweden and Finland, measured in statistically significant terms, i.e. growth per capita

Cont. reading: Low Taxes and Growth Not Linked

Complaining

An interesting series about the UK elections is currently underway over at dailyKos (provided by Welshman and Febble), and it has been suggested that I provide the same on the other important vote due to take place in Europe in the coming weeks: France’s referendum on the EU Constitutional Treaty (or EU Constitution) on 29 May.

I’ll use this post to make a brief description of the Constitution, how we got there, what will happen next, and what are the stakes in France. I intend to make a series of posts on the topic as the campaign unfolds, and this can be used to discuss various European issues.

Please bring in your input and your questions, I’ll try to respond in the comments or in future installments.

Cont. reading: France to Vote EU Constitution (I)

As you may have heard, GM shocked the markets last week with its very weak earnings, and its shares dropped almost 12% in one day. What happened on the bond market was actually more interesting, and also more symptomatic of the current state of the world economy in general and the US economy in particular.

Today comes the news that GE Capital pulls $2bn GM credit facility (FT, 22 March). The short version: the smarter rats are leaving the sinking ship.

Below, some thoughts on:

• the amazing power of rating agencies and how they misuse it
• too much money in the markets and the "flight to garbage"
• the backlash

Cont. reading: General Motors Junk

A plague of locusts

and

An Answer to an Orwellian Rightist

and

A Slow Learner in the Pentagon

and

Names and Faces

What happens when there is a supply-demand imbalance in a market with very low demand inelasticity, like oil?

In other words, how high should the price of oil rise to cause a drop in demand sufficient to clear the market in a situation where supply is contrained by physical and/or political factors?

The case of molybdenum, a metal which also displays low demand inelasticity, offers an interesting insight:

Prices multiplied by 10 or more is what is required…

(Thanks to mobjectivist, via Pedro in the comments)

Whale Oil is another interesting precedent for price predictions.

Cont. reading: Molybdenum and Whale Oil

Pure Science may be tolerated, may be.

Seperated at Birth? may be yes, may be.

Infectious Disease in Texas and Florida.

(Note to MoA readers: I have a bad, bad cold and lost my physical voice for now. This somehow also blocks my virtual voice here even though there is much to say. If you have a piece for the community, please send it to me and it will be posted. b.)

Two years of war on Iraq and other tales …

Dangerous folks

plus

All Patients on Life Support Are Equal
Some Are Less Equal Than Others

plus

Brain Dead by Billmon

What does it say about the brain activity on the hill, when the U.S. Congress needs to subpoenae a brain-dead women and demands her appearance at a hearing?

Not a good joke, I know, but serious: Do people have a right to die?

Cover Up Accomplished: In the Clear