Why are “culture wars” prominent in some European countries but not in others? In new research, Tadeas Cely finds roots for these divides in historic divergence embedded in religious cultures. The term “culture wars” (Kulturkampf) was famously first used by Otto von Bismarck to describe a struggle for influence with the Catholic Church (1871-1878). At … Read more
Whenever the markets become ‘scary’ due to current events, advisors can anticipate calls from anxious clients wondering what to do next. These clients are often in fight-or-flight mode, which can make it difficult to have a rational discussion or a productive conversation about their financial plan. And if an advisor jumps straight to data – … Read more
As a stock market investor, I’m disappointed in the new tariffs President Trump has imposed—10% on imports from China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada, including a 10% duty on Canadian energy imports (oil, natural gas, electricity). If these tariffs persist all year without resolution, corporate earnings could take a 2%-3% hit, which means a similar drop in … Read more
Based on a new book, Cormac Ó Gráda argues that previous estimates of civilian deaths in the first and second world wars are almost certainly too low. Berthold Brecht’s classic Mutter Courage is a play about the Thirty Years’ War. Its eponymous heroine, after much suffering in her struggle to survive, complained toward the end: … Read more
Back in 2012 I argued that there would soon be mobile wallet wars. In 2014, I speculated that there would be mobile wallet wars but that it was early days. In 2020, I still noted that mobile wallets were pretty awful. Today, it is clear that the mobile wallet is the core of the customer relationship and competitive … Read more