Smart Links 18 July 2012

Paul Summerville • July 17, 2012

Tags: Canada, China, Gold, Housing, Investing, Politics, Yes

Commentary on China’s imbalanced economy, 21st century power, follow the S&P bouncing ball, the case for staying in gold, life for the erotic novel post-internet, and Canada’s housing bubble.

Capital investment mania.

Financial Times -- China: The road to nowhere
Fears of excessive investment are fuelling debate about whether slower growth is the right course for Beijing.

Rethinking power.

Globalist -- How Power Really Works in the 21st Century: Beyond Soft, Hard & Smart
The now ubiquitous concept of "soft power" has outlived its usefulness in international affairs.

Up and down.

Related.

The gold hedge.

Charlie Fell – In Gold We Trust
The foundation for new all-time-highs is in place. As far as sentiment is concerned, we definitely see no euphoria with respect to gold.

Beyond Jackie Collins.

London Review of Books -- Travelling Southwards
When it comes to erotic writing, the more explicit it gets – the more heaving, the more panting – the more I want to laugh.

The old hands in the Victoria real estate market are comparing this summer’s market to the 1985 wipe out. Is Canada’s most liveable city the canary in the coal mine?

Business Insider -- The Canadian Housing Market Sure Looks Like A Bubble
As the U.S. begins to recover from its housing bubble, concerns have been escalating about a housing bubble in Canada.

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Twin Virtues: Inequality of Outcomes & Equality of Opportunity©

LimeSpot: Own the Experience.

Leveraging Social Networks for Profit.

Marrying the product portfolio of brand name firms with the personal profile information on Facebook.

The LimeSpot enabled revolutionary new sales channel.

Ultimately, the most successful societies find the balance between the twin virtues of inequality of outcomes and equality of opportunity.

The new politics must marry the twin virtues of unequal outcomes and equality of opportunity.

When too few get too much everybody ends up with less.

Can it be that striving for equality of opportunity however imperfect the process not only benefits the individual but also creates benefits for the society as a whole that are unintended but wonderful?

Economics must be a 'moral enterprise' as much as politics claims to be. Economic outcomes need to be framed in terms of right and wrong not just efficiency if only because these often align in surprising ways.

My vision of Canada is that any Canadian child from a family of limited circumstance can expect to have a chance at lifetime of unlimited opportunities.

Tax policy should be founded on the principle of generating steady tax revenues sufficient to maximise environmentally sustainable economic growth in order to fund fair government.

Public policy should be designed to decrease inequality before the law and increase equality of opportunity.

Capitalism is not the problem; the problem is what we do with capitalism.

Content is always more difficult to argue than conspiracy.

Let the state regulate and the market operate (most things).

Welfare strategies are best designed as a hand up not as a hand out.

Political debate should not be fact free fighting.

Explanation lasts longer than eloquence.

Always favour empowerment over dependency.

The most enduring public figures are embraced for the causes they fought for and not the concept of themselves they hoped others would remember them by.

Find your voice and don't be the echo of somebody else.