Monday, October 26, 2009

East and South Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere

That prediction of your writer from a few years ago continues to develop before our eyes. Reading the news this mornings, I saw two examples of this evolution to a "Common Market" in East and South Asia.

FT: "China, Japan and other east Asian countries must have “serious” talks on currency co-operation to prevent a recurrence of violent fluctuations that have raised trade tensions in the region, said the president of the Asian Development Bank on Sunday. Haruhiko Kuroda said currency movements threatened the growth of trade between Asian countries, widely regarded as a key way of reducing the region’s reliance on exports to the US and Europe.

" “I think this is one area where east Asian countries are well advised to start a serious effort to co-operate,” Mr Kuroda said at the East Asia Summit between the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand."

By the way, don't be deluded by the headlines about the dollar vs. the Euro. The real story is the dollar vs. all those currencies in Asia (except China). Those nations for decades undervalued their currencies to sell more goods to the US. That policy is now collapsing as it eventually had to do. This is also putting pressure on China to let its currency rise, as its competitors in SE Asian are beginning to be hurt relatively.

WSJ: "CHA-AM, Thailand -- Japan and China laid out competing visions of how to create a European Union-style trade bloc in Asia at a regional summit here Sunday, with China pushing for stronger ties with its trading partners in Southeast Asia while Japan held open the door for the U.S. to play a role in a proposed East Asia regional trade group."

I'll be a bit facetious now - here's another of my favorite quotes: The Emperor – Return of the Jedi - “Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.” Hehehe.

Actions

I am doing nothing, but I'm thinking about where the next "screaming buy" (or sell) might be. My sales of various stocks and most of the call options to take sugar left me with lots of cash for new speculations. I'll just keep thinking ...

Book of the Week

"A Pragmatic Theory of Fallacy" by Douglas Walton [The University of Alabama Press: 1995] is a serious book crammed with excellent analysis and explanations of fallacies in rhetoric and argumentation. And it's very, very useful information for anyone who wants to truly understand all those types of dialogues that occur in our modern culture: critical discussions, quarrels, debates, negotiations, inquiries, and deliberations. People use techniques to advance their arguments that might be fair, or might be fallacies. Walton sorts though 25 "baptized" fallacies, explains and defines them and shows where they can be unfair or deceptive tactics, or might be legitimate.

If you've ever heard someone (or read it here) state that someone's adversary in an argument made the logical flaw or fallacy of "post hoc" [more completely, 'Post hoc ergo propter hoc'] or uses 'argumentum ad verecundium' without validity, and didn't know what he was talking (or writing) about, then this book is for you.

I just finished the book and enjoyed it immensely. I'm now sifting through it to prepare a synopsis of all the fallacies covered so I can be adept in recognizing them. I think this knowledge will help me understand public speeches and arguments on policy better. Of course, knowing the Latin names makes me 'appear' more erudite, too.

The book actually is perhaps best read after listening to a course from The Teaching Company [ www.teach12.com ] titled "Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition" by David Zarefsky, available now on sale for $49.95 on CDs.

Word of the Day

"Parapraxis" - noun [$100]; used in the comments last week by Sunboy.
Parapraxis means a slip of the tongue or pen, forgetfulness, misplacement of objects or other errors thought to reveal unconscious wishes or attitudes.
Sentence: When a politician says something not popular and later brushes it aside as an error or "slip of the tongue", the public would be well served by suspecting it was at least parapraxis, or at most a lie, and not mere inadvertent choice of words.

54 comments:

Bunkerman said...

The world moves toward harmony with nature ...

The Yankees win and are in the World Series !!!

Yayyyyyyyyyyy !!!

mfl59 said...

Iowa State beats Nebraska? are you serious? its your time Bud....enjoy it...

maverick said...

Bud trying to steal my thunder?...good win Clones...the U .... pfffffffttt

maverick said...

Bman...where do you buy your ammo? Do you buy any online? I assume walmart is the cheapest.

Bunkerman said...

this book of the week is fun for me - just picks out two great ones ( a natural pair) from .. The Library that I bought about 25 years ago.

;)

Spin-em said...

credit given in a opprobrious manner?...."interesting"(LD)

Bunkerman said...

Nowadays the only place I can buy ammo is from "my friendly local gun dealer" in town.

No dealer will ship to Massachusetts as the AG has threatened them with charges under some BS law.

I've never bought ammo at Wal-Mart or any other retail store. I only buy in bulk, at least 500 rounds, preferably 1,000 rounds at a time. Maybe a lot more.

In the distant past I bought from various places that advertised in "Shotgun News" where many, many dealers advertise.

Bunkerman said...

Oh, I do buy some at Kittery Trading post in Maine once in awhile - usually special rifle cartridges, like the Rigby .416, or shotgun slugs or buckshot.

Bunkerman said...

Opprobrius ... nah, that is salutatious.

Bunkerman said...

oops, "opprobrious"

my, such a fine consonance + assonance pair by Sunboy - appropriate - opprobrious.

Bunkerman said...

just giving your "green" credentials proper respect

;)

Bunkerman said...

and "Sunboy" was a leading member of the Legion of Super Heroes in the old DC comic books.

That moniker could not possibly be considered "opprobrious".

Spin-em said...

looooooooooooooooooooooooool bunk

Frosty said...

Bunky how about an AMZN buy...a catalog company this cheap at 70x, only 55x forward...what say you sausage king?

Bunkerman said...

nfw, frsoty.

waiting for it to stall, start going down, then "might" buy puts.

Bunkerman said...

I thought it was overvalued at 50.

Bunkerman said...

I did understand that you were being facetious ...

Frosty said...

where is my BFF...getting his aazzz pounded...hope not, the keg is dry.

oh well, can I afford another.

sure I can plus a six ft sub with extra cheese.

danke vielmals Mike !!!!!!!!!!!!

Spin-em said...

The swing....so sweet...this arod.
thy phils can they compete?.....
These Yanks...the team..is coming,
to a town..with a Broad Street.

merrrrn---eeeeee...come out to plaaaa-------hayyyyy

merrrrn---eeeeee...come out to plaaaa-------hayyyyy

Frosty said...

starting to worry about Sal...anyone have his home phone...call the cops.

Bud said...

good morning Bman !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


sorry late start..........had some back pain..........ya'know.........from carryin the wheelbarrows of cash to the safety deposit box


Non es deus my ass

Bud said...

did alot of reading over the US dollar this weekend................Bman i will have to address them later..........busy with ping-pong today

Bud said...

had iowa state +18.5 on saturday for the ranch............NAILED IT !!!!


cyclones only 1 game out in big12 north .....................i think we win it


bring on the longhorns in the big12 championship game !!!!!!!!

Bud said...

great win for the clemson tigers.........was rootin for them mav...............the U was doin alot of yappin.............they cud not stop cj spiller


clemson goin to the acc championship game i believe

Spin-em said...

did alot of reading over the US dollar this weekend................


"FUN BOBBY"

Bud said...

call the cops


LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



that cracks me up still.................1.79 lb chicken indeed

Bud said...

well well well


the dollar surges and the e-minis tank.............so Bman...........surely that is tellin you something

Bud said...

Bman i would like you to subscribe to this guy..........seems sharp




http://finance.uncommonwisdomdaily.com/roi/war-on-the-dollar.php?sc=G100&ec=A97650&ga_campaign=uw+content+-+bernanke/obama/rwr+(a97650)&ga_adgroup=currency+only-+text&ga_keyword=content&gclid=CMakucr-2p0CFeRL5QodPCcHrA

mfl59 said...

Bud if you could stop talking about the dollar's collapse Id appreciate it....the more you yap, the worse my gold position gets...Thanks in advance

Frosty said...

Sal are you long the rupee contracts sir?

Spin-em said...

....there is a brilliant new book out called 'Baby Steps'. It means setting small, reasonable goals for yourself.

mfl59 said...

it worked for Bob Wiley

Bunkerman said...

hmmm some hard core ping-pong today

Bunkerman said...

"the dollar surges and the e-minis tank.............so Bman...........surely that is tellin you something"

sheesh, of course it does ... it says lots of beefers are playing the same hand.

such an easy one ...

Frosty said...

Bunky...please rate the level of panic you now feel today...scale of 1-10, and no 11 is not an option.

Frosty said...

thanks in advance.

Bunkerman said...

uh .. what # is highest and what # is lowest ?

Bunkerman said...

presuming that 1 is lowest level, I'm a 1.

is zero an option ?

Bud said...

Faber Says Dollar Will Eventually Go to `Value of Zero' October 26 (Bloomberg) -- Marc Faber, publisher of the Gloom, Boom & Doom Report, talks with Bloomberg's Deirdre Bolton and Erik Schatzker about the performance of the dollar and U.S. economic outlook.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/av/

Bud said...

sorry to hear that ace...............but aren't you riding gold from lower levels


i'll try to contain myself.............but i think this dollar demise story has monumental consequences..........can't understand why the Bman is so calm about it

Bud said...

hahahhahahahahahah frosty


you are so f'ng funny..........i got your rupee right here

Frosty said...

Sal, can we get a wing tax update, thanks in advance...please don't post a link...take as much space as needed.

mfl59 said...

If the dollar goes to zero, where will the SPX go?

Bud said...

'take as much space as needed'


LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Bud said...

i don't understand you guys................a trader tax shuts us down completely..........100000000000%..........there is NO MORE TRADING!!!

over.....finished... ..............done...........i be workin at a car wash.........or a diner........or selling kids shoes



i don't understand how this tax is source of amusement for you guys............this keeps me up at night

Bud said...

i can see the SPX goin to 2500 in the next year if the dollar tanks from here............no doubt in my mind



PS.............but my purchasing power ain't goin down............huh???????

Bunkerman said...

why Bman is not worried about the dollar ...

Hmmm

Perhaps he's neither a member of homo boobus nor the booboisie ?

Frosty said...

Bunky...how about doing Sal a solid...how much skim is enough... how about an oil change on the house.

Bunkerman said...

how about doing Sal a solid

hmmm ... not German ... maybe Valley Girl ? Or some Aleut + English dialect ?

Frosty said...

me igloos su igloos...bring your own spam and sterno...nonono bed and breakfast sir.

mfl59 said...

dollar to zero, SPX to 2500? Ill take the under....try under 500...

Bunkerman said...

uh mfl .. should I prepare an armageddon list for you to start stockpiling ?

firearms, ammo, gold, silver, liquor, cigarettes, chocolate, "les presevatifs", etc ..

MREs, Spam, fresh water ...

Bunkerman said...

and you'll need a generator and some 5 gallon jerry cans.

Bunkerman said...

of course, I am prepared.