Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Shipping Is Stalled

Here is a very astute look at an obscure but vital economic sign: shipping.  When the economy cycles properly, ships spend a lot of time in transit carrying raw materials and finished goods.  When the economy drops, demand falls, and shipping falls with it.  Now the demand is so low that ships sit in harbor because sending them out would lose money.  This is a bad sign.  It is, however, quite predictable that if people have not got enough to live on, they stop buying things.

It's not that there is no money in the economy.  It's that so much of it is held by so few people, there isn't enough left to sustain the motion.  The cycle grinds to a halt.  The whole point of having money is to move goods and services more efficiently than barter.  This only works if the money is spread around enough for people to use it.  If they can't get it, then it might as well not exist.  People have to fall back on other methods of meeting their needs, and the big engines of commerce just run out of gas.
Tags: economics, news
Subscribe

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    switch
    default userpic

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    When you submit the form an invisible reCAPTCHA check will be performed.
    You must follow the Privacy Policy and Google Terms of use.
    Help
  • 4 comments
solarbird

Zero Hedge, I am disappoint

solarbird

January 12 2016, 21:27:03 UTC 5 years ago Edited:  January 12 2016, 21:32:03 UTC

This isn't true.

The second graphic Zero Hedge put up actually shows ships in transit, when they identify it as showing no ships in transit. It's just wrong.

Also, the primary article source - if you skip back through the blog they're directly quoting - is superstation95, claiming to be 95.1 FM New York, New York. I went and checked their website, and they are batshit insane. Also, they're not 95.1 FM. The actual 95.1 FM in NYC is WNYE, an adult album alternative music and NPR station. Goddammit Google, don't fuck with me like that. (95.1 should not correct to 91.5! Looking for the actual 95.1 license holder now.)

Zero Hedge, I am very disappoint.
solarbird

Re: Zero Hedge, I am disappoint

solarbird

January 12 2016, 21:48:21 UTC 5 years ago

Okay, so I got into the FCC's database, and there is in fact no 95.1 licensed anywhere in southern New York State. There's one up on the north coast, near Rochester, but that's hundreds of miles away. And the only 95.1 operating in New Jersey is WAYV-FM Top Hits out of Atlantic City.

So they're just making up that whole FM 95.1 thing.