Post 326

• General Motors has a long and interesting history.
  • It has been hurt by tariffs, but sales did benefit as customers rushed to beat the tariffs.
• Women are twice as likely to be raped in the UK and Sweden than they are in the US.
  • And a hundred times more likely than in Japan.
• Chipotle is a fast casual restaurant whose sales have been going in the wrong direction over the last year.
  • A quick look back.
• Americans are going to the movies a lot less than they were pre-COVID.
  • Higher ticket prices are helping to offset some of the decline.
• In Financial Ructions:
  • We look at how since 1961, taxation in Canada has grown faster than any other form of expenditure.
    • Surprise, surprise.
  • Then we look at how there is one thing in Canada that has grown faster than taxation.
    • And that is government spending.
  • And no.  Canada does not have more runway than other countries in terms of deficit spending and debt to GDP.
    • Runway implies no negative effects and from that perspective they all ran out of runway a long time ago.
      • All western economies are already suffering enormously from runaway government spending.
  • And it’s getting worse.
• In our book review of The Way the World Works,
  • We look at how lower taxes contributed to the Roaring Twenties.
    • And how the tariff tax of Smoot Hawley helped end them.