Market Watch (January 14)
“For investors, a meaningful erosion of central-bank independence would weaken the Fed’s inflation-targeting discipline and be negative for both stocks and bonds, as markets have long operated under the assumption that Fed independence will hold.” Although “we do not expect the Trump administration to capture the Federal Reserve, continued pressure on central-bank independence is likely to weigh on the U.S. dollar.” Ultimately, “market calm is conditional on the Senate acting as a backstop to Fed independence. If that condition is misread, markets will break down.”
Tags: Bonds, Capture, Central bank, Discipline, Dollar, Erosion, Fed, Independence, Inflation, Investors, Markets, Negative, Senate, Stocks, Trump, U.S., Weaken
Fortune (January 11)
“2026 begins with sharper risks for China: Geopolitical uncertainty, a struggling real estate sector, strained public finances, and elevated youth unemployment. Yet what draws companies to China—scale, innovation, and global influence— remain as compelling as ever.” The economics have changed and competition has increased. Success now requires greater discipline, but “for global businesses prepared to operate with this level of discipline, China can still be a lucrative market in the Year of the Horse.”
Tags: 2026, China, Competition, Discipline, Geopolitical uncertainty, Global influence, Innovation, Lucrative, Public finances, Real estate, Risks, Scale, Struggling, Year of the Horse, Youth unemployment
Washington Post (October 24)
“Tax hikes and macroeconomic discipline won’t be enough. To persuade both investors and voters to believe in post-Brexit Britain, Sunak needs a convincing growth agenda. Since tax cuts are unaffordable, that agenda must consist of regulatory reform. Sunak must be as bold on microeconomic strategy as he is on macro.”
Tags: Britain, Convincing, Discipline, Growth agenda, Investors, Macroeconomic, Microeconomic strategy, Persuade, Post-Brexit, Regulatory reform, Sunak, Tax cuts, Tax hikes, Unaffordable, Voters
NBC News (December 11)
“First, President Donald Trump failed in his pledge to ‘hire the best people’ in the White House; now, he’s having trouble hiring any people. These phenomena are not unrelated.” Trump’s first pick for Chief of Staff turned him down. This should be no surprise as it’s an unenviable job: “Trump has the impulse control of a hungry, intoxicated bear and bridles at attempts to keep him disciplined or to bring order to his administration.”
Tags: Administration, Bridles, Chief of Staff, Discipline, Failed, Hiring, Hungry, Impulse control, Intoxicated, Trump
Ekathimerini (August 19)
“Greece’s formal exit from the bailout program does not mean that the country has reached the end of an era and is turning over a brand-new leaf.” During the next phase, Greece will require “even more determination and discipline to meet stringent targets and push through more reforms that will help it get back on its feet.”
Tags: Bailout, Determination, Discipline, Era, Exit, Greece, Reforms, Targets
Chicago Tribune (July 5)
“The greatest threat facing America is President Donald Trump…. Daily he shows he lacks the character, discipline, intellect, judgment or respect for the office to be president of the United States.” One might “have to go back to King George III to find a head of state who so threatened America. But there is no precedent for one whose character is so obviously ill-suited to the presidency.”
Tags: Character, Discipline, Ill-suited, Intellect, Judgment, Presidency, Respect, Threat, Trump, U.S.
