Noteworthy Reads - January 2019

The secret to building wealth is surprisingly simple.  It takes discipline, luck and a belief in the future.

100-millionaires-nearly-all-got-rich-using-the-same-simple-3step-strategy

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The Pew Research Center is a great source of information for "taking the pulse" of the US and other countries.

Among the findings of a recent report:

Americans generally agree on the democratic ideals and values they see as important for the U.S. – but they say the country is falling short in living up to them. For example, while 84% of Americans say it is very important that the rights and freedoms of all people are respected, 47% say this describes the country well. And while 83% say it’s very important that elected officials face serious consequences for misconduct, just three-in-ten say this describes the country well.

Mr. Trump ... come on down.  Mr. Clinton and Mrs. Clinton ... come on down.
Pew Research Center 18-striking-findings-from-2018


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Why the Left is so Afraid of Jordon Peterson

This article appeared in The Atlantic on August 9, 2018.  Peterson's book, the 12 rules of life, as provoked a firestorm among left-leaning academics who have been used to having their own way for far too long. They are being challenged.

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Misery of the Tar Sands - One Perspective

Opinion: The Great American Conspiracy to Sabotage Canadian Oil Patch 

Alberta and Saskatchewan are suffering.  The stars seem aligned against these provinces but, according to some, human intervention was involved.

Following the (primarily U.S) funding of the Canadian anti-oil movement

In the event that the leadership of Canada changes, expect a change in federal policies for charitable giving:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/environmental-charities-don-t-top-list-of-foreign-funded-groups-1.1247417

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China's credit crunch is a red light to global economy, as Nomura issues warning

Cyclical ups and downs of China's economy have become a crucial factor for the global economy, determining commodity prices and emerging market growth rates. ....

This is fully understood by "global macro" hedge funds but not yet by the broader public, or, all too often, by the policy classes in the West who still rely on old "pre-China" notions of how the world works.

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The 20 per cent-a-year stock picker who wishes his edge would disappear