Predictability, Natural Law, and the Imaginary Economy

Predictability, Natural Law, and the Imaginary Economy

Book Cover Full Size.pngEvery so often, a reader offers a thoughtful comment that still manages to miss the point. Not because the person is unintelligent, but because they are reasoning inside an imaginary system — a system built on labels, theories, and institutional storytelling. That is exactly what happened here.

THE READER’S COMMENT

READER:
Thanks for breaking that down — it’s a refreshingly blunt way of putting it. I agree that a lot of modern economic theory and forecasting can feel overcomplicated, especially when the core dynamics — debt, taxation limits, and inflation — are actually pretty straightforward.

That said, while the logic is simple, the outcomes aren’t always predictable. Global markets, supply shocks, and public reactions can throw a wrench in even the clearest plan. But your point about the incentives and behavioral factors is spot on — it’s a big part of why inflation persists even when it’s painful for ordinary people.

This is a polite, well‑intentioned response. But it rests on a common assumption: that outcomes are unpredictable because the modern economy is too complex. That assumption is the very thing that keeps people confused.

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Who Really Pays? Tariffs, Titles, and the Illusion of Authority

 

Who Really Pays? Tariffs, Titles, and the Illusion of Authority

Book Cover Full Size.pngEvery now and then, a simple question exposes a much bigger problem. Not a math problem, not a policy problem, but a reality problem. Someone recently asked me:

QUESTION:
Do you know Americans paid 90% of the tariffs, not retailers?

That question is not really about tariffs. It is about how we think. Do we define people and institutions by their titles, or by what they actually do? Do we trust labels, or do we watch behavior?

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