Out Today-But Read These

Like I said I need to be out today, but wanted to leave you with something anyway.  From time to time I am starting to publish posts that I find to be thoughtful analytical perspectives on various aspects of current society.  I try to find articles that are descriptive of current events and can help in my investment analysis.  There is much that goes into the investment matrix and not all of it has to do simply with earnings, profits and losses.  For example you will not have a healthy stock market in a country that does not have an economy based on the profit motive, laws that protect private property and an educational system that helps the economic advancement of its young.  There's a reason therefore that the United States has a market near all time highs and there is no market in Yemen or Afghanistan.

I will try to find articles that are as devoid of politics as possible and in some ways are related to the investment world.  I am interested in analysis not in somebody's hidden agenda.  I may not agree with everything that's written in these pieces but will pass them along because I think it's important for you to read them and understand the underlying forces that are propelling the modern world.  With that in mind, today I urge you to read:

Charles Hugh Smith, "The Changing World of Work: America's Nine Classes".  I think Mr. Smith does a very good job of analyzing and developing a better theory of American's socio-economic status today than most others I've seen.  I think he leaves out a few representative groups here, {i.e. recent college graduates for example} but I think otherwise it's something worth five minutes of your time to read.  

In the same vein regard classes in society but with a more international context go read, the last three posts over at "Future Brief".

For a look into the "Deep State" that Smith briefly discusses above go read "The XX Committee". Its author, John R. Schindler, has deep ties to the defense and national security state.  

Linked from the same Smith post above is an article about the welfare state that if it is true is very disappointing in that it shows how much money is wasted on that system and how many ways there are for folks to scam governments at all levels.  Go read "I Live Better on Welfare Then I Ever Did Working".  Again I will say before anybody draws any conclusions to this article, there is noway to verify if it is true.  

That's a pretty good list and enough for anybody interested to get through in the next few days.  Out tomorrow so next post here is Thursday.