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Mixed Signals, Chaos, and Bureaucracy

Last week, the polls were wrong and Brexit rattled the markets. But the people most worried were central planning bureaucrats who wonder how to make sure it never happens again. The number of business establishments and microbusinesses are still growing. Durable goods orders send another recession signal. It’s another week of mixed and mixed up signals, something economists like because it makes them look busy.

Monday, June 27, 2016

The exit of the UK from the Economic Union certainly caused quite the stir. It’s either the end of the world as we know it or the second coming of the Magna Carta.

No one knows what it all means other than the next two years will be more eventful than usual. Brexit will probably be blamed for the slightest economic disturbance or credited with the slightest economic uptick.

The frustration with economic bureaucracies was building for some time, but it remains to be seen if centralized regulatory authorities retreat from temptations of micromanagement. From what I’ve read, the EU wants the UK exit to be accomplished as soon as possible, even sooner than the two years required. Other countries seem to be prepared to threaten their own exit to get some desired concessions. They’ve had a whole weekend to create their want lists.


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About Dr. Joe Webb

Dr. Joe Webb is one of the graphic arts industry's best-known consultants, forecasters, and commentators. He is the director of WhatTheyThink's Economics and Research Center.

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