Administrative announcements
My time in Japan this year has come to an end (sob). It is back home for me and I will have to wait until next year before I return. At any rate, today I have no time to write a post so you will have to be content listening to the music I have ready for the flight.
Today, I am heading to the airport for travel to Japan. For the next several months I will once again be working as a professor at Kyoto University as part of the research team concerned with integrating the macroeconomic principles in Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) principles into a broader framework to build national resilience in the face of climate change, demographic challenges, transport and housing challenges and more. So from tomorrow I will be in Kyoto and depending on commitments my blog posts might be a little less regular although I think I will be able to continue the usual output. I will have more to say about what we are working on, including the release of a book we have been completing from last year’s collaborations. There is also a major event planned for later in November in Tokyo to launch our latest work. I will provide details later when I know them. We are also talking about hosting an Modern Monetary Theory symposium in Kyoto next April to welcome in the Spring and the cherry blossoms. When I know more I will relate the details here. I am also working on my next book which will traverse the topics of degrowth, the sustainability of capitalism and more. Japan’s shrinking population presents an opportunity to lead the world in reducing the society’s reliance on economic growth and exploring more substantial aspects of human existence. I mapped out that argument in this blog post – Degrowth, deep adaptation, and skills shortages – Part 4 (October 31, 2022). Anyway, until I resurface tomorrow beside the Kamo River, we can listen to some music.
It’s a holiday today in Australia and I am using the time to finish a major project so that I get started on the next (few)! I also published Episode 4 of my new podcast today. And I am listening to music so I can share that with you.
I have finally moved my blog and integrated in within my long-standing home page. The new blog address is – https://www.billmitchell.org/blog – although the old address will work forever. However, I do urge you to update your bookmarks to the new address.
Today (January 25, 2023), the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the latest – Consumer Price Index, Australia – for the December-quarter 2022. It showed that the CPI rose 1.8 per cent in the quarter (down 0.1 point) and over the 12 months by 7.8 per cent (up 0.5 points). So, the annual inflation rate in Australia was higher in the December-quarter, but, the quarterly rate was lower, suggesting that the current episode is losing steam. The major sources of price increases are temporary – overshoots on pre-pandemic travel and holidays, anti-competitive cartel behaviour and the War in Ukraine. These influences are supplemented by shortages of building materials due to bushfires and food price inflation due to the major floods. The correct policy response should be to provide fiscal support for lower-income households to help them cope with the cost of living rises at present. Increasing interest rates again will not solve the problem that is already abating.
Today, I have a few news and information items. First, I detail how to migrate to Mastodon so that you can continue to follow me as I escape Twitter. Second, I provide enrolment details for the next offering of our MMT edX MOOC. Third, I provide access details to my annual Helsinki public lecture which will take place tomorrow starting at 19:00 EAST.
My blog is on holiday until Monday, January 7, 2023. I have lots of things to finish writing to meet deadlines and a lot of personal things to do (moving things, etc) which require travel and time. So I am using this week for that. Happy 2023 to all. I can’t say it is an optimistic outlook but hope springs eternal. To the obsessives declaring Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) is dead I urge sedatives. To those declaring Covid to be a conspiracy of big pharma, I hope you don’t catch it. To others, all the best.
My blog is on holiday until Wednesday, December 28, 2022. For today, some light music. All the best.
Now I am back in Australia for a while, I am using this time to continue my studies in the Japanese language to better prepare myself for when I return there to work in 2023. I have to learn 2056 Kanji characters for a start. So unless there is some major issue that has to be dealt with on a Tuesday, my blog will be silent on Tuesdays from now on.