The Occasional Perspective - 1/27/22

Opinions and Reflections 

A Necessary Diversion: On The Precipice of Conflict – At this writing, we are facing the strong possibility of a war in Europe due to the conflict between the empire needs of Putin’s Russia and efforts to demonstrate the value of the troubled democracies of Europe and the Americas. While multiple diplomatic sessions have not solved the Ukrainian crisis, they are ongoing and hopefully will culminate in a solution before the tanks roll. There are also the politics of the involved nations. On the USA side, there are claims of an international threat to democracy as the best method for governing in the face of not-so-good demonstrations of democracy in our governing bodies between the Republicans and Democrats. I – for one – am beginning to think that a third “middle-of-the-road” (MOThR) party would be useful for bringing about a semblance of compromise. In Europe, the focus is on how best to sustain the European Union. And, Britain – which separated from the Union but is still a member of NATO, seems to be captured in its own crisis of leadership. It all seems to be a game of chess in a world where we are inextricably tied together. Let’s hope a solution is found… 

Driving Innovation, Competition and De-Consolidation – Two colleagues sent me an analysis of President Biden’s January 2021 Executive Order, Modernizing Regulatory Review ; and, the July 2021 Executive Order, Promoting Competition in the American Economy that call for the federal government to intentionally review regulations with a focus on increasing innovation and an eye toward the failure of anti-trust regulations to manage the ongoing consolidation of industries across the spectrum. Health care will no doubt come under their watchful eye. I have been saying for some time that the USA economy cannot withstand the ongoing rise of health care costs – which far exceed the annual per capita costs of any nation in the world. As their paper notes, “…the increasingly consolidated healthcare sector, which is projected to grow at an average rate of 5.5 percent per year between now and 2027 accompanied by an expense of  6.0 trillion with 12.1% of those under 65 uninsuredsupporting innovation is a key to success.” Check out the very thorough analysis by Eugene Schneller, Ph.D., a supply chain expert from Arizona State University, and Richard Boxer, MD, an international leader in telehealth and health policy, here. It’s definitely worth the read.

The Andy Kessler Challenge – I would like to point you to a Wall Street Journal editorial by Andy Kessler, an analyst, investment banker, venture capitalist, and hedge fund manager, who regularly contributes to the “Inside View”. He asks the question: What are your Top 10 priorities?

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