Good morning, let's just see what's going on in Omicron infections & deaths. First, apparently they are already 75% of cases.
Below is change of US cases & deaths. Note that since end 2020, no lockdowns in the US despite cases/deaths going up & down on Delta and now Omicron.
The key difference is of course the news coverage of daily cases & deaths: despite being high, the news stops making it a big deal & actually focuses on the vaccinated/unvaccinated.
Meaning, instead of blaming politicians, they now turn on the unvaccinated.
Irrespective of who is to blame for this rise of cases (higher infectious nature/seasonality) & deaths, the key point here is this: We will not have lockdown in the US because that is just not the policy flavor at the moment.
There will be targeted shutdowns but no lockdown.
Note that narrative is important because the data doesn't lie (cases/deaths). What matters is people's APPETITE for such risks. And to manage that, you need to create NORM of what's acceptable. The way to do that is through the news as it creates perception of what's acceptable.
I believe that Omicron is the beginning of the END of Covid-19 because it is so infectious that it will ultimately take over & then we all will either be vaccinated & not get it or the unvaccinated will have antibody from being infected.
That's my silverlining of this chart here
Here is something for you to be OPTIMISTIC. Look at UK confirmed cases & deaths. Headline: CASES OFF THE CHART. Totally true.
Deaths very low. So no lockdown despite Omicron raging (everyone prolly has it now).
Btw, mobility NOT DOWN that much! Retail is -6% from baseline.
I can't get over how low the deaths are in the UK so far despite the insane case load.
Let me say this again: Omicron is more positive than it seems because it is infectious and not as lethal. This evolution means that we're heading towards the end.
Here is the European Union in case you are interested. Cases & deaths. Trend shows downward momentum. Either way, clearly a surge towards the winter, which has been bad in Europe due to Covid + gas issues.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Good morning! Very very busy macroeconomics day! And u know I love it! Okay, let's start with the US as we all care about the Fed meeting at 3am HKT.
PPI was off the chart high at 9.6%YoY and we know that the Fed is now in inflation fire fighting mode 🔥🧑🚒🧯 & pushed USD higher
In Asia, before the Fed, we got China data coming out & in November things will feel a bit saggy, which we know that the government is worried about because they already cut the RRR by 50bps to shore up demand.
More to come easing wise, both monetary and fiscal to help the eco!
And tonight, on the back of that gangbuster PPI, we got retail sales, which were pretty strong in October & again good in November.
The Fed meeting is in focus as markets will see how INTENSELY focused it will be on fighting inflation. Tapering to double the pace to USD30bn &
You can kill 7 innocent children & 3 adults & not have any consequence whatsoever as it is an "honest mistake." Meanwhile, there's a looming famine in Afghanistan. The US didn't just pull the troops from Afghanistan, it pulled the lifeline of 40m people.
Inflation expectations are key to future inflation & that is why the Fed monitors.
People’s expectations lead to reaction. If they think CPI is gonna be 6%, they’d want a raise to feel less poor & so everyone doing so leads to inflation.
So the Fed is worried & should be!
The Fed uses words like anchoring inflation expectations around 2%. The word anchor means u wanna not let it go out of control because once inflation expectations are rampantly high, it feeds into itself & hard to control.
So at 6.8% & expectations elevated, the Fed needs to act
What do u think central banks' mandates are? And if so, and if we use data as an indicator or proxy for their success, as in CPI, how would u say they do.
Btw, most have 2% as a target, as in the Fed and the ECB. Global CPI below.
The Fed: 2% CPI target.
US current inflation is 6.8%YoY
How many months since it has been past the 2% target? Well, since March 2021.
Okay, will it fall below anytime soon? No.
Is inflation a tax on the poor? Of course it is. This is US inflation growth and US personal income growth.
The price of goods rises faster than income & so it's a squeeze on consumption. Who has a the highest share of consumption relative to income? The POOR & the middle class
This news is interesting of Instagram, which is toxic for eve, especially to young girls, as it feeds people sociopathic tendencies - narcissism. Why u say? Well, if Meta acknowledges that it creates toxic content & also has algos to keep people addicted, then the solution is...
We all know what the solution is: JUST TURN IT OFF. Like stop using the very thing that makes you sad, waste a bunch of time and basically turn you into a worse person because let's face it, taking selfies all day long is rather a sad activity.
But no, it's nudging for a break.
But not a real break is it? It says to look at something else on Instagram.
I mean, if you love your children, turn off their social media, that includes Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Tiktok. Have you seen what they do to little girls & what they do to feel validated?