Following on from Monday's post, click here to read an op-ed on the pros and cons of inequality, which draws heavily on Angus Deaton's work. It argues that inequality is good if it occurs as a result of industrialisation / innovation and if it spurs further innovation. However, too much inequality can undermine support for the political system and private enterprise. In other words, there is an optimal amount of inequality!
According to Robert Shiller , speaking at Davos, Bitcoin is a perfect example of a bubble - story here . Shiller sees Bitcoin as a backwards step in the evolution of money. George Selgin , a free banker, takes an opposing view - click here . Although he doesn't believe that Bitcoin is money, he sees its development as a fascinating turn in the evolution of money. In particular, he lauds the fact that Bitcoin production is constrained and cannot be infinite. There is a short video below where Bitcoin explain how it works.