Speculators are reviled in the media and by politicians and academics. Yet the speculators are the ones taking risks to ensure the rest of us can have more economic certainty.
The East German secret police, the Stasi, developed the art of mass surveillance using pre-digital methods. Modern tech now makes the job a lot easier.
The fiat US dollar, while still the world's "reserve" currency, is being imperiled by reckless actions by monetary authorities. Other countries are taking notice—and action.
After 1820, growing numbers of propertyless squatters were voters, and this was an opportunity for politicians to offer cheap land in exchange for loyalty to the Democratic Party.
