Links 23 May 2014

Global Macro / Markets:

• The Last Time The Market Was This Short, Stocks Crashed – Zero Hedge
• Darkcoin, the Shadowy Cousin of Bitcoin, Is Booming – Wired

North America:

• State unemployment, 2004 to 2014 – Bureau of Labor Statistics
• The insanity of the American health care system, in one hilarious video – VOX
• Why Republicans Love Taxing the Poor – New York
• Mortgage Loans in Foreclosure Process Lowest since September 2008 – Calculated Risk
• Five Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Home – New York Times
• Yellowstone has a 50 square mile “Zone of Death” where you can get away with murder – VOX
• “Bloodiest thing the world has seen”: inequality’s looming disaster – Salon
• Employment Scars of the Housing Bust – House of Debt
• Why Overhauling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Needs Congress – Wall Street Journal

Europe:

• Nazi pork and popularity: How Hitler’s roads won German hearts and minds – VOX

Asia:

• China calls for new Asian security structure – Seatle PI
• Is this the best response to China’s cyber attacks? – China File
• Vietnam PM considers legal action over dispute with China over disputed waters – Reuters
• China’s debt risk comes to fore in housing project – Wall Street Journal
• Parko: China could hold 25% of world shares – The Australian

Local:

• BHP lobbied Hockey to keep diesel rebate – The AFR
• Poor are not carrying the Budget – The AFR
• Federal Budget shifts burden to states – The AFR
• Coalition gets a brutal lesson in policy on the run – The AFR
• Budget hits poor states twice as hard – The AFR
• Japan’s demand for Aussie bonds lifts AUD – The AFR
• Seniors oppose Coalition’s financial advice changes – The AFR
• The pain is shared and necessary – The Australian
• $6,000 per child worse-off a year – The Australian
• Aussies need ‘tough Budget medicine’ – The Australian
• Welfare whingers, look at NZ – The Australian
• Audit Chief: “Stop the Budget complaints” – Canberra Times
• Budget “striving to be fair” – Canberra Times
• Apps driving cabbies to ditch bookings for cash – The Age
• Queuing for land in Sydney’s farm paddocks – Business Spectator
• Abbott: Gonski is “pie in the sky” – The Guardian

Other:

• Unseen images from the Western Front – Reuters
• Has Thomas Piketty met his match? – Spectator
• Love in the time of inequality – Aljazera