“Only war makes it possible to mobilize all of today’s technical resources while maintaining the property system.”

- Walter Benjamin, 1936

About Michael Bullen

Michael Bullen was trained as an economist and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He has had a profession in the City as a proprietary trader and investment manager at banks and hedge funds, including JPMorgan, Scotia Capital, Sanwa International and Itau Europa.

Articles by Michael Bullen

An Imaginary Board Meeting at Pearson

Michael Bullen 7 December 2012

According to a new study, Britain - far from being a basket case at education - is in fact ranked 6 in the world. But who was the ranking produced by? Does it stand up? And who is it really good for? Michael Bullen plays fly-on-the-wall at an imagined Pearson board meeting.

Soros: economist/philosopher or trading superstar?

Michael Bullen 27 June 2012

A finance insider reads Soros' intervention at Trento and wonders whether this is just a trading superstar talking up his own portfolio?

Greece should leave the Euro, but for jobs, not to get away from the vultures

Michael Bullen 6 June 2012

In a lengthy response to Ann Pettifor's call for Europe to abandon the Euro's "fetters of gold", the author disagrees with almost everything, except for the conclusion that Greece should leave the single currency

Taxation: revenue maximisation vs. the politics of envy

Michael Bullen 29 September 2011

Is there any reason to set top tax rates at anything but the rate which maximises government revenues? And what is that rate? Jeremy Fox has argued that the 50p rate does not constrain growth. Michael Bullen returned with the argument that 50p is too high for public revenue maximisation. Jeremy Fox countered that 50p was too little and that equality is a good in itself. Here, Michael Bullen questions Jeremy Fox's numbers and his levelling instincts

Blame the speculator, shoot the messenger: habits of the trapped politician

Michael Bullen 23 September 2011

Sergio Bruno makes much of the recent rise in the cost of borrowing for the Italian government, blaming speculation for the disruption to public finances. But investors have every reason to be worried, and it is in our interest that they act on these worries

Don't tax the rich any more: it will cost us more than it raises

Michael Bullen 19 September 2011

Should the marginal rate of income tax be reduced for very high earners? Jeremy Fox argues that there is no obvious link to growth. But the link to government revenue is much better understood, argues Michael Bullen, and the numbers suggest that 50% is too high

A return to financial health is simple: Glass Steagall plus transparency

Michael Bullen 16 September 2011

Financial regulation in the wake of the credit crisis is a simpler matter than the re-moralising advocated by Roger Scruton (Unreal Estates). Simply return to the regulatory environment pre-1999 and press on with transparency in markets

This week's editor

Niki Seth-Smith is a freelance journalist and co-editor of OurKingdom.

Europe from the bottom up

European Union stars in Paris. Flickr/notarim. Some rights reserved.

A new Europe can only come from the bottom up
Etienne Balibar

A social Europe must be a political Europe
Bo Stråth

As Europe is provincialized: a reply to Etienne Balibar
Sandro Mezzadra

European debate

A republican call for a basic income
Daniel Raventos and Julie Wark

Nuclear non-proliferation

oDRussia at journalismfestival .com

Mali - the plot thickens

Remote control war

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