This has been an interesting year.  The US economy has improved substantially, but political leadership has fallen to new lows – 6% approval for Congress.  Internationally, the rise of developing nations appears to have slowed as Europe and Japan struggle to find their footing.  And the first Jesuit Pope made his mark.

Barataria has been here all along, taking the long view and trying to make sense of the longer term trends while predicting where they will go in the future.  That’s what is meant by the slogan, “I don’t break news, I fix it” after all.  Here are some highlights from the 156 Barataria posts of 2013.

Leadership as Strategy –  A different way to look at leadership that stresses the process of achieving goals over power and charisma.

Managing Innovation – How do you manage a group of bright people who are expected to invent the future?

Shadows of the Past – A piece for Dr. King Day recalling the shadows still on the wall from the segregated past.

Keep it Going! – The Barataria predictions for 2013, laid down in January.  They all wound up coming true, too.

Growth?  Hai Domo! – Shinzo Abe laid down his plans to bring Japan out of 20 years of slumber.  Will it work?  It pretty much has to.

Money is a Tool – And, I’d argue, if you believe anything else it’s either because you don’t have enough of it or you’re doing something very wrong.  Possibly both.

DJIA: Yes and/or No – Does a record stock market mean the Depression is over?  The short answer is “yes”, but the long answer is “no”.

Jubilee – Cancel Debt! – There is a traditional way to hit the ol’ reset button, and it is called “Jubilee”.  We should try it.

The Managed Depression – Update – A bit more info on why I call this a “Managed Depression” and why that term is important.

Hapiness is Coming! – The story of how a song brought down a dictator.  Chile, la alegria ya viene!

Just Too Big – JP Morgan isn’t just too big to fail, it’s too big to allow to continue.

Pope Francis, the Passionate – When we first took notice of the Pope, who made quite an impression right away.

Banking (and Insurance) Should Be Boring – How one insurance company found that a boring life is a more profitable life.

Perhaps, a Revolt? – The protected class of banks was finally defined.  To understand it is to be appalled.

Inequality vs Sustainable Growth – How inequality is the biggest barrier to a healthy economy today.

Cheers for the Underground Economy! – There’s a lot to learn from the cash economy – including how to really prime the system again.

Restructuring, Revisited – A popular Barataria theme is starting to catch on as the need for a new economy takes center stage.

Fixing Income Inequality – Now that inequality is getting some attention, here are some ideas about what to do about it.

Gentlemen’s French – Those phrases that everyone should know in order to read articles with a je ne sais quoi.

Memorial Day – The origin of a very important American holiday.

This Time Really is Different – Globalism is the assumption in this Depression, not Nationalism.

Pirate Banking – Small Caribbean rocks used to be havens for pirates.  Today is only a little bit different.

Wealth is How You Feel – Three stories from this hemisphere on what it means to feel rich.

White Privilege – A very real thing that starts small but often blows up into something monstrous.

Nate Silver – He’s left the political prognostication biz, but his career shows the future – at least the one people clearly want.

Coffee & Tea – Two stories of two beverages, separated in time to show how two different regimes work.

What is Employment? – How to read the Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly job reports.

Bezos Buys Post, Speculation Rampant – Could it be that Jeff Bezos of Amazon was simply inspired by one very good High School teacher?

Part Time Work  – It’s an important trend, but mostly by choice.  Anything else you hear is hooey.

Sovereignty – How “nations” became so important, and how Syria uses this to get away with terrible bloodshed.

ADP Employment Report – The importance of this “alternative” employment report, which is actually more accurate.

Containerized Cargo – How a metal box changed the world and created this thing called “globalism”.

How Good Will It Be? – Our first prediction of a strong holiday shopping season, based on good job growth this year.

Triple Threat – The three great forces on the economy today, and the basis for the upcoming book “The Long View”.

Resiliency vs Interdependence – The real political divide of our day, and a long term trend away from some cherished traditions.

Appalling Behavior – No one looks good in Washingtoon right now.  Let me count the ways …

Dissin’ the Jobs Report – A debate is finally heating up over what defines “work” in this developing new economy. It’s about time.

Corporate Profits – A Bad Thing? – Profits should be reinvested in the company, unless they lack confidence in themselves.  They do.

Fed Funds Future Foggy, Fudgy – Why does the Fed persist with its jobs program? A calculation of the ideal rate highlights the problem.

The Year Everything Changes – 2017 is the year, and predictions beyond it will be hard.  But everything should be looking up!

Thanksgiving Deliverence – Why at the end of November?  Why a Thursday?  The origins of the holiday as we know it are a great story rarely told.

The Economy of People – Money should work for people, and not the other way around.  That’s also Pope Francis’ message.

Three Million Reads, One Purpose – Thank you all for a great year as we hit 3 million total pageviews!

Thank you all for your readership and comments – without you there would not be a Barataria!