A blog exploring economics, corporate networks, financial systems, and the structures that shape our world through data analysis and systems thinking.
Live Blog: https://phillaf.github.io/understanding-systems/
This blog is an experiment in understanding—understanding how the world works, how systems connect, and where power and influence flow. I'm applying an analytical mindset from computer science to explore economics, corporate networks, financial systems, and the structures that shape our world.
I'm not an expert in these fields. This is exploratory work—testing ideas, implementing methodologies from research papers, connecting dots, and seeing if the patterns make sense.
I am not an economist, political scientist, or expert in the fields I explore here. This blog should not be viewed as a trustworthy source for professional analysis or advice. Everything here is exploratory, educational (for me), and should be taken with healthy skepticism.
If you're looking for authoritative analysis, please consult actual experts and peer-reviewed research.
The text on this blog has been written by AI under my supervision. I provide the direction, structure, and ideas, while the AI handles the writing and presentation.
This blog explores systems—economic, political, corporate, and social. Topics include:
- Economic indicators and patterns in market data
- Corporate ownership networks and media influence
- Power structures and institutional connections
- Financial systems, banking, and investment mechanics
- Technology infrastructure and data ecosystems
- Testing whether published methodologies actually work
- Building transparent, reproducible analysis pipelines
All analysis uses publicly available data and open methodologies. The goal is to make everything clear, reproducible, and open to scrutiny.
If you have questions, corrections, or suggestions, feel free to reach out at phil.laf@gmail.com. I'm always happy to learn from people who actually know what they're talking about.