Author Archives: Yves Smith

Iran War: Team Trump as Narrative War Captives?

Today’s Iran War update: Is Team Trump driven by narrative wars because they are the only ones they can kinda sorta win?

Maritime Law and US Naval Power Under Stress Even Before Strait of Hormuz Standoff

The old maritime order was at best a gentleman’s agreement. What comes next?

A More Troubling Picture of Sea Level Rise Comes Into View

Two major studies suggest tens of millions of people thought safe from coastal flooding are now at risk from sea level increases.

Michael Hudson: US Economy is Based on a Ponzi Scheme

Michael Hudson explains the dangers and costs of Wall Street’s Ponzi schemes.

Defending TrumpRx Scam, RFK Jr. Absurdly Claims Trump ‘Has His Own Way of Calculating’ Percentages

Not only is Trump inventing his own school of math. but he is also pretending that paying more than market rates for drugs is a savings.

Wildfires Used to ‘Go to Sleep’ at Night. Climate Change Has Them Burning Overtime

Wildfires now have longer burn-times; California has about 550 more fire-friendly hours a year than it did in the 1970s.

Half of AI Health Answers Are Wrong Even Though They Sound Convincing – New Study

AI appears to perform no better than astrology, yet even the author of this critical piece defends its use in medicine.

The US Demanded That Europeans Accelerate Their Transition to “NATO 3.0”

The Trump Administration engages in displacement activity by beating up on NATO in the hope that works better there than with Iran.

Postponing the World’s Financial Winter – For How Long? Iran’s MAD Standoff with the Rest of the World

Micheal Hudson describes how the US and Iran threats against energy production is MAD, as in mutual assured destruction.

Iran War: Gaslighting Hits Epic Levels Over “Strait Completely Open” Fast Breakdown, Trump Smack Talk About Collecting Uranium as US Looks to Be Readying Massive Attack

Today’s Iran war update: Trump’s peak gaslighting, specifically wild claims about Iran concessions. looks like a pretext for renewed attacks.

Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson: The Blockade Stage of Trump’s Absurdities

Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson on the media and market disconnect between Trump Iran barker talk and dire economic and political effects.

Diplomacy, and Politics Before the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor: A Precursor to Current Use of Economic Sanctions

History does not repeat but often rhymes, as parallels between the US deployment of economic sanctions against Japan and now Iran shows.

Home Care Workers Launch Hunger Strike as 24-Hour Work Shifts Persist

The battle over 24-hour care shifts has pitted the mostly immigrant women against vulnerable patients who rely on round-the-clock care.