Ever Be Escalating: A Short History of the Long War on Drugs in Latin America from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump
The twisted history of the US war on drugs shows how failed policies come to have a life of their own.
Read more...Author Archives: Yves Smith
Paying for Euroskepticism
A new data analysis shows that Euroskepticism, as in regional voting for nationalist/anti-European Union policies, produces lower growth.
Read more...Has Ed Zitron Found the Fatal Flaw with OpenAI and Its Flagship ChatGPT?
The Financial Times has re-reported cautious but devastating-looking findings by Ed Zitron on OpenAI’s inference costs and truthfulness.
Read more...Tom Ferguson and Nick French: Red Tech’s Political Power, Its War on Labor and the Environment
An in-depth talk between political scientist Tom Ferguson and Jacobin’s Nick French about recent big shifts, above all the rise of red tech.
Read more...What the Air You Breathe May Be Doing to Your Brain
Why it behooves you to care about air quality, specifically PM2.5 pollution.
Read more...‘An Indictment of the Trade Union Movement’: Why No One is Organising Seasonal Workers
Farm workers go on unofficial strikes as their temporary visas create barriers to union membership
Read more...Links 11/12/2025
Why Trump’s 50 Year Mortgage Scheme Is an Even Worse Idea Than You Imagined
The Trump/Pulte 50 year mortgage scheme is indeed really bad even before getting to the fact that it would probably increase home prices.
Read more...“Regime Change” in Venezuela Is a Euphemism for U.S.-Inflicted Carnage and Chaos
A sadly necessary reminder of what US regime change operations are about. Hint: nothing good.
Read more...The ‘Supercenter’ Effect: How Massive, One-Stop Retailers Fuel Overconsumption − and Waste
To confirm prejudices some of you may habor: supercenters are bad! No wonder retailers love the format.
Read more...Links 11/11/2025
Shutdown Has Highlighted Washington’s Retreat From Big Ideas on Health Care
Health care in the US has become too big to fix.
Read more...Who Will End Up Paying for the AI Spending Spree?
AI is now so clearly a money burn pit that efforts are already underway to fob the losses off on taxpayers. Is there any way to head it off?
Read more...Russia’s Choices as It Brings Ukraine to the Brink with Electricity War, Takes Pokrovsk
Even with Russia’s domination undeniable as its electricity attacks turn off power all over Ukraine, Russia still has complex choices to make.
Read more...Military Moral Injury, Violence, and the Parable of the Guinea Worm
The casual US celebration of violence runs into the reality that those required to inflict it regularly suffer deep inner damage.
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