Author Archives: Yves Smith

Inflation Freakout and Possible Fed Overshoot

There’s a lot of nattering about inflation and not enough insight.

Attention Deficit Disorder, The Anticapitalist Condition

Is this hyperbole: “Attention deficit disorder is the neurological condition of late capitalism.”

Links 5/14/2022

As the Planet Warms, Let’s Be Clear: We Are Sacrificing Lives for Profits

Climate change is the result of a deadly calculus: human lives are worth risking and even losing over the profits of global corporations.

Book Review: The Toxic Legacy of DDT

In “How to Sell a Poison,” Elena Conis chronicles the history of DDT and its lasting impact.

Time Is Running Out to Save Sri Lanka from Total Economic Collapse

Once hailed as South Asia’s ‘success story’, Sri Lanka has faced months of escalating violent unrest.

Brief Comments on the TerraUSD and Tether Stablecoin Breakdowns

Why the two big stablecoin breakdowns of last week, TerraUSD and Tether, look like frauds.

More Oil From U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Heads To Europe

The use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve looks like three card monte.

Michael Hudson on Decline of Dollar, Sanctions War, Imperialism, Financial Parasitism

Economist Michael Hudson discusses the decline of the US dollar, the sanctions war on Russia, his concept of “free-trade imperialism,” and financial parasitism.

New York Times, Defense Intelligence Agency Go Wobbly on Ukraine Prospects as Militias + Russia Continues to Grind Down Opposition in Donbass

It’s becoming hard for the West to pretend that Russia will fail at its aims in Ukraine, most importantly, destroying its abilty to wage war.

Russia Announces Initial Retaliatory Sanctions Targets; Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

Russia has started rolling out its retailiaory “special economic measures”. But it’s still not clear what they amount to in practice.

Links 5/11/2022