Author Archives: Yves Smith

Australia & Japan Are Seemingly Having Second Thoughts About the De Facto Asian NATO

Japan and Australia are finally questioning US exploitation. But what can they do about it?

Links 7/22/2025

Africa’s Minerals Are Being Bartered for Security: Why It’s a Bad Idea

A minerals-for-security deal among the DRC, Rwanda and the US is as bad as the Ukraine “raw earths” security commitments.

AI and Workers’ Wellbeing: Lessons from Germany’s Early Experience

An only mildly negative report on AI implementation from Germany, and why that is not likely to be generalizable to the US.

Links 7/19/2025

Michael Hudson: Today’s Civilizational Conflict

A new article by Michael Hudson, an extract from an upcoming book, gives a long view of colonial exploitation and China as a counter-model

When ‘Coexistence’ Is Co-Opted in Conservation Practice

Coexistence between humans and wildlife is a meaningful goal, but it’s being misused or superficially invoked.

Good Riddance: CalPERS’ Atrocious General Counsel Matt Jacobs to Retire

A partial catalogue of the horrowshow of Matt Jacob’s tenure as CalPERS general counsel.

Uneven Vulnerabilities: A Global Index of Climate Risk for Countries

A new paper rates 170 countries for climate risk exposure. This ambitious and imporant exercise neverthless seems to have key gaps.

Why Inflation Sticks Around: The Role of Class Warfare in Price Persistence

A new twist on inflation: how workers and corporates trying to preserve their financial position has the effect of perpetuating inflation

Wars, Taxation, and Increases in Representation

A historical analysis shows that greater representation was a bargain autocratic, here feudal, rulers had to strike to get support for war

Why Is the Media Normalizing Nuclear War and Its Effects on US Populations?

The meme-contour of recent articles seems designed to promote resignation towards nuclear war and other horrors of combat.