Author Archives: Yves Smith

Agribusiness Is the Problem, Not the Solution

Why agribusiness isn’t well positioned to address hunger.

Striking Teachers in Denver Shut Down Performance Bonuses – Here’s How That Will Impact Education

Denver teachers were able to put an end to a performance bonus system they argued was capricious. What impact might this change have?

Don’t “Buyback” Fair Labor Standards

Why the Schumer/Sanders bill on stock buybacks isn’t a very good instrument for improving labor rights and work standards.

Wolf Richter: My Fancy-Schmancy “Fed Hawk-o-Meter” Ticks Down, Still Red-Lines. In Passing, Fed Plants Seed for Removing “Patient”

Not surprisingly, given economic weakness in Europe and China plus Trump trade war saber-rattling, the Fed seems less gung ho about the health of the economy than it was last summer.

Want to Pass Medicare For All? Make Voters Happy By Making Them Happy

Looking at the largely lame excuses for not implementing Medicare for All.

CalPERS Election Vendor Votem on Verge of Failure Just as CalPERS Board About to Approve “Business as Usual” Election Notice

More proof that CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost is so busy with self-promotion that she can’t be bothered to have her staff execute adequately on important but not-that-difficult tasks.

Links 2/20/19

Opioid Crisis Shows How Economic Inequality Kills

Opioid abuse has strong economic roots, namely despair resulting from desperation in struggling communities.

France’s Institutional System Favours Rebellion Against Its Leader

The gilet jaunes movement proves that France’s political and budgetary centralism, the source of citizens’ feelings of abandonment and revolt, must be reformed.

Will The U.S. Actively Pursue Regime Change In Iran?

The US is still awfully eager to Do Something in Iran.

Brexit and Labour’s Spat: Everything That’s Wrong with The Independent Group

The departure of seven Labour party members isn’t good for Brexit, the party, or themselves.

Links 2/19/19

Bill Black: Modern Monetary Theory Is On the March (#MMT)

A recent Wall Street Journal article that tried debunking MMT effectively supported it.

CalPERS Chief Investment Officer Ben Meng Lied About Private Equity to State Senator Dr. Richard Pan at Joint Pension Committee Hearing

CalPERS lied to the wrong person. State Senator Dr. Richard Pan is smart enough to know he was snookered when word gets back to him.

CalPERS’ Management Continues to Lie to Its Board and Beneficiaries About Its Private Equity Scheme

CalPERS is once again up to no good on the private equity front.