Author Archives: Yves Smith

Seventeen Ways to Think About the Finance Curse

A recap of the issues surrounding the Finance Curse, the advanced economy economy analogy of the resource curse.

Richard Murphy: For MMT (Long and Wonkish)

MMT opponents try presenting their objections as technical, but they really are political.

Links 6/6/19

Protecting Yourself from Amazon Violating Your Air Rights and Privacy by Drone Trespassing

In the unlikely event the Amazon drone delivery service gets to be anything other than for show, some ideas for how to protect your rights.

Chinese Embargo Threats Ring Hollow—the Reason Why Lies in Rare Earths

Supply chains are multinational in scope and supply. A trade embargo is ultimately self-defeating.

$1 Trillion: The Cost Of Climate Change For Corporations

Another effort to cost out some of the effects of climate change.

The Economic Cost of Devastating Hurricanes and Other Extreme Weather Events Is Even Worse Than We Thought

irming up the math on the economic cost of climate change makes a bad picture look worse.

Brexit Dithering

The Bexit noise to signal ratio continues to be awfully high thanks to the Tory leadership contest.

Does Japan Do MMT?

In case you had any doubts, Japan is not following MMT economic policy prescriptions.

Links 6/4/19

FANGMAN Stocks Crushed by Potential “Unprecedented, Wide-Ranging Probe” into Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon

The authorities have come to realize that monopolists like Google and Amazon aren’t good for the health of the economy or even (despite their tech sheen) “innovation”.

Analysis: Why Alexa’s Bedside Manner Is Bad For Health Care

Hoo boy, trusting Alexa for health care. What could go wrong? A lot, it turns out.

Could Air Travel Become an Early Casualty of Climate Change?

Might air travel take a serious hit from climate change before polic-makers work up the nerve to intervene?

St. Louis Fed Study Shows Rising Level of Financial Desperation Among the Poor, Hidden by Aggregates

A new St. Louis Fed analysis shows the wealth of areas in financial distress deteriorated from 2015 to 2018, reversing a pattern of gains that had started in 2010.