Author Archives: Yves Smith

Matt Taibbi: It’s Official – Russiagate is This Generation’s WMD

The Iraq war faceplant damaged the reputation of the press. Russiagate just destroyed it.

Links 3/23/19

Airbus and Boeing Are Signing Economic Suicide Pacts With China

Western companies that ought to know better are setting themselves up to have their lunch eaten by China.

Work of the Past, Work of the Future

How the change in the nature of work has helped increase income inequality.

Waiting for Brexit

A look at the EU’s Brexit extension deal.

Memo to CalPERS: The Market Won’t Provide High Returns Just Because You Need Them

A professional fund manager describes why CalPERS’ private equity strategy is irrational.

Costly Confusion: Patients Caught by Medicare Not Covering Annual Physical Exams

Yves here. This post presents a classic example of why medical care in America sucks. It’s too much about billing and not enough about patient care. I know patients who can have a yearly visit to an MD covered under their plan as either a physical or a medium complexity visit for conditions for which […]

Brexit Delay Will Not Postpone Deglobalisation

The world economy has experienced deglobasation phases before. How this one differs from its predecessors.

Links 3/21/19

Brexit: Opening the Seals

Brexit gets even more crazed, if such a thing were possible.

The #MMT Case for Progressive Taxes

MMT advocate typically shy away from calling for progressive taxes. A case as to why that’s a lost opportunity.

U.S. ‘’Oil Weapon’’ Could Change Geopolitics Forever

Oil production as a source of political advantage will no doubt keep official US climate change denialism alive and well.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative vs Washington Consensus

An update by Jomo Kwame Sundaram on how China and the US are faring in their use of trade and development policy to foster growth and project power.

Links 3/20/19