Author Archives: Yves Smith

Links 8/12/17

Uber: “Battle to the Death” in Benchmark/Kalanick Power Struggle

The fight over Uber would normally be mistaken for a Punch and Judy show if there weren’t so much money at stake.

How to Break Austerity-Induced Stagnation?

The costs of sticking with obviously failed austerity policies just keep rising.

Uber Descends Into Even More Turmoil With Benchmark Suit v. Kalanick

The war for control of Uber gets uglier…..

Links 8/11/17

Crisis Revisionist History: Redating of Onset to Make Behind the Curve Central Bankers Look Better

It would be nice if people who made pronouncements about the financial crisis knew what they were talking about.

Wolf Richter: Amazon Online Grocery Boom? Not So Fast…

You can take the consumer to the online grocery store, but getting them to buy is another proposition entirely.

Facebook Now Out to Squish Even Newbie Potential Competitors

The Wall Street Journal gives a case study on how Facebook hounds even small fry competitors.

Flagging Productivity Growth – How Much Is Due to Bad Management?

Have management fads contributed to the fall in productivity growth?

Wall Street Journal Deigns to Notice Costly Indiana Toll Road Failure, Depicts It as Isolated When Toll Roads “Consistently” Go Bust

Toll road projects have consistently failed over the last decade and a half, but you never hear that in the mainstream press.

Nurses: Paul Krugman Gives ‘Shallow Political Advice’ On Health Care Reform

While the National Nurses Union back national health care, they are cautiously calling only for Medicare for All, not a more robust system.

Neoliberalism’s “Die Faster” Is Helping Pension Funds…But Not Doing Enough for Young Homebuyers

Cognitive dissonance at Bloomberg in the contrast between a story on pension funds and one on the dearth of homes for sale.