Author Archives: Yves Smith

The Paradoxes of Fiscal Austerity in Brazil

Brazil as a test case of austerity per neoliberal theory v. outcomes.

Why Has Italy’s Banking Crisis Gone Off the Radar?

An update on Italy’s festering bank crisis.

Inequality in the US: A Tale of Two Countries

A look at US inequality, before and after tax and transfers.

Settling the Brexit Bill: 12 Negotiating Questions

Sorting out the principles for in the Brexit talks for how to compute the UK’s departure tab is not trivial.

Gaius Publius: Crossing the U.S. Border with Electronic Devices

Ideas for how to protect yourself against border searches.

Inequality Update: Who Gains When Income Grows?

In a perverse reversal of historical norms, more growth produces more inequality as a result of economic policy and changes in legal rights.

Links 3/30/17

MIchael Hudson: The Democracy Collaborative

Michael Hudson gives new riffs on his regular themes: classical economics and its perversion by Hayek, rentier capitalism, debt jubilees.

Why Is FTI Consulting Making It Look Like Apollo Overpaid Its Real Estate Execs $50 Million?

FTI Consulting appears awfully casual about how it handles confidential client information, and in the process has done Apollo no favors.

Trump Can’t Save Coal

Why Trump isn’t bringing coal jobs back.

Links 3/29/17

Wells Fargo Gets An Additional $110 Million Wrist Slap Over Fake Accounts Scandal

Wells will wind up paying far more in consumers via a private settlement of its fake account scandal than regulators made it cough up to them

CalPERS, CalSTRS, Other Investors Have Indemnified Private Equity Criminal Conduct Even Though Fiduciary Counsels Say No

CalPERS board member JJ Jelincic confirms yet another major lapse by private equity investors.