Author Archives: Yves Smith

Sanders and Class Struggle in the Democratic Party

Sanders versus Democratic Party’s institutionalized corruption and domination by billionaires.

Wolf Richter: Business Loan Delinquencies Spike to Lehman Moment Level

While consumer credit card and mortgage delinquencies are tame, business loan delinquencies have taken a big turn for the worse.

Quelle Surprise! US Big Business Prefers Clinton to Trump by 2:1 Margin

Major corporations generally prefer a former Goldwater Girl to the transgressive Trump. But will they spend enough backing her to make a difference?

Links 5/19/16

Hard Landing Coming Soon? Chinese Officials Set Off Red Alert on Debt, Urge Serious Measure to Contain It

Chinese officials sent a serious warning about ending debt growth. If they are serious, the shock waves will engulf not just China but also the global economy.

Mathew D. Rose: First German Politicians, Now German Media in Credibility Meltdown

With a discredited political class and press, both in the service of big money, the political foundation of Germany is crumbling.

Gerald Friedman: How the Dogmatic Despair of Mainstream Economists Brought You Donald Trump

Mainstream economists to ordinary citizens: Drop dead. Or more accurately: Sorry, nothing more can be done for you. There is No Alternative.

CalPERS Invests in Toll Road Even Though Those Deals Consistently Lose Money

CalPERS ventures into the looting of local populations via investing into a famous toll road-gone-bad deal that has been restructured.

Links 5/18/16

Germany and IMF in Staredown Over Greek Debt Relief

The IMF and Germany have staked out irreconcilable positions on Greece. Who will blink first?

Cameron Murray: Confused Thinking About Real Interest Rates Leads to Mistaken Belief that Lower Interest Rates Boost Investment

Muddied thinking about real interest rates has done real harm. It leads policymakers to lower interest rates to boost investment, when they do more to raise asset prices and fuel speculation.

Hall of Shame: HUD Finally Forces Private Equity Buyers of Distressed Mortgages to Give Real Modifications After Years of Complaints Now That HUD Chief is on Clinton VP List

HUD finally acts on a festering problem, apparently to improve the odds of HUD chief Julian Castro getting a plum Clinton Administration post.

Bill Black: Mankiw’s Mythical Ten Commandments of Theoclassical Economics

Examining Maniw’s core myths, um, principles, and how they are dangerously misleading.

Links 5/17/16

After Distancing Herself From Bill Clinton’s Economic Policies, Hillary Wants Him as Mr. Economic Fix It

Like the Bourbons, the Clintons appear to have learned nothing and forgotten nothing.