Author Archives: Yves Smith

Why Private Equity Does Not Outperform

A new article gives a concise and readable debunking of the myth of private equity outperformance.

Brexit: Huge Spanner in the Works – Negotiation of New UK Trade Deals Verboten Till Exit Complete

“Tortuous” does not even begin to describe how hard it will be for the UK to strike post Brexit trade deals. Negotiations cannot begin until the UK has left the EU.

Cheat Sheet for the Australian Double Dissolution Election This Weekend

A primer for the Australian elections on Saturday. Enjoy!

Brexit: Why the UK is Unlikely to Have a General Election Soon

Explaining the not-well-understood UK general election rules and how they play into the Brexit calculation.

Links 6/30/16

EU to UK on Brexit: “What About ‘Nein’ Don’t You Understand?”

The EU lays down the law on Brexit.

Brexit: Does Invoking Article 50 Require the Approval of Parliament?

Gaming out whether Parliament can or will try to stop the British Government from invoking Article 50.

Bill Black: The Terrible Cost to Democrats and Our Nation of Ignoring Tom Frank’s Warnings

A high level description of how Democrats and Labor sold out the working class, and how that served a narrow interests at great cost.

We Were Under a DDoS Attack Yesterday

DDoS strikes again! Ugh but we are back to normal.

UK, EU Talk Past Each Other on Brexit Negotiations

The disconnect between the UK and EU over Brexit basics revealed yesterday was disconcerting.

Links 6/29/16

Ethereum and Smart Contract Unicorn Woo-Woo – There Should Be a Law Against It

Why Ethereum and smart contracts don’t and will never live up to their hype.

Matt Stoller: How the US Saw Multinationals as a Means to Prevent War

The role of multinationals in the post World War II order.

Patrick Cockburn: How Neoliberalism and Cold War Obsessions Fractured the Middle East

How neoliberalism, the resource curse, and military interventions by Washington and its allies, profoundly destabilized the Middle East.

Links 6/28/16