Author Archives: Yves Smith
The 2025 Trade War: Dynamic Impacts Across US States and the Global Economy
Estimating the costs of the Trump trade war to Americans and foreign players.
Read more...“Trump Administration Closes In on Hard-Hitting Sanctions on Russia”
Russia sanctions enthusiasts try to talk over how Ukraine undercut Trump support with Ukraine’s attack on Russian nuclear deterrence assets
Read more...China’s Rare Earths Weapon Could Kill Europe’s Auto Industry
More on US and European car-makers’ vulnerability to China’s new rare earths licensing regime.
Read more...Trump Administration Violating Yet More Individual Rights in Escalation Over ICE Raid Protests in Los Angeles
Over-the-top ICE enforcement is the gift that keeps giving to Trump Administration plans to eviscerate freedoms like the right to protest.
Read more...Links 6/7/2025
Michael Hudson: Trump’s Contradiction-Riddled Strategy to Preserve US Hegemony
Trump does have a plan to shore up America”s flagging power, even if, when you put the pieces together, it does not make much sense.
Read more...How Tourism Pushed Barcelona to Breaking Point, and How Social Movements Are Fighting Back
Barcelona features locals turning activists to curb tourism levels that hurt everyday life, particulalry for lower income. residents
Read more...Announcing New Coffee Break Writers!
Please welcome Nat Wilcox Turner and Curro Jimenez, who will be giving Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday Coffee Break features.
Read more...Golden Dome Dangers: How Trump’s Scheme Threatens to Make the US Less Safe
Why Trump’s Golden Dome is set to backfire, except for the grift, which is presumably the real point.
Read more...Satyajit Das: Lessons from Japan’s Massive Debt Hangover
While there are things the debt-addled West can learn from Japan, the dirty secret is they were in some key ways in better shape than we are.
Read more...Yanis Varoufakis: In the EU Nothing Succeeds Like Gross Failure: The Astonishing Case of Ursula von der Leyen
A much-deserved evisceration of both Ursuala von der Leyen and the chumps who’ve bought what she has been selling.
Read more...John Helmer: Putin Hits Pause Button on Oreshnik-Level Retaliation for Ukraine Strike on Russian Nuclear Deterrence Assets
In his latest talk with Ray McGovern on Dialogue Works, John Helmer gives far and away the best overview1 so far in the wake of Ukraine attacks on bridges and civilian trains, drone attacks targeting bombers in Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces, a failed new attack on Kerch Bridge, and phone discussions between Lavrov and Rubio […]
Read more...A Culture War is Brewing Over Moral Concern for AI
As AI systems increasingly display emotion — genuine or not — public opinion will split around calls for their rights.
Read more...Like China, a Mexico Tariffs Own Goal: US Dependence on Mexico Energy Trade Means “Those Tariffs Never Stood a Chance”?
More evidence of Trump cluelessness in his Mexico and China tariffs bobs and weaves.
Read more...