Author Archives: Yves Smith

Blackstone Executive Commits Perjury via Declaration That Information in SEC Order is “Confidential” and “Trade Secret”

Blackstone sees fit to tell flagrant legal lies even when the stakes are pathetically small.

John Helmer: Chrystia Freeland Demoted In New Canadian Cabinet – She And The Ukraine Lobby Hit By Siklebaum Disease

Chrystia Freeland and the nexus of Ukraine-related politics in Canada.

Afghanistan “After” the American War

A grim look at conditions on the ground in Afghanistan.

Full Text of TPP, Including Annexes, and Boy is it Nasty

Yes, sports fans, the TPP is as bad as you feared it might be….

Liquidity Traps as Black Holes

Beware! Liquidity traps are even nastier than you thought.

Links 11/5/15

New York City, CalSTRS Engage in Pension Fee Transparency Theater to Try to Fool Critics

Efforts at greater fee transparency at the New York City public pension fund and CalSTRS are still largely exercises in improving optics.

San Francisco Votes Against Affordable Housing, For AirBnB

San Francisco shows its libertarian side in key votes yesterday.

Fifty Shades of Tax Dodging: How EU Helps Support Unjust Global Tax Systems

Tax is a major way to create incentives. Thus the debate about whether corporations should pay more taxes is not naive as the plutocrats would have you believe.

Links 11/4/15

Why Has Carbon Capture And Storage Not Taken Off Yet?

How the economics of carbon capture are impeding widespread adoption.

Gaius Publius: A DOJ Lawsuit Against Exxon, a “Slam Dunk” to Win, Would Threaten Investors and Possibly Executives

Why the Department of Justice will have a lot of ‘splaining to do if it does not file a case against Exxon.

Mussolini-Style Corporatism, aka Fascism, on the Rise in the US

While the new neoliberal economic order is not a replay of fascism,, there is a remarkable amount of inhibition in calling out the similarities where they exist.

Links 11/3/15