Author Archives: Yves Smith

Complacency, Denialism and the Risk of an Economic Trumpocalypse

Why the downside to Trump economic policies are far greater than the press and pundit class are willing to acknowledge.

What Are the Health Impacts of Plastic?

Scientists are investigating how plastic additives and microplastics affect our bodies, and are worried about what they’ve learned so far

US-Ukraine Minerals Deal: Has Trump Agreed to Continue Military Support? Even if Not, Will He Fall for an Endowment Effect Trap?

Will the Ukraine minerals deal become a tar baby for Trump?

Satyajit Das: The Unravelling – Part 2: Contagion & Containment

Mapping the contagion fever chart of how a Trump financial meltdown might unfold.

The Legal Limits of Trump’s Crackdown on Sanctuary Cities Like Philadelphia

Trump is escalating his campaign against sanctuary cities, and potentially even sanctuary churches. How might that play out?

Global South and Multilateral Financial Institutions: Where Does BRICS Stand?

Why BRICS has gotten barely anywhere on launching its own finanicial institutions and why that is unlikely to change soon if ever.

Satyajit Das: The Unravelling – Part 1: Economic & Financial Furies

Why the Trump-induced economic and financial train wrecks will be more severe than most pundits seem to anticipate.

Links 4/30/2025

China Leapfrogging the U.S. in Tech Innovation

Some sobering facts on how China is outstripping the US in science and technology advances.

Michael Hudson and Yanis Varoufakis with Ann Pettifor on Economic and Political Paradigm Changes

The formidable trio of Michael Hudson, Yanis Varoufakis, and Ann Pettifor assess the rapid changes in our economic system.

Links 4/26/2025

Extractive Taxation and the French Revolution

What ought to be a cause for tariffs pause: unrepresentative and often high taxes were a major spur to the French Revolution.