Category Archives: Banana republic

The Roots of Argentina’s Surprise Crisis

How reforms by Argentina’s President Macri helped kick off a currency crisis.

CalPERS Makes Nasty, Inaccurate, and Self-Damaging Attack on Dean of Sacramento Columnists for Criticizing Private Equity Outsourcing Scheme

CalPERS, in a desperate-looking defense of its private equity outsourcing scheme, scores an own goal.

Italy Bars Landing of Ship With 629 Migrants as Finance Minister Takes Euro Exit, Parallel Currency Off Table

Why the self-styled reformist government in Italy is already looking like a paper tiger.

The Battle for Money Has Begun

Why the current fights over money, banking, and Modern Monetary Theory look like new ways to achieve bad neoliberal ends.

OCC Covering Up for Wells Fargo Type Abuses at Other Banks

The OCC found lots of bad bank conduct in retail-land, but refuses to say anything about who is cheating and what they are up to.

Unsafe At Any Speed Redux, Self-Driving Cars, and Legal Liability

Senators seek information on testing protocols for self-driving cars; mandatory arbitration for further lawsuits involving such vehicles looms as a threat.

NIRP’s Revenge: Italian Bonds Plunge, Worst Day in Decades

Markets wail and gnash their teeth as normalization of Italian yields sets in.

The Left as the New Enemy Within: Domestic Wargaming Exercise Includes “Progressive” AntiGlobalist Baddies, Um, Terrorists

Apparently needing to justify spending and domestic surveillance, military exercises depict leftie future terrorists as official threats.

Do Fewer Settlements by Pharmaceutical Companies Mean Even Less Accountability for Their Execs?

Drug company settlements with the Feds, which never were very tough to begin with, are also becoming less frequent.