An assessment of the stakes for France in trying to reverse the military coup in Niger by force.
Recent Items
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
French Invasion of Niger Could Turn into All-Out Franco-African War
Topics: Africa, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Europe, Globalization, Guest Post, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:41 am | 57 Comments »
As the Ukraine War Drags On, It’s Time to Reassess the Impacts of Sanctions
The bundle of sanctions was initially designed and imposed in haste, with little basis to assess historic performance.
Topics: Banking industry, China, Economic fundamentals, Guest Post, Payment system, Politics, Russia, Technology and innovation
Posted by Yves Smith at 5:38 am | 27 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/2/2023
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Topics: Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 83 Comments »
Science Versus Scientism in Real Life: Where Do We Go from Here?
An engaging discussion of science-adjacent scintism, including Theranos. glysophate, Golden Rice, and rewilding.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Dubious statistics, Environment, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Health care, Permaculture, Ridiculously obvious scams, Science and the scientific method, Social policy, Technology and innovation
Posted by Yves Smith at 10:43 am | 37 Comments »
Government Health Financing for All, Not Insurance
Why health insurance schemes, both private insurance and society-wide programs, are more costly than and inferor to government funding.
Topics: Economic fundamentals, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Health care, Income disparity, Market inefficiencies, Moral hazard, Politics, Regulations and regulators
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:35 am | 24 Comments »
Links 8/2/2023
Topics: Guest Post, Links
Posted by Lambert Strether at 6:58 am | 153 Comments »
The Bizarre and Widely Disparaged Fitch Downgrade of US Government Debt to AA+
The financial press and Mr. Market shrugged off the Fitch downgrade of US government debt from AAA to AA+. Why?
Topics: Credit markets, Doomsday scenarios, Dubious statistics, Economic fundamentals, Federal Reserve, Macroeconomic policy, Media watch, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:54 am | 20 Comments »
Two Overlapping Takes on Inflation
MMT backer Richard Murphy and London finance organ City A.M. have surprisingly simliar views on the causes of inflation but differ on remedies
Topics: Banking industry, Credit markets, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Federal Reserve, Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Income disparity, Macroeconomic policy, Pandemic, Politics, Russia, The dismal science
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:42 am | 15 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/1/2023
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Topics: Guest Post, Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 72 Comments »
Oppenheimer and the Birth of the Nuclear-Industrial Complex
A measured but wide-ranging takedown on the movie Oppenheimer and the way it goes way too easy on too many matters nuclear.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Guest Post, Japan, Politics, Russia, Social values, Technology and innovation
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 66 Comments »
Links 8/1/2023
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:59 am | 197 Comments »
Gonzalo Lira Reports Torture in Ukraine Prison, Extortion, Inevitable Conviction with Sentence of 5 to 8 Years in Labor Camp
Gonzalo Lira is alive after being tortured in prison. He is tryng to flee Urkaine, witih tacit approval of the authorities. Wish him luck.
Topics: Banana republic, Legal, Media watch, Politics, Ridiculously obvious scams
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:51 am | 73 Comments »
The World’s Most Indebted Oil Company, Pemex, Is in Serious Trouble (Or So We Are Told)
At the beginning of July, the AMLO government’s biggest bet on energy self-sufficiency — the Dos Bocas refinery in Tabasco — began processing crude oil. But since then, things have not gone according to plan.
Topics: Guest Post
Posted by Nick Corbishley at 6:45 am | 5 Comments »
Be Aware: Someone Could Steal Your Medical Records and Bill You for Their Care
On medical fraud: what you can do to prevent it and respond when it happens.
Topics: Guest Post, Health care, Legal, Regulations and regulators, Technology and innovation
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:03 am | 8 Comments »
Project NextGen: Biden Administration Doubles Down on Vax-Only, Boosts Profit over Public Health
Ka-ching.
Topics: Guest Post, Pandemic
Posted by Lambert Strether at 3:25 pm | 26 Comments »