Wednesday, July 30, 2025

French Invasion of Niger Could Turn into All-Out Franco-African War

An assessment of the stakes for France in trying to reverse the military coup in Niger by force.

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.

2:00PM Water Cooler 8/2/2023

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

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.

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.

Links 8/2/2023

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?

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

2:00PM Water Cooler 8/1/2023

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

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.

Links 8/1/2023

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.

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.

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.

Project NextGen: Biden Administration Doubles Down on Vax-Only, Boosts Profit over Public Health

Ka-ching.