~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Friday, January 2, 2026
Using the Payments System to Enforce an Russian Oil Price Cap Likely to Cause Supply Shock
The G7 plans to use its payments system to enforce a Russian oil price cap, because that worked so well in the shock and awe sanctions.
EU Hypocrisy Hits Dizzying New Heights As Commission’s Scandal-Tarnished President Pledges to Wage Global Fight on Corruption
Given von der Leyen’s apparent allergy to basic transparency, she is the last person in Brussels to be leading the EU’s roll out of so-called “corruption sanctions”.
Congressional Sausagemaking, or How Inflation Reduction Became Fossil Fuel Export Promotion
How Manchin and Sinema got dirty energy goodies and financier breaks into the Inflation Reduction Act.
Naked Capitalism: Working Together to Combat 21st Century Lies
Governments, tech companies, and big businesses wage war on working people the world over. We must work together to fight their lies.
The Russian Situation Comedy Is No Lying Matter – The Joke Is on the Office of Foreign Assets Control
How Russian comedy producers and broadcasters are laughing their way to the bank thanks to Western sanctions.
2:00PM Water Cooler 9/15/2022
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
US Is Becoming a ‘Developing Country’ on Global Rankings that Measure Democracy, Inequality
High levels of inequality are correlated with poor social indicators, so the US falling in global scores should come as no surprise.
Naked Capitalism: Lambert, an Unexpected Optimist Speaks….and Asks for Support
Critical thinking means we can have your back in crisis.
Speculation Over What Russia Does Next
Russia, as in Putin, is under pressure to amp up the Ukraine war. Will he be able to hold out?
Liberalism Is Not the Opposite of Conservatism
How debates over liberalism and conservatism obscure the core issue: Why does capital control labor, and not labor capital?
Gasoline Demand Destruction Accelerates Despite Plunge in Prices: Consumption Drops to August 1997 Level
Gasoline purchases show a softening economy, but the Fed is likely to ignore that memo.
Yippie! Met Our Fifth Goal, and on to the Sixth: Expanding Our Reach
On to a new goal: expanding our reach to counter the effects of an environment hostile to independent voices.
