Saturday, July 25, 2026

2:00PM Water Cooler 8/24/2022

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

Turkey Positions Itself as the Middleman in “East-West” Conflict

After being snubbed by NATO and the EU for decades, and suffering from extremely high inflation, Turkey is moving towards Russia.

A New US Data Privacy Bill Aims To Give You More Control Over Information Collected About You – and Make Businesses Change How They Handle Data

A new data privacy law is in the works, at least in part due to more stringent rules in Europe. But could it have unintended side effects?

Links 8/24/2022

Biden’s Gimmie to the Higher Educational Complex and Well-Off, Dem Leaning Voters: The $10,000 Student Loan Writeoff

There’s a lot not to like about the Biden student loan forgiveness scheme.

Iran And Russia Move To Create A Global Natural Gas Cartel

The emerging Russia-Iran gas OPEC is yet another threat to Western economies.

2:00PM Water Cooler 8/23/2022

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

Most Bleak Federal Report Yet on High-Tide/Sunny-Day Tide Floods

Tide floods on otherwise normal high tide days are yet another global warming warning sign.

Links 8/23/2022

Are “Payment Strikes” About to Become a Regular Feature of the Economic Landscape?

The reemergence of “payment strikes” is perhaps a sign that as economic conditions deteriorate, people will begin to leverage the only real power they have left in today’s hyper-consumerist societies — i.e., as consumers. 

The Hope of What Was Once Called a Decent Living Has Departed for the Average Household

The UK is a serious and worsening cost of living crisis that’s impoverishing the former middle class. What will the political fallout be?

China as a Developmental State: Indigenous Innovation and Global Competition

China chose a successful technological development path, in contrast to the corporate financialization model in the United States.

2:00PM Water Cooler 8/22/2022

~ Today’s Water Cooler ~

The Australian Labor Party Embraces the Authoritarianism of a Political System in Crisis

By John McGregor, a translator and political violence researcher Australia is currently lurching from one revelation to another through a constitutional crisis that nobody near power will acknowledge the severity of. As it emerges that the former Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison secretly appropriated a number of ministerships for himself, the now-ruling Labor Party is […]

Links 8/22/2022