Author Archives: Yves Smith
Western Democracy Was Always a Managed Oligarchy. Now It’s Breaking
How democracies under stress are showing their true oligarchy status.
Read more...‘I Heard a Barnacle’ – How Paying Attention to Nature’s Background Noise Can Reveal Animal Secrets
The too-often-neglected importance of sound in nature and scientific investigation.
Read more...‘No Blank Checks for Big Tech’: Schumer Faces Protest Over ‘Dirty Data Center Deal’
Will a bill that disses the midterms’ AI repudiation by speeding up data center construction advance in the lame duck Congressional session?
Read more...Iran War: Will AI Rout, Report of Rubio Exit, End of Netanyahu Reign, Likely Hegseth Impeachment, Halt Plans to Hit Iran Over Weekend?
Today’s Iran war news: Trump is bleeding out power, but will he still proceed with his big beautiful attack on Iran to shore up his manhood?
Read more...‘Time for Some Accountability’: Advocate Says Democrats Must Subpoena Corporate Price-Gougers
Will a push to rein in algo-driven individual corporate price gouging get Congressional support and legal restrictions?
Read more...Easy Money Does Not Win Elections
Why politicians’ complaints that central banks are hurting them by not lowering the cost of money are nearly always wrong.
Read more...Iran War: Trump Freezes as Israel and AIPAC Assess Damage, Vance Admits Iran War as Key to Epic Defeat; White House Clip Touting Trump Defiance Includes “Wolf of Wall Street” Fraudster
Today’s Iran war news: A chastened Trump has held back on his Iran strike plans. But is he relenting or just regrouping?
Read more...Satyajit Das: Golden Mythologies
Why gold does not necessarily glitter as an investment.
Read more...How China Accidentally Broke the West’s Monopoly Over the Weapons Trade
Not surprisingly,. given how overpriced and fussy US weapons are, China is moving in.
Read more...Short Supplies of Large Power Transformers Stymie Changes to US Electricity Grid
An explanation of why large electrical transformers have become a chokepoint in grid upgrades and expansion, crimping data center plans.
Read more...Midterms Deliver Epic Trump Rebuke. So What Might Come Next?
Trump has taken a very public beating. Will Team Dem show a bit more respect for the will of voters than usual?
Read more...Democrats in House Poised to Investigate the Trump Administration
Democrats have been rumbling that they will investigate Trump and his cronies. Will they go ahead or become the dog that caught the car?
Read more...How Government Spending Can Pay for Itself: The Multiplier Effect Explained
A primer on the fiscal multiplier, a topic likely to come back into vogue as calls for austerity seem set to rise.
Read more...
