Vandana Shiva – People’s Economies vs Corporate Control: First Commodification, Then Financialization, Now Demonetization

Ever since the Corporate Form was “invented” – in its earliest avatar as the collective East India Companies – those who have ruled via corporation have found innovative “means” new to extract wealth from the earth and people, leaving both poorer in a zero-sum “game”. During The Raj – Company Raj – extraction was carried out through Lagaan – taxation …

CLIF DROKE – Why the US Benefits From Global Financial Crisis

Let’s turn our attention to the global economy. Last week the Bank of England said it would buy 60 billion pounds of government debt in order to cushion the economy against the impact of the recent Brexit vote. England and the European Union are emulating the quantitative easing (QE) policies of the US Federal Reserve but so far without any …

Yves Smith – Brexit Empty Threats: The UK’s Fantasy of Becoming a Big Tax Haven

One noteworthy feature of Brexit coverage is British commentators and even worse, officials, reassuring themselves and their audiences that the EU’s firm insistence that the UK will not be able to cherry-pick will melt when they understand that the UK has real bargaining leverage. Based on the arguments I have seen so far, the Eurocrats aren’t at any risk of …

Alternative Visions – World Economic Forum Big Bankers Getting Worried – 01.22.16

Jack Rasmus comments on the worried commentary about the global economy today coming out of this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The annual meeting of the big capitalists globally is producing a stream of concerned remarks on China, global oil, and drift toward deflation—all topics Rasmus focuses on in the release of his new book, ‘Systemic Fragility in the Global Economy’ , by Clarity Press. (see his blog, jackrasmus.com for sample chapters). Jack then reviews on the show important economic events and news of the past week, including Eurozone Chairman, Mario Draghi’s, pledge to expand QE in March, growing problems in European banks’ loans, capital flight from China and emerging markets, the admitting by the US business press that low oil prices are having no effect on the US economy and early reports that fourth quarter US GDP is coming in at only 0.6% growth according to the Fed and there’s a 50-50 chance of US recession this year.