Author Archives: Nick Corbishley

7 Reasons Why a Vaccine Passport (Pass, Certificate or Whatever They Want to Call It) Should Give Us Pause

As the use of vaccine passports snowballs, concerns about their potential reach and implications are growing.

Fallout from Greensill Collapse Splatters British Government, As Taxpayers Face Big Losses

Downing Street’s dodgy dealings with Citi and Greensill show just how far the British government is willing to go to line the pockets of banks and other financial firms while bleeding taxpayers dry.

It’s Time To Talk About Ivermectin

An extremely cheap, safe and widely available off-patent medicine appears to be saving the lives of covid-19 patients across Latin America and beyond. Yet hardly anybody’s talking about it.

The Ultimate Grenfell Betrayal: UK Government Leaves Victims of Cladding Crisis Holding the Bill

The costs fall on leaseholders, who are least able to pay and not remotely to blame for the crisis, while the government protects builders, developers and cladding manufacturers.

Spain’s Labor Office Hit by Massive Ransomware Attack As Unemployment Hits Four-Year High

The victims of this latest ransomware attack are among the most vulnerable in society — those who have lost their jobs or whose jobs have been furloughed.

SoftBank-Funded Fintech Upstart Greensill Crashes, Carnage Ensues

Supply chain finance disuptor Greensill is undone by its own financial wizardry, putting at risk thousands of jobs in the UK, Australia and the EU. The timing could not be worse for already buckling supply chains.

Pfizer’s Sordid Vaccine Sales Practices in Latin America Could Be a Big Boon for China and Russia

Vaccine politics could end up nudging countries in the region even deeper into China’s orbit. As vaccines fail to materialise, doctors turn to cheap, widely available drugs such as Ivermectin.

Scandal-Splattered UK Outsourcing Giant, Serco, Sets Sights on the Ultimate Gravy Train: U.S. Defense Contracting

The company has been repeatedly caught falsifying records, at times on a gargantuan scale. Now it is seeking opportunities in an industry where money routinely disappears in the trillions. What could possibly go wrong?

Italy’s Newly Unelected Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, Has Urgent Unfinished Business With the World’s Oldest Bank

In his former role as governor of the Bank of Italy, Draghi was partly responsible for Monte dei Paschi’s di Siena’s decline. Now he must reverse it.

How the Catalonia Question Caused Blushes for Brussels in Moscow

In a heated face-off Russia reminded the EU that when it comes to imprisoning politicians, it too has form. In Catalonia tensions are coming back to the boil as new elections loom.

Oxygen Becomes a Scarce Resource in Latin America’s Two Largest Economies

In the case of Mexico, criminal gangs are taking full advantage of the medical oxygen shortage, with deadly consequences.

Why Is Everyone Talking About Squatters’ Rights in Covid-Ravaged Spain?

Squatters versus landlords: the battle lines are drawn as this once-in-a-lifetime crisis threatens to create a whole new generation of olvidados.

Perhaps It’s Time to Start Worrying About Italy Again

The causes for concern surrounding Italy are growing, even as the ECB keeps a tight lid on its bond yields, pushing its debt servicing costs lower as its debt explodes higher.

Cash in the Time of Covid: Down But Not Out

Physical cash should still have an important — albeit diminished — role to play in the economy of the future.

Workers’ Wages: The Next Frontier in the Financialization of Just About Everything

As the virus crisis bites deeper and deeper into workers’ wages and household finances, big money is pouring into workplace finance initiatives.