Author Archives: Yves Smith

AI, Antitrust & Privacy: When More Competition Makes Things Worse

Increased AI competition worsens surveillance, manipulation, and disinformation—threatening privacy, autonomy, and democracy.

Trump’s Self-Destructive Fight with the Fed for Low Interest Rates: His “Fiscal Dominance” Game of Chicken

Trump is fighting another war he can’t win: trying to use interest rates to counter the inflation created by his yawning fiscal deficits.

The UK Aims to Entrench Its Influence in Estonia in Order to Lead the Arctic-Baltic Front

The UK’s clever scheme to enlist rabid chihuahua Estonia to harass Russia in the Baltic theater.

Links 7/5/2025

Why UK [and US] Governments Are Never Dependent on Financial Markets

As Mr. Market idelivers a big raspberry in response to Trump’s big beautiful bill, remember it won’t affect the ability to keep spending

Global Carbon Emissions Reach Record High Despite Green Efforts

So much for “green energy will save us” hype. Carbon emssions keep rising.

How Global Value Chains, Much Hyped by Development Experts, Slowed Growth and Preserved Inequality in Middle Income Countries

Tackling a pro-multinational development canard which looks to have made the so-called middle income trap worse.

Holiday Special: Dimash Sings Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’Amour

mash, who has credibly (and often) been called the world’s best singer, does it again.

Michael Hudson: The Collapse of America’s Economic Empire

Michael Hudson, expanding on his seminal work Super Imperialism, chroniciles the rise and in-process decline of US financial hegemony.

Links 7/2/2025