Author Archives: Yves Smith

The Fall of the Latin American Left, Part II: Venezuela’s Heterodox Collapse

Why Chávez’s reforms in Venezuela, which worked for many years, foundered as officials rejected legitimate criticism for political reasons.

Don’t Miss Our Washington DC Area Meetup This Friday, April 28!

If you work or live near Washington DC, please stop by our meetup this Friday!

The Operation and Demise of the Bretton Woods System: 1958 to 1971

Even though the Bretton Woods system was short lived, legacies like the dollar standard remain and are likely to be with us for some time.

The Fall of the Latin American Left, Part I: Brazil’s Boom and Bust

Discussing why the left in Latin America lost power, starting with Brazil.

Wolf Richter: Private Equity in the Thick of Bricks and Mortar Retail Implosion

The distress at traditional retailers has been made much worse by private equity asset stripping rendering them fragile.

Gaius Publius: Hillary Clinton Explains Our North Korea, South Korea, China Policy

Why America’s belligerent posture towards North Korea needs to be taken with a fistful of salt.

Democrat Disunity: Hypocritical Media Attacks on Sanders

The Democrats so can’t stand Sanders’ refusal to change his policies that they are undermining their own “Unity Tour” with press attacks.

Former Workers at Elon Musk’s SolarCity Allege Employment Abuses, Improper Installations

Over 2000 former SolarCity workers allege labor violations, like denying overtime pay and bathroom breaks, as well as shoddy installations.

Please Come to Our Washington DC Area Meetup This Friday, April 28

Hope to see you at our meetup this Friday!

Links 4/22/17

The Automation Grift: From Flying Cars to Ordering Cat Food on the Internet – Part 2

Why claims for automation getting rid of workers are greatly exaggerated.

America is Regressing into a Developing Nation for Most People

Like developing countries, America is becoming more stratified, with the economic and physical distance between rich and poor widening.

Links 4/21/17

Too Little, Too Late Lawsuit Against Predatory Servicer Ocwen Demonstrates Failure to Address Servicing Abuses

Recidivist mortgage servicer Ocwen gets whacked by the officialdom yet again, showing how inadequate mortgage “reforms” under Obama were.