Why is Putin in Washington's Crosshairs? by Mike Whitney CounterPunch (April 28 2014)   Washington wants to weaken Moscow economically by slashing its gas revenues and, thus, eroding its ability to defend itself or its interests. The US does not want an economically-integrated Europe and Asia. The de facto EU-Russian alliance is a direct threat … Continue reading Ukraine, Russia and China →

... of Where Money Really Comes From by Joe Weisenthal Business Insider (April 27 2014) More and more people are calling for a "ban on banking", but that's not as crazy as it sounds. Under a new regime, there would still be entities called "banks". But they'd have a radically scaled back function. They would … Continue reading Everybody Should Read This Explanation … →

Here's the Wild Idea that People are Starting to Take Seriously by Joe Weisenthal Business Insider (April 27 2014) http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/535d6775eab8eabe0739a650-1200-/its-a-wonderful-life-2-1.jpg Economists have begun seriously discussing the idea of banning banks. That seems ridiculous and far-fetched, but the idea might not be as crazy as it sounds. But before we get to the idea, there's something … Continue reading Ban All the Banks →

Banks Create Money Out of Thin Air ... Conferring Enormous Windfall Profits At the Expense of the People by WashingtonsBlog http://www.washingtonsblog.com (April 28 2014) We've pointed out for 4 1/2 years that banks create money out of thin air. Specifically, it has now been conclusively proven that loans come first ... and then deposits FOLLOW. … Continue reading The Biggest Secret About Banking Has Just Gone Mainstream →

by John Michael Greer The Archdruid Report (April 23 2014) Druid perspectives on nature, culture, and the future of industrial society I have been wondering for some time now how to talk about the weirdly autumnal note that sounds so often and so clearly in America these days. Through the babble and clatter, the seven … Continue reading Refusing the Call: A Tale Rewritten →

by Pete Dolack http://systemicdisorder.wordpress.com (April 23 2014) The Democratic Party has responded to the resistance against ramming through new trade agreements by giving the process a new name. "Fast-track" has been rebranded as "smart-track" and, voila, new packaging is supposed to make us forget the rotten hulk underneath the thin veneer. Don't be fooled. The … Continue reading Trade Legerdemain on Both Sides of the Atlantic →

by Thomas H Greco, Jr Beyond Money (April 27 2014) At long last, income inequality is becoming a mainstream political issue, thanks in large part to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman and Thomas Piketty, an obscure professor at the Paris School of Economics. The English translation of Picketty's new book Capital in the Twenty-First … Continue reading Income (and Wealth) Inequality Becoming a Political Issue →

by John Feffer Foreign Policy in Focus (April 23 2014) Video games usually provide you with multiple lives. If you step on a landmine or get hit by an assassin, you get another chance. Even if such virtual reincarnation is not built into the rules of the game, you can always reboot and start over … Continue reading Earth: Game Over? →

... without Oil, to Avoid a Human Dieback? by Lambert Strether of Corrente. Naked Capitalism (April 24 2014)   The future is already here - it's just not very evenly distributed. -- William Gibson   This is a two days-late Earth Day post. I've been thinking about this comment from lorrie {1}:   The real … Continue reading Can We Grow Enough Food … →

Pacific-rim nations to get astonishingly small gains from the deal, while exposing themselves to high risks. by Kevin P Gallagher http://www.theglobalist.com (April 24 2014) Despite President Barack Obama's charm offensive in the region, Pacific nations are well-advised to remain wary of the US government's position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP). If US trade negotiators … Continue reading America’s Proposed TPP: Buyer Beware →