In Mr. Krugman’s reading, private debts need not be written down or the tax system made more efficient. It is to be better subsidized – mainly with easier bank credit and more government spending. So I am afraid that his book might as well have been subtitled “How the Economy can Borrow its Way...
Posts Tagged ‘ Iceland ’
Iceland's Fair Value Vultures
The New Bank Disaster Olafur Arnarson, Michael Hudson and Gunnar Tomasson* The problem of bank loans gone bad, especially those with government-guarantees such as U.S. student loans and Fannie Mae mortgages, has thrown into question just what should be a “fair value” for these debt obligations. Should “fair value” reflect what debtors can pay...
Consent Needed for Debt Repayments
Hudson on the odious nature of debts encouraged by the banksters but repaid by the people through austerity.
EU: Class War Declared
Concentration of financial power in non-democratic hands is inherent in the way that Europe’s centralized planning in financial hands was achieved in the first place. The European Central Bank has no elected government behind it that can levy taxes. The EU constitution prevents the ECB from bailing out governments
EU: Politics Financialized, Economies Privatized
Breakup of the euro? Is Iceland’s rejection of financial bullying a model for Greece and Ireland? This article is an excerpt from Prof. Hudson’s upcoming book, “Debts that Can’t be Paid, Won’t Be,” to be published later this year. Last month Iceland voted against submitting to British and Dutch demands that it compensate their...
Rating Junk Economics
Michael Hudson critiques austerity measures amidst the global preference for crumbling economies over taxing privilege. Ratings Agencies, German banks and user pays come under the microscope.
Why Iceland Voted 'No'
About 75% of Iceland’s voters turned out on Saturday to reject the Social Democratic-Green government’s proposal to pay $5.2 billion to the British and Dutch bank insurance agencies for the Landsbanki-Icesave collapse. Every one of Iceland’s six electoral districts voted in the “No” column – by a national margin of 60% (down from 93%...
Will Iceland Vote “No” or commit financial suicide?
A landmark fight is occurring this Saturday, April 9. Icelanders will vote on whether to subject their economy to decades of poverty, bankruptcy and emigration of their work force. At least, that is the program supported by the existing Social Democratic-Green coalition government in urging a “Yes” vote on the Icesave bailout. Their financial...
Where to Spend Norway's Oil Rents
Professor Hudson was recently in Norway and interviewed on NRK. Take your pick, the first file has the Norwegian edited out, so excuse a few jumps in topic. The second is the full podcast. Listen (3 mins) Listen to the Norwegian version (34 mins)
Norway's Sovereign Wealth Risk Vortex
What does Norway get out of its Oil Fund, if not More Strategic Infrastructure Investment? For the past generation Norway has supplied Europe and other regions with oil, taking payment in euros or dollars. It then sends nearly all this foreign exchange abroad, sequestering its oil-export receipts – which are in foreign currency –...
Books by Michael Hudson
