Michael Hudson on Bonnie Faulkner's Guns & Butter. Listen Here Guns and Butter: “Debt Deflation in Europe and America” Edited Interview by Bonnie Faulkner with Michael Hudson, September 2, 2011 (first aired on Pacifica, September 14, 2011). “Without consumption, markets are going to shrink. Companies won’t invest, stores will close, “for rent” signs will spread on the main streets and local tax revenues will fall. Companies will lay off their employees and the economy will shrink more. Why aren’t economists talking about these effects of debt deflation, which are becoming the distinguishing phenomenon of our time? They advocate giving more money to the banks, hoping that somehow everything will be okay, as if the banks would lend out the money to fund new production and employment. Mainstream economics and political leaders in both ...