Hudson on the odious nature of debts encouraged by the banksters but repaid by the people through austerity.
Trade Theory Financialized
To secure its privileges and tax favoritism, the financial sector opposes government power to tax or regulate. Fighting under the banner of “free markets,” it is now fighting to centralize economic planning power in Wall Street, the City of London and other financial centers. What is remarkable is that under ostensibly democratic politics, an “independent” central bank has been carved out – independent from elected officials, not from the commercial banks whose interests it represents. Many voters believe that a financial bubble enriches the economy rather than turning the surplus into a flow of interest and banking fees.
Simon Patten on Public Infrastructure and Economic Rent Capture
Rentier income is now treated as just another profit opportunity to gain from investing tangible or financial capital. Land and monopolistic rent-seeking activities are lumped together as “capital,” stripping away the classical distinction between economic rent and normal profit.
Greek Austerity
Michael discusses how democracy has been subverted.
Occupy Wall St – Systemic Change Please
Michael discusses the growing Occupy Wall St movement and the opportunities for banking reform. “How are you going to re-criminilise fraud? Tim Geithner is a bank lobbyist and should not be in charge of the Treasury”.
Obama’s Good Cop/ Bad Cop deal with the Republicans
Yet on Wednesday, October 4, the president tried to represent the OccupyWallStreet movement as supportive for his efforts. He pretended to endorse a pro-consumer regulator to limit bank fraud, as if he had not dumped Elizabeth Warren on the advice of Mr. Geithner – who seems to be settling into the role of bagman for campaign contributors from Wall Street.
Russian Ripoff
President Putin, now Prime Minister Putin, has said that the demographic effect of just privatizing Russian real estate, and industry and following western advice has lost maybe 30 million Russians from what the normal demographic growth would be to 2050. So the effect of neo-liberal financial policy has been more devastating to Russia than WW2.
Debt Deflation on the rise
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 ...
Euro SOS Debate
During the the Global Policy Forum (Russia), Jeffrey Sommers and Michael Hudson discussed the future of the EU with Bloomberg columnist Matthew Lynn.
Hudson in Russia: The Myth of Neo-Liberalism
Michael is in Russia on tour. More soon.
