Imperialism | Michael Hudson

De-Dollarizing the American Financial Empire

By Michael Thursday, July 11, 2019 Interviews guns n butter, Imperialism, Washington Consensus Permalink

Guns and Butter. July 3, 2019 Imperialism is getting something for nothing. It is a strategy to obtain other countries’ surplus without playing a productive role, but by creating an extractive rentier system. An imperialist power obliges other countries to pay tribute. Of course, America doesn’t come right out and tell other countries, “You have to pay us tribute,” like Roman emperors told the provinces they governed. U.S. diplomats simply insist that other countries invest their balance-of-payments inflows and official central-bank savings in US dollars, especially U.S. Treasury IOUs. This Treasury-bill standard turns the global monetary and financial system into a tributary system. That is what pays the costs of U.S. military spending, including its 800 military bases throughout the world. I’m Bonnie Faulkner. Today on Guns and Butter, Dr. Michael Hudson. ...

Venezuela as the pivot for New Internationalism?

By Michael Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Interviews de-dollarization, Imperialism, Venezuela Permalink

Saker interview with Michael Hudson on Venezuela, February 7, 2019 Introduction: There is a great deal of controversy about the true shape of the Venezuelan economy and whether Hugo Chavez’ and Nicholas Maduro’s reform and policies were crucial for the people of Venezuela or whether they were completely misguided and precipitated the current crises. Anybody and everybody seems to have very strong held views about this. But I don’t simply because I lack the expertise to have any such opinions. So I decided to ask one of the most respected independent economists out there, Michael Hudson, for whom I have immense respect and whose analyses (including those he co-authored with Paul Craig Roberts) seem to be the most credible and honest ones you can find. In fact, Paul Craig Roberts considers ...

The Imperial President defends Wall St’s rent-seeking turf

By Michael Thursday, March 15, 2018 Interviews Imperialism, Trump, wall st Permalink

Trump's Tariff Travesty Will Not Re-Industrialize the US, TRNN, March 15, 2018 SHARMINI PERIES: It's The Real News Network. I'm Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or known as the OECD, predicted on Tuesday that Trump's tariffs on aluminum and steel imports could initiate a wave of protectionism and slow global economic growth. The tariffs have already spurred various countries to announce retaliatory measures. For example, the European Union plans to impose tariffs on Harley Davidsons and blue jeans. China has also promised to retaliate. Meanwhile, US companies that use steel and aluminum as raw materials for their production processes already report significant cost increases by as much as 40%. Joining me now to analyze Trump's tariffs is Michael Hudson. Michael is a distinguished ...

US imperialism the BREXIT culprit

By Michael Saturday, June 25, 2016 Interviews Imperialism Permalink

How Western Military Interventions Shaped the Brexit Vote, TRNN, June 25, 2016. Michael Hudson argues that military interventions in the Middle East created refugee streams to Europe that were in turn used by the anti-immigrant right to stir up xenophobia GREGORY WILPERT, TRNN: Welcome to the Real News Network. I'm Gregory Wilpert, coming to you from Quito, Ecuador. Britain's referendum in favor of leaving, or exiting, the European Union, the Brexit referendum, as the results are known, won with 52 percent of the vote on Thursday, June 23, stunning Europe's political establishment. One of the issues that has raised concern for many is that what does the Brexit mean for Britain's and Europe's economy and politics. This was one of the main topics leading up to the referendum, but a lot of disinformation ...

The IMF Changes its Rules to Isolate China and Russia

By Michael Sunday, December 20, 2015 Articles, Globalism and its Institutions IMF, Imperialism, Washington Consensus Permalink

Michael Hudson A nightmare scenario of U.S. geopolitical strategists is coming true: foreign independence from U.S.-centered financial and diplomatic control. China and Russia are investing in neighboring economies on terms that cement Eurasian integration on the basis of financing in their own currencies and favoring their own exports. They also have created the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an alternative military alliance to NATO. And the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) threatens to replace the IMF and World Bank tandem in which the United States holds unique veto power. More than just a disparity of voting rights in the IMF and World Bank is at stake. At issue is a philosophy of development. U.S. and other foreign investment in infrastructure (or buyouts and takeovers on credit) adds interest rates and other financial ...