Michael Hudson explains how finance, monopoly and economic rent have captured government, inflated asset prices and weakened the productive economy.
Rentier Capitalism and the Illusion of Growth
Why does the US debt machine keep running despite $38 trillion in liabilities? Michael Hudson explains how military spending, dollar dominance, financial engineering, and the lack of alternatives keep global capital tied to US Treasury markets even as the system grows more unstable.
How A Nation Makes Money in Their Sleep
Michael Hudson on the balance-of-payments illusion: how military outlays, foreign aid, and transfer pricing let the U.S. earn without paying—under dollar hegemony.
The Utopian Gilded Age?
Trump’s economic agenda is no longer about deregulation—it’s about dismantling the state itself. In this sharp commentary, economist Michael Hudson unpacks how Trump’s vision draws from Thatcherite austerity and Russia’s kleptocratic privatization of the 1990s. With Elon Musk and billionaire donors at his side, the plan is to turn public goods—parks, post offices, health care—into profit machines for monopolists. GDP would be redefined to ignore the shrinking public sector, while natural monopolies like water and power are handed to financiers. Hudson warns: this is neoliberalism on steroids, the final enclosure of the commons, and the creation of a corporate state where citizenship becomes subservient to shareholder returns. If history is any guide, the great fortunes of the future will be built not through innovation—but through privatizing what we already own.
Understanding the Great Rip Off
Quarterly Q & A June 13, 2025 Please support Michael's work by becoming a Patreon supporter. KARL FITZGERALD: Michael, it's so great to see you. We're all so enthusiastic about this meeting, so we're glad you got here. Okay, let's get into it. MICHAEL HUDSON: We have seven minutes left to discuss the whole thing. KARL FITZGERALD: Michael, I thought we had two hours tonight! MICHAEL HUDSON: I know, I'm kidding. All right, let's begin. KARL FITZGERALD: Welcome, everyone, to our quarterly Q & A session with Michael Hudson, who's been analyzing the economic matrix for 55 years. Over a dozen books. A lot of support out there for his work. We love seeing all the comments on all the different YouTubes he's involved in. Great to have our Patreon supporters here today to delve into the ...
Why Banking Isn’t What You Think It Is
Michael Hudson unpacks the realities of modern banking, economic rent, and financialization. He explains how banks create credit, why Western financial systems differ from China’s, and how economic rent distorts markets. Hudson critiques the multiplier effect, arguing that debt-driven economies are unsustainable. He also explores the evolution of capitalism, discussing Marx’s labor theory of value and the role of industrial capitalists in reshaping economies. From NATO expansion to misguided war spending, he highlights how financial priorities shape global politics. If you’re looking for insights on banking, economic rent, and how financial systems impact real-world economies, this deep dive into Hudson’s perspectives will challenge conventional thinking.
Contesting the Corontation of the Rentier
Prof Michael Hudson discusses with his Patreon supporters the issues of the day. We traverse through rentier commissions, Ponzi schemes, the isolation of Israel and America,
The Way to Avoid Tearing Society Apart
https://youtu.be/-DT0fc7G-vU KARL FITZGERALD: Welcome, everyone. Welcome to another quarterly Patreon session with Michael Hudson, Professor Michael Hudson, author of over a dozen books, including his latest, The Temples of Enterprise. My name's Karl Fitzgerald. I'll be your host today. I'm an economist based in Australia that has changed three taxes, protecting communities from speculative overreach. Michael, the role of property continues to expand. You sent me a great e-news that we often reference, Mr. Matt Stoller and his BIG newsletter. This software algorithm ‘RealPage’ that coordinates rental increases. This led to some FBI dawn raids. What do you think about this form of price fixing? MICHAEL HUDSON: Oh, that's right... To try to coordinate rents. That's been happening in quite a few different countries. They're trying to make sure that landlords do ...
Gold as the Peace Currency
https://youtu.be/iM1NlED8yOA Recorded June 8, 2023 Karl Fitzgerald: Welcome everyone to another Patreon Q&A session. Great to have you here. And as always, we're with Professor Michael Hudson, author of so many books, so many podcast interviews, you name it, he's out there telling us what's going on in the world and it's great that we get to have this sort of behind the scenes discussion with Michael. Good to see questions coming through on the Q&A feed already. And Michael, John Shriner asks, how is it possible that a 72 foot cube of gold appears to be ruling the world? Michael Hudson: It doesn't rule the world. Why would anyone think it rules the world? It's how it's treated. That is the key it's an institution, it's not just a commodity, no commodity rules ...
Watching the World Divide in Half
https://youtu.be/KE0zs4J84Gw Hudson Patreon Q&A 2023Q4 - Dec 8 Support Michael's incredible work by becoming a Patreon. He needs it now more than ever (read below) KARL FITZGERALD: All right, well let's get into it. Okay. Welcome everyone to our final Q&A session for 2023. Always good to be with you. My name is Karl Fitzgerald, I am an economist and Michael's webmaster of about 14 years now so always good to have our patreons here. And just so good to be with the prolific Michael Hudson, who has yet another book coming up. I hope everyone's speed reading skills are improving, because they're just coming out one after the other, Michael. MICHAEL HUDSON: "The Temples of Enterprise." It's all of my academic essays on the origins of money in the ancient Near East, the ...
