SHARE        Friday, October 18, 2019
The mid-September liquidity crisis On September 17, the repo rate more than doubled from the previous day, jumping from 2.42% to 5.25%. How could there be a liquidity crisis when banks have $1.305 billion of excess reserves?

(2 comments) SHARE        Monday, September 2, 2019
Nuclear war self-evident truths There are self-evident truths in foreign relations: a) wars are a recurring occurrence, b) no weapon, no matter how lethal for the civil population, has ever been disregarded for use in a war situation

SHARE        Saturday, August 10, 2019
If nations do not abide by their commitments" " if they brush aside treaties and international laws, tension rises and wars ensue"

(3 comments) SHARE        Sunday, August 4, 2019
Nature of Democracy and the Ruling Class The Greeks tried democracy over two thousand years ago with some limited success. Enlightened by the Enlightenment Age, we emulate our forebearers, convinced that we got it right this time.

SHARE        Monday, July 1, 2019
Christine Lagarde sounds like a broken record. Christine Lagarde concludes her June 27 speech at the Osaka G-20 meeting with these words: "...while the global economy is currently at a precarious stage, with the right policies and working together, we can overcome the challenges that we face and set the world on a path of stronger, more sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth."

SHARE        Monday, May 6, 2019
What kind of country is this? What country grants itself the right to starve the populations of Iran and Venezuela in the name of the right of people to self-determination?

SHARE        Monday, April 29, 2019
Playing poker in the Middle East It is said that former real estate mogul, Donald Trump, would always negotiate with a strong hand to force the opposite party to accept his terms. In a poker game, you may win with a weak hand if you manage to convince the other players that you have a strong hand.

SHARE        Saturday, March 16, 2019
Plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose Senators are congratulating themselves over a resolution mandating President Trump to stop US support to Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. Senator Rand Paul sees it as a "great opportunity" for Congress to take back its war powers.

(1 comments) SHARE        Friday, March 8, 2019
The United States is bankrupt The United States' net international investment position has been growing from minus $34 billion in 1979 to minus 7,725 billion (40% of GDP) in 2017. Does it matter? Does it threaten the dollar supremacy?

SHARE        Friday, December 28, 2018
Syria: two wrongs do not make a right Few people approved Donald Trump's decision to repatriate troops from Syria. Many more disagree. From the neoconservatives' point of view, the withdrawal does not make sense.Unfortunately, removing American troops from Syria without preparation or forewarning is equally senseless. Two wrongs do not make a right.

(2 comments) SHARE        Monday, September 10, 2018
The New Evil Empire This is how Ronald Reagan famously qualified the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is no more. But, there is a new Evil Empire: the United States.

(2 comments) SHARE        Monday, August 13, 2018
Donald Trump, the silent majority and the world order The shock of Donald Trump's unexpected victory is prompting a lot of soul searching among academics, journalists and politicians.

(1 comments) SHARE        Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Iran: A Victory for the War Party Donald Trump tore up the Joint Comprehension Plan of Action (JCPOA). Some pundits believe the time has come for Europeans to assert themselves and put a stop to American unilateralism. Daniel Lazare argues that only a Russo-German accord may save the deal. For Philip Weiss, it is a blessing in disguise in that it shows in broad day light that the Israeli tail is wagging the American dog. John

(2 comments) SHARE        Sunday, May 6, 2018
Israel: a window of opportunity Stars are aligned for Israel to realize its long held dream of Middle East domination through chaos. The war with Iran has started. It began with the strikes on Iranian positions in Syria on February 9th and April 9th. It is about to enter its last phase with the United States' participation. With Iran destruction, a cycle initiated by 9/11 will come to an end.

(6 comments) SHARE        Monday, March 19, 2018
How does one respond to repeated lies? The Skripal Affair is a sham, as is Russiagate. How should Russia respond? It has chosen the high road. Lavrov dismissed the affair as "nonsense".

SHARE        Monday, January 15, 2018
Trump's big mouth and the financial bubble The U.S. government will run out of money this Friday. Unless Democrats and Republicans find an agreement beforehand, the U.S. government will shut down. This has happened before. But, this time it is occurring at a most inopportune moment. A financial bubble has been growing on Wall Street for a while. It is ready to burst. It only needs a spark. It may be Trump's big mouth.

(1 comments) SHARE        Monday, January 1, 2018
Caught Between the Vietnam Syndrome and Irrational Exuberance Every country has its demons. In the United States, they take the form of the Vietnam syndrome and the irrational exuberance; i.e., the inability to admit defeat and a blind faith in the market. These two bode ill for 2018 -- a year in which the world may witness a hot war and a financial crash, or both if the crash comes first.

(1 comments) SHARE        Monday, December 11, 2017
Israel Palestine: For whom the bell tolls? In 2008, John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt published "The Lobby and U.S. foreign policy" in which they reminded the reader that no two countries share the same vital interests. This obvious truth was ignored.

(10 comments) SHARE        Sunday, November 19, 2017
Mohammed bin Salman: a useful idiot Saudi Arabia has no business taking on Iran. Crushing Iran is part of the United States' hegemonic plan, and Israel's goal to dominate the region. Mohammed bin Salman is way over his head, a peon in a power game. He will come out as a hero if the United States and Israel succeed in achieving their goals or a fool if they fail.

(7 comments) SHARE        Monday, September 18, 2017
$1,945 billion for what? This is the cost of Overseas Contingency Operations* (OCO) over 16 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. $1,945 billion, the number is so large it is hard to fathom.