Is there any way back from the extreme concentration of power in societies across the world?
Recent Items
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Wealth Is Not the Biggest Problem We Face: Inequality of Power Is
Topics: Economic fundamentals, Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, Social policy, Social values, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 11:00 am | 14 Comments »
Links 6/11/2026
Topics: Links
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:57 am | 56 Comments »
Iran War: Trump Again Strikes Iran Out of Frustration With Refusal to Capitulate; More Reports of Trump’s Unhinged State; Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz; Doubts About Trump Claims of Covert Oil Transits
Today’s Iran war news: Trump looks hopelessly mired in Iran due to his emotional instability and denialism. Billions will pay the price.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Media watch, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:53 am | 119 Comments »
Putin Powerfully Rebuffed the Hawks Who Want Him to Attack NATO
Putin cleared his throat to smack down the idea that Russia should seek to mix things up with NATO.
Topics: Dubious statistics, Europe, Guest Post, Media watch, Politics, Russia
Posted by Yves Smith at 1:49 am | 10 Comments »
Lawsuit Puts Spotlight on Amazon’s Free Speech Violations, Use of Contractors to Facilitate Abuses Like Wage Theft
Amazon is engaged in a tooth and nail fight to beat a New York City bill to end its use of contractors to escape liability for labor abuses.
Topics: Free markets and their discontents, Guest Post, Income disparity, Legal, Politics, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 1:00 am | 3 Comments »
Coffee Break: Emperor Trump Brings Gladiator Games With UFC White House Event
This weekend POTUS Donald Trump is hosting the Ultimate Fighting Championship on the White House lawn in a zeitgeist defining event, aired live on the Ellison family’s Paramount+ streaming service.
Topics: Coffee Break
Posted by Nat Wilson Turner at 2:00 pm | 26 Comments »
Increasing Employment in Pre-Retirement Years Slows Cognitive Decline
Older men show less cognitive decline if they keep working. Does this finding apply only to paid jobs or would charity roles be salutary too?
Topics: Guest Post, Health care, Social policy, Social values
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 12 Comments »
Links 6/10/2026
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:59 am | 80 Comments »
Iran War: US Launches New Attacks on Iran Using Bogus Pretext, With Iran Retaliating Swiftly; Global-Economy-Destroying Long Conflict Looks Baked In
Today’s Iran war news: The laughably bad pretext for the latest attacks on Iran indicates the US will not abandon this conflict any time soon
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Media watch, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:57 am | 189 Comments »
A New Epstein Island in Albania? Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s Zionist-Mafia-Linked Bunker Resort
A billionaire bunker in a notorious sex trafficking hub backed by Persian Gulf money, Zionists, Epstein pals, US spooks, and the mob. Does something smell fishy?
Topics: Curiousities, Europe, Middle East, Real estate, Ridiculously obvious scams
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 5:00 am | 20 Comments »
What Happens When the World’s Breadbaskets Start Failing Simultaneously?
A look at the global food system focusing on the role of breadbaskets. Many disconcerting parallels to global financial crisis risks.
Topics: Agriculture, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Globalization, Guest Post, Income disparity, Risk and risk management
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:00 am | 12 Comments »
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Israel’s Buffer Defense Quandary
Israel’s pursuit of security buffer zones reflects a rational response to decades of military threats, terrorism, and geographic vulnerability. Yet tactical success does not necessarily produce strategic success. As hostile forces regenerate beyond new frontiers, long-range weapons diminish the value of territorial depth, and regional powers react to expanding security perimeters, buffer defense may become increasingly costly and less effective.
Topics: Coffee Break, Guest Post
Posted by Haig Hovaness at 2:00 pm | 17 Comments »
Under Right to Record Act, People Could Sue Federal Agents for First Amendment Violations
Proof of eroding rights: new legislation is necessary to shore up the First Amendment right to record, typically of officials behaving badly.
Topics: Guest Post, Legal, Media watch, Politics, Surveillance state
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 8 Comments »
Links 6/9/2026
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:59 am | 73 Comments »
Iran War: Israel Again Bombs Lebanon, Defying Trump and Killing “Deal”; Middle East Straits as Foundations for New Security Architecture; Alon Mizrahi’s Zionism Delenda Est; Debate Over Oil Cliff Timing
Today’s Iran war news: Israel promptly again defied Trump by bombing Lebanon and Iran vows to end the blockade if there is no pact.
Topics: Commodities, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Media watch, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:57 am | 120 Comments »



