Economy

By Jake Johnson, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org ) | – – Having successfully rammed through tax legislation that massively rewards America’s billionaires—including his long-time patrons Charles and David Koch—and sets the stage for his ultimate goal of obliterating the safety net, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is reportedly set to tell his staff on […]

China

Could China oil Exchange & Green Energy pull the plug on the Dollar?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Kate Duguid at Reuters reports the alarm at UBS that China’s new oil futures exchange will hurt the standing of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. That development in turn would start the reverse snowball down the hill, with the dollar falling against other currencies, […]

Haredim

1/3 of Israelis live in Poverty, especially Palestinians & Ultra-Orthodox

contributors

Middle East Monitor | – – Israel has one of the highest poverty rates of any developed country with the gap between the rich and the poor ever widening, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed yesterday. Single-parent families or families where only one parent works have a disproportionate rate of poverty, the […]

Trade

George W. Bush tried steel tariffs. It didn’t work

contributors

By William Hauk | (The Conversation) | – – President Donald Trump finally followed through on his almost year-old threat to restrict imports of foreign steel. On March 8, the president slapped a 25 percent tariff on the metal, while also putting a 10 percent duty on foreign aluminum. After initially suggesting there’d be no […]

Inequality

The last time the US enacted Punitive Tariffs it enabled the Great Depression

contributors

By Charles Hankla | (The Conversation) | – – President Donald Trump finally appears poised to make good on his promised threats to slam the door on free trade and erect walls around the country’s economy. Citing the need to protect national security, he released plans to impose tariffs of 25 percent on foreign steel […]

Donald Trump

As workers notice no Raise, the Tax Scam Is Starting to Sink In

contributors

By Josh Hoxie | (Otherwords.org) | – – While billionaires fund a PR push for the tax law, most ordinary workers report seeing no increase in their take-home pay. It’s no fun being scammed. I distinctly remember looking for my first big city apartment and finding an ad that looked perfect. Beautiful picture, cheap rent, […]

European Union

Europe’s big Plans for Iran Trade announce Independence from Trump’s Washington

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Despite the significant economic problems Iran faces, and despite the real problems in unequal income distribution, Iran’s economy is seeing bright spots that the Western press rarely admits. In the year after international sanctions were lifted on the signing of the nuclear accord, spring 2016-spring 2017, […]

Donald Trump

Top 5 Economic Disappointments of the Trump Regime (so far)

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Since Trump has decided that declining to clap for him is a form of treason, and only dictators in banana republics use that sort of diction, perhaps it is time to start speaking of the Trump regime rather than administration. And that regime rode to power […]

Banking

The Great Trump Bubble

Juan Cole

Nomi Prins | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – There’s been lots of fire and fury around Washington lately, including a brief government shutdown. In Donald Trump’s White House, you can hardly keep up with the ongoing brouhahas from North Korea to Robert Mueller’s Russian investigation, while it already feels like ages since the celebratory mood […]