Alternative Visions- US GDP 1st Quarter 2024 + Why Mainstream Economists’ Forecasts Consistently Fail30 April 2024 The first pass for US GDP for 1st Quarter 2024 was released last week. Today’s show dissects the areas generating growth vs. those slowing US economy. Takeaways from the data are discussed: Contracting now are consumer spending on goods, business private inventories and a big contraction in net exp...00:56:11
Alternative Visions- USA’s Failing Russian Sanctions Regime: Russia vs. Germany22 April 2024today’s show focuses on the theme of the impact of Russian sanctions since the start of the Ukraine war. How the sanctions have failed to impact Russia’s economy while simultaneously helping to wreck Europe’s, and especially the core German economy of the EU. A review of the relative economic data. ...00:55:47
Alternative Visions- US Inflation, the Fed, and Ukraine-Israel Wars Update15 April 2024Today’s show covers the key events, economic & political, of the past week: US latest inflation numbers and trends, why Fed rate cuts are off the table, instability in regional banks and commercial real estate continue, Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s remarks on rate hikes at 8% and ‘soft landing’ scena...00:56:32
Alternative Visions- Shifting Strategies in the Ukraine War05 April 20242024 is junctural year in Ukraine war. All three parties’ strategies—US/NATO, Ukraine, Russia—are in flux and changing as fallout from Ukraine’s summer 2023 offensive defeat by Russia continues to reverberate in political terms and as Russia offensive in 2024 emerges. What were the parties respectiv...00:55:04
Alternative Visions- Contradictions in US Economy, Policies, and Challenges to the US Global Empire03 April 2024How the US economy is different today from 1930s and becoming increasing so due to technological change, financialization, and other forces. Why 21st century US fiscal and monetary policies are increasingly inefficient, ineffective and exacerbating the deficits, US debt, and running up unsustainable...00:57:13
Alternative Visions- Russian Mall Attack, Europe’s Economy & US Treasury Market29 March 2024 Latest on evidence of Moscow’s Mall Terrorist attack. Pros & Cons of evidence to date Ukraine sources’ involvement. Putin’s dire warning re. F-16s. Is Macron’s threat to send troops suspended? Will Europe re-arm and create its own defense industry? Euro economy stagnating vs. USA economy modest...00:55:41
Alternative Visions- Bad (Good) News Comes in Threes?18 March 2024Today’s show reviews 3 important speeches of the past week: by Putin, France’s president Macron, and US Senator, Chuck Shumer. Speeches related to the US 3 wars in progress: Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, and Yemen. The Macron speech, an interview, reflected his retreat from the threat to send French-NATO (a...00:57:11
Alternative Visions- How US Presidents Become Multimillionaires04 March 2024Following initial comments on the Federal Reserve’s just issued Monetary Report’s warning about bank assets declining in value, this week’s show focuses on the topic of how US Presidents become multimillionaires after leaving office. Corruption by politicians promises to be a major campaign theme on...00:57:38
Alternative Visions- Ukraine War and the Ghost of Clausewitz29 February 2024Today’s show is dedicated to a discussion of the current state of the War in Ukraine. The theme is an analysis of the military action and strategies of both sides since the February 2022 start of the war, using the benchmark of the Principles of War famously proposed by Von Clausewitz. Examined are ...00:55:52
Alternative Visions- Is the Global Economy Slowing?19 February 2024 Today’s show looks at the important key economies of the world as a growing number begin to slip into recession: new data shows Japan’s economy has been contracting the past six months. Germany has entered recession. So too has the UK. The Eurozone economy as a whole is stagnant. Global manufacturi...00:56:25