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Corporate Colonialism: Winners and Losers of Global ‘Free’ Trade

by Don Quijones •  • Comments Off on Corporate Colonialism: Winners and Losers of Global ‘Free’ Trade

By Don Quijones: The new trade agreements have little to do with promoting free trade. They’re about extending the power and control of the world’s largest corporations.

“Serious Dysfunctionality” On Wall Street: Facebook-WhatsApp And The Deals That “Marked The Top” Of The Last Two Bubbles

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on “Serious Dysfunctionality” On Wall Street: Facebook-WhatsApp And The Deals That “Marked The Top” Of The Last Two Bubbles

Every bubble has its ultimate, craziest, mostest, farthest-outest deal. Its craziness can no longer be exceeded. Buyers simply vanish. Sellers get desperate. Newfangled theories and metrics sink into a morass of ridicule. And lots of money goes up in smoke.

Rosy Dreams? Conundrum for American LNG Exporters

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on Rosy Dreams? Conundrum for American LNG Exporters

Natural gas prices in the US hovered between $2 and $4 per million btu for years, while reaching $19 in Japan. The industry is pushing for permits to export LNG, hoping for an easy arbitrage opportunity. But the markets may bite back.

The Madness of Abenomics In One (Crazy) Chart

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on The Madness of Abenomics In One (Crazy) Chart

Abenomics, a democratically elected economic religion, was to save Japan. But the plan has already gone to heck. Not in small increments over the years with minor ups and downs, but in relentless month-to-month leaps whose viciousness surprised even the deep cynic in me.

Housing Bubble II: What’s Ruining Home Sales? Not The Weather!

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Housing Bubble II: What’s Ruining Home Sales? Not The Weather!

OK, I get it. Life-threatening cold temperatures, polar vortices, and snow mayhem can put a damper on home construction, mortgage applications, first-time buyers, and home-builder confidence. But they also plunged on the West Coast where the weather was gorgeous.

The Young Subprime Debt-Slave Generation

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on The Young Subprime Debt-Slave Generation

Rising household debt would be a hopeful sign that consumers are again living beyond their means, finally spending money they don’t have in a heroic effort to stimulate Wall Street, corporate earnings, and the Fed’s self-esteem. So we jubilate. We’ve waited for it too long.

Fed Lying About QE, Media Not Paying Attention

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Fed Lying About QE, Media Not Paying Attention

Since the introduction of QE 3, honest-looking Fed chairman Bernanke told the Wall-Street media circus after each FOMC meeting that the money-printing binge in the coming month would expand the Fed’s balance sheet by $85 billion. A fact cited worldwide. And a big lie.

The Mind-Game Of “Fixing” Europe’s Big Zombie Banks

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on The Mind-Game Of “Fixing” Europe’s Big Zombie Banks

Danièle Nouy, chair of the ECB’s newfangled bank regulator that doesn’t exist yet, had a term for it: “do whatever has to be done” so that the banking sector “is seen as sound and safe and transparent.” Is seen as…. Smoke and mirrors.

Obama Furiously Pushes Secret Trade Deal, Opposition Grows

by Electronic Frontier Foundation •  • Comments Off on Obama Furiously Pushes Secret Trade Deal, Opposition Grows

By Maira Sutton, Electronic Frontier Foundation: Under pressure from multinational corporations, the White House wants authority from Congress to run over Congress’ constitutional powers. The zany, secretive power play of trade deals.

“Foreclosure Rebound Pattern”: Foreclosures SUDDENLY Jump 57% in California (And Soar In Much Of The Country)

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on “Foreclosure Rebound Pattern”: Foreclosures SUDDENLY Jump 57% in California (And Soar In Much Of The Country)

The cynic in me says the dizzying jump in foreclosure starts in January in much of the country, after years of sharp and consistent declines, must be some kind of data problem. Maybe RealtyTrac’s computers got hacked, or something. But that’s wishful thinking.