Democracy is an illusion! It’s become a political system fostered by the élite, for the élite, in order to fool the people that they have a stake in the system. In actual fact, they have virtually none. The whole political system in the modern era, despite having noble beginnings, is now used to benefit the few at the expense of the many. – Mark Alexander, June 29, 2018
In other industrialized countries, movement towards a democratic form of socialism has been strong enough to win national elections. So why hasn’t socialism ever become a powerful force in American politics? There are lots of reasons, as well as younger generations who align with socialist ideals that may bring the necessary gusto. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Jeff Greenfield reports.
Jul.25 -- Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is an English business magnate, investor, author and philanthropist. He discusses dropping out of school at the age of 15, his inspiration for building an airline, the future of Virgin Galactic, philanthropy and Brexit in an interview with David Rubenstein in the latest episode of "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations," taped May 31.
Tony Blair is available as a mercenary to modernize Saudi Arabia for $12 million, but not only that, China and oil companies have also hired him says Medea Benjamin, the author of Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection
It has been ten years since the last major financial crisis. With systemic deregulation undoing the safeguards, we are due for another crisis very one soon. Thomas Hanna, research director of the Democracy Collaborative’s Next System Project, says it is almost guaranteed
Sex, drugs & dollar bills - ex-banker Florian Homm lived a life of excess. Although the bachelor has swapped prostitutes for prayer, he remains one of the FBI's Most Wanted. Find out more in FROM HELL TO HEAVEN - THE CASE OF FLORIAN HOMM.
A successful career on the stock market ended with allegations of defrauding investors and fixing stock prices. Now Florian Homm claims to be a devout Catholic. He's cracked his cocaine addiction and now teaches economics - of course, by the book. But he faces a 225-year jail sentence if he steps foot on US soil.
The value of the Iranian Rial has halved in less than a year. There have been further threats to the economy posed by the imposition of US sanctions and the loss of oil customers after Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal. While some Iranians blame the Americans, others say their own leaders should have known better. Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi reports from Tehran.
Jesse Ventura and Brigida Santos discuss the corporate takeover of America and how stakeholder capitalism is harming the public. Author Don Jeffries talks about his latest book, “Survival of the Richest: How the Corruption of the Marketplace and the Disparity of Wealth Created the Greatest Conspiracy of All.”
Growing class division is destabilizing our society, argues author and philosopher Matthew Stewart in a provocative Atlantic magazine cover story. He says there's a group in between the top 0.1 percent and bottom 90 percent that plays an important role in running the economy, while setting up barriers that prevent most from realizing the American dream. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.
Donald Trump has managed to attack the US economy in ways that he doesn’t even realize, the latest revelation being that his presidency and the resulting anti-US sentiments across the globe have reduced foreign investment into the United States by 32%. That’s a significant loss in investment, and those numbers are expected to climb even higher with Trump’s trade wars and derogatory comments about other world leaders. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Alexander Buzgalin says that he returned from a vacation in the countryside to find Gorbachev was arrested, Yeltsin was leader and the Soviet Union was no more - with host Paul Jay
Last week it was Europe; this week, China. Step-by-step, US President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium are taking effect and the world, in turn, is responding. In addition to the EU and, now China, countries as far afield as Canada and India have also slapped tariffs on American goods in retaliation for the Trump administration's levies on imported steel and aluminium.
The Trump administration has responded by threatening even more levies on foreign goods entering the US. But the fight between Washington and a growing list of countries is not just about trade. At last month's G7 summit in Canada, Trump was at odds with most of his country's closest allies. Many of the same tensions seem likely to cloud next week's NATO summit in Brussels.
In all these debates, President Trump talks about "winning" and what he calls "better deals." But it often seems like his real target is the web of international institutions and alliances that have evolved in the decades since the end of the Second World War - often at the behest of America itself.
So, can the global system of rules-based institutions survive Trump's efforts to undermine them?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan | Guests: Scott Lucas - Professor of International Politics, University of Birmingham (UK); Philippe Legrain - Former Economic Adviser to the president of the European Commission; Pauline Loong - Managing Director, Asia-Analytica
Donald Trump's nuclear reaction is threatening to turn off the taps of the world's major oil supply. The White House is threatening countries which import Iranian oil to stop shipments by November - or face U.S. sanctions.
If that happens - the Iranians are vowing to stop all oil exports from the Gulf, including from the number one supplier Saudi Arabia.
Foreign ministers from France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia are expected to meet Iranian diplomats on Friday.
In Vienna, they'll be discussing how to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal which Trump withdrew from two months ago.
Presenter: Adrian Finighan | Guests: Mamdouh Salameh - Author: 'Over a Barrel' and oil & energy expert; Hamed Mousavi - Professor of Political Science, University of Tehran; Sami Hamdi - Editor, International Interest magazine
They voted for Brexit, but may be hardest hit when we leave the EU. New research claims that households in Brexit-voting areas will see the steepest fall in income and an increase in the cost of living.
Jul.05 -- U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is fighting to win Cabinet backing for her Brexit plan as a compromise proposal that aimed to unite warring ministers was rejected by her chief negotiator. Bloomberg's David Merritt, Teneo Intelligence's Wolfango Piccoli and Rabobank's Jane Foley discuss May's options on "Bloomberg Surveillance."
Politico reports that Republican senators are getting frustrated with Trump's tariffs, arguing that Trump doesn't understand how his tariffs are hurting the U.S. economy. Lawrence discusses the fallout with Jared Bernstein, Neera Tanden, and John Harwood.
Oil production, prices and politics require a delicate balance. Donald Trump is urging oil-producing countries except Iran to boost output. He hopes that will keep prices low - and motorists happy with cheaper fuel - as he tries to force the Iranians out of the market.
Trump's pressuring allies to stop buying Iranian oil as a tactic to make Iranian leaders negotiate a new nuclear deal, after he pulled out of the 2015 agreement two months ago. Iran says it will find ways to export its oil, despite what he does.
So how much support can Trump garner for his economic assault against Iran?
Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam | Guests: Mohammad Marandi - University of Tehran; Scott Lucas - University of Birmingham; Anjli Raval - Oil & Gas Correspondent, Financial Times
Er galt als der große Euro-Schreck während seiner Amtszeit als griechischer Finanzminister! Doch waren die Vorwürfe von Politikern und Medien gegen Yanis Varoufakis wirklich gerechtfertigt? Im Interview mit der Mission Money vertritt Varoufakis spannende Positionen. Deutschland dürfe nicht für Pleite-Staaten haften, fordert er. Und außerdem werde Deutschland aus dem Euro austreten, wenn ein ganz bestimmtes Szenario eintritt....außerdem im Gepäck des Griechen: Zahlreiche Ideen, wie man die Euro Zone retten könnte! Das alles in unserem exklusiven Interview!!!! Hinweis: Das Video verfügt über einen Untertitel.
Canada's response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium includes tariffs on a number of consumer goods from the U.S., including whiskey and pizza, that will hurt the economy in targeted U.S. Republican states.
China will cut tariffs on a range of imported consumer goods on Sunday, in a bid to show it's taking steps to increase imports. It says the cuts on goods from food to medicine are further evidence that its domestic market is opening up. The reductions come as the US continues to threaten tariff increases on billions of dollars worth of Chinese exports. Al Jazeera's Rob McBride reports from Beijing.
