THE GUARDIAN: US neighbors hit with 25% tariff and China with 10% as Trudeau pledges ‘forceful but reasonable’ response
Donald Trump has vowed to impose sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China starting this weekend, potentially setting the stage for a damaging trade war between the US and three of its biggest trading partners. Trump also threatened to follow up with a further wave of tariffs against the European Union.
Goods exported from Canada and Mexico to the US will be hit with a 25% tariff, while products from China face a 10% levy, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters on Friday. (+ video) » | Callum Jones in New York, Leyland Cecco in Toronto, Thomas Graham in Mexico City and George Chidi | Friday, January 31, 2025
Friday, 31 January 2025
Democracy Doesn’t Exist in the United States: Chris Hedges | UpFront
Jan 31, 2025 | As Donald Trump returns to the White House, many are raising concerns about the possible decline of liberal democracy.
What then would a second Trump term mean for the next four years for the United States? And what impact will the president's foreign policy have on the Middle East?
This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill discusses these issues with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and former war correspondent Chris Hedges.
What then would a second Trump term mean for the next four years for the United States? And what impact will the president's foreign policy have on the Middle East?
This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill discusses these issues with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and former war correspondent Chris Hedges.
Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady amid Uncertainty over Trump’s Impact on Economy
THE GUARDIAN: Fed chair declines to provide ‘any response or comment whatsoever’ on president’s public demands for lower rates
Federal Reserve officials decided on Wednesday to hold interest rates steady as uncertainty over Donald Trump’s impact on the US economy looms and inflation remains above the central bank’s target levels.
This is the first time Fed policymakers have met since the president, who has made clear he wants rates to fall, returned to the White House. The benchmark interest rate now sits at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%.
Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, declined to provide “any response or comment whatsoever” on the president’s public demands for lower rates. “The public should be confident that we will continue to do our work as we always have, focusing on using our tools to achieve our goals,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday. » | Lauren Aratani in New York | Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Federal Reserve officials decided on Wednesday to hold interest rates steady as uncertainty over Donald Trump’s impact on the US economy looms and inflation remains above the central bank’s target levels.
This is the first time Fed policymakers have met since the president, who has made clear he wants rates to fall, returned to the White House. The benchmark interest rate now sits at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%.
Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, declined to provide “any response or comment whatsoever” on the president’s public demands for lower rates. “The public should be confident that we will continue to do our work as we always have, focusing on using our tools to achieve our goals,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday. » | Lauren Aratani in New York | Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Chinese AI Chatbot DeepSeek Sparks Turmoil in US Tech Markets | BBC News
Jan 27, 2025 | Shares in major US technology firms have fallen steeply in value after the sudden emergence of a low-cost chatbot built by a Chinese artificial intelligence firm.
The DeepSeek app, which was launched last week and reportedly developed for a fraction of the cost of its rivals, has overtaken rivals including ChatGPT to become the most downloaded free app in the US.
Shortly after US markets opened, DeepSeek says it was hit with a "large-scale malicious attack".
The DeepSeek app, which was launched last week and reportedly developed for a fraction of the cost of its rivals, has overtaken rivals including ChatGPT to become the most downloaded free app in the US.
Shortly after US markets opened, DeepSeek says it was hit with a "large-scale malicious attack".
Sunday, 26 January 2025
Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs on Colombia as Deported Migrant Flights Denied
BBC: US President Donald Trump has said he will impose 25% tariffs and sanctions on Colombia after its president barred two US military planes carrying deported migrants from landing in the country.
Trump said the tariffs "on all goods" coming into the US from Colombia would be put in place "immediately", and in one week the 25% tariffs would be raised to 50%.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro responded by saying he would impose 50% tariffs on the US.
Petro earlier on Sunday said he had denied entry to US military deportation flights. He said he would "receive our fellow citizens on civilian planes, without treating them like criminals" and migrants must be returned "with dignity and respect". » | Malu Cursino, BBC News; Ione Wells, South America correspondent | Sunday, June 26, 2025
Trump said the tariffs "on all goods" coming into the US from Colombia would be put in place "immediately", and in one week the 25% tariffs would be raised to 50%.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro responded by saying he would impose 50% tariffs on the US.
Petro earlier on Sunday said he had denied entry to US military deportation flights. He said he would "receive our fellow citizens on civilian planes, without treating them like criminals" and migrants must be returned "with dignity and respect". » | Malu Cursino, BBC News; Ione Wells, South America correspondent | Sunday, June 26, 2025
Saturday, 25 January 2025
NZZ erklärt: EU-Verträge: Ist der Schweizer Sonderweg am Ende?
Trump: The End of Democracy? Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize Winner
Jan 20, 2025 | In this previously unpublished interview, Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, denounces the decline of freedom in the United States and the rest of the world. Trump, a creature of neoliberalism, will continue to destroy democratic institutions. By destroying institutions, neoliberal policies have enabled populists to emerge in Europe, South America and the United States.
In a previous book, The Price of Inequality, Joseph Stiglitz warned of the risk of populists seizing power.
Interview by Maxime Thuillez in Paris
Greenletter Club can be supported here.
In a previous book, The Price of Inequality, Joseph Stiglitz warned of the risk of populists seizing power.
Interview by Maxime Thuillez in Paris
Greenletter Club can be supported here.
Friday, 24 January 2025
‘They Need a Reset’: Gloom in Davos as Trump Boom Leaves Europe Behind
THE GUARDIAN: America First doctrine and threat of tariffs leave EU elite wondering how it can close economic gulf with US
In the bars, hotels and windowless conference halls of the World Economic Forum in Davos, two themes dominated the conversation: America’s ascendancy and Europe’s decline.
If the scale of the continent’s problems was unclear before politicians and chief executives descended on the Swiss ski resort, there was no ambiguity by the time Donald Trump had finished speaking.
The 47th president of the US beamed via video into a packed conference hall to rail against stifling European regulation, car exports flooding to the US and fines and penalties on Apple, Google and Facebook.
No longer will members of Nato be able to freeload off America’s security guarantee, he added, demanding they increase defence spending to 5% of GDP – a barb aimed squarely at Europe.
“From the standpoint of America, the EU treats us very, very unfairly, very badly,” he said. “We have some very big complaints with the EU.” » | John Collingridge and Heather Stewart in Davos | Friday, January 24, 2025
In the bars, hotels and windowless conference halls of the World Economic Forum in Davos, two themes dominated the conversation: America’s ascendancy and Europe’s decline.
If the scale of the continent’s problems was unclear before politicians and chief executives descended on the Swiss ski resort, there was no ambiguity by the time Donald Trump had finished speaking.
The 47th president of the US beamed via video into a packed conference hall to rail against stifling European regulation, car exports flooding to the US and fines and penalties on Apple, Google and Facebook.
No longer will members of Nato be able to freeload off America’s security guarantee, he added, demanding they increase defence spending to 5% of GDP – a barb aimed squarely at Europe.
“From the standpoint of America, the EU treats us very, very unfairly, very badly,” he said. “We have some very big complaints with the EU.” » | John Collingridge and Heather Stewart in Davos | Friday, January 24, 2025
Lawrence: No One Else on the Planet but Americans Will Ever Pay a Trump Tariff
Thursday, 23 January 2025
House G.O.P. Floats Medicaid Cuts and More to Finance Trump’s Huge Agenda
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump wants a massive tax cut and immigration crackdown bill. Now Republicans must decide what to cut to help pay for it.
Top Republicans are passing around an extensive menu of ideas to cover the cost of a massive tax cut and immigration crackdown bill. They could create a 10 percent tariff on all imports, bringing in an estimated $1.9 trillion. They could establish new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, bringing in $100 billion in savings.
They have even calculated that they could generate $20 billion by raising taxes on people who can use a free gym at the office, according to a 50-page list of options that the House Budget Committee has circulated in recent days.
The bigger challenge for Republican leaders is trying to figure out what can pass Congress and be signed by President Trump. With slim majorities in both chambers, they are searching for the right mix of policy changes that could offset some of the costs of Mr. Trump’s most expensive proposals, placating spending hard-liners who are concerned about ballooning the government’s debt, while also maintaining the support of more centrist members who are loath to slash popular programs. » | Catie Edmondson and Andrew Duehren | Reporting from the Capitol | Thursday, January 23, 2025
Whatever happens, one thing is certain, in order to finance Trump’s huge agenda, the changes made will benefit the rich and the superrich, and the penalized will be the poor, the less well-off, and the middle classes. – © Mark Alexander
Top Republicans are passing around an extensive menu of ideas to cover the cost of a massive tax cut and immigration crackdown bill. They could create a 10 percent tariff on all imports, bringing in an estimated $1.9 trillion. They could establish new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, bringing in $100 billion in savings.
They have even calculated that they could generate $20 billion by raising taxes on people who can use a free gym at the office, according to a 50-page list of options that the House Budget Committee has circulated in recent days.
The bigger challenge for Republican leaders is trying to figure out what can pass Congress and be signed by President Trump. With slim majorities in both chambers, they are searching for the right mix of policy changes that could offset some of the costs of Mr. Trump’s most expensive proposals, placating spending hard-liners who are concerned about ballooning the government’s debt, while also maintaining the support of more centrist members who are loath to slash popular programs. » | Catie Edmondson and Andrew Duehren | Reporting from the Capitol | Thursday, January 23, 2025
Whatever happens, one thing is certain, in order to finance Trump’s huge agenda, the changes made will benefit the rich and the superrich, and the penalized will be the poor, the less well-off, and the middle classes. – © Mark Alexander
EU Trade Chief Says It ‘Could Consider’ UK Joining Pan-Europe Customs Deal
THE GUARDIAN: Maroš Šefčovič says ‘the ball is in the UK’s court’ as British ministers reportedly consult businesses
The EU’s new trade chief has said the bloc could consider including the UK in a pan-European trade agreement, but emphasised that “the ball is in the UK’s court”.
While the UK’s Labour government has ruled out returning to the single market and customs union after Brexit, the possibility of joining a continent-wide deal could open the door to closer cooperation with the EU and bolster much-needed economic growth.
Maroš Šefčovič, who led post-Brexit negotiations for the EU, told the BBC that allowing the UK to join the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM) was “something we could consider”.
The PEM is an agreement was originally agreed in 2012 and allows goods to flow tariff-free across borders. Members include the EU, as well as some north African countries, Switzerland, Norway, Georgia and Ukraine. » | Kalyeena Makortoff and Eleni Courea | Thursday, January 23, 2025
The EU’s new trade chief has said the bloc could consider including the UK in a pan-European trade agreement, but emphasised that “the ball is in the UK’s court”.
While the UK’s Labour government has ruled out returning to the single market and customs union after Brexit, the possibility of joining a continent-wide deal could open the door to closer cooperation with the EU and bolster much-needed economic growth.
Maroš Šefčovič, who led post-Brexit negotiations for the EU, told the BBC that allowing the UK to join the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention (PEM) was “something we could consider”.
The PEM is an agreement was originally agreed in 2012 and allows goods to flow tariff-free across borders. Members include the EU, as well as some north African countries, Switzerland, Norway, Georgia and Ukraine. » | Kalyeena Makortoff and Eleni Courea | Thursday, January 23, 2025
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Senator Bernie Sanders: I Attended Trump’s Inauguration Yesterday. Here Are My Thoughts
Monday, 20 January 2025
Why Trump Will Wreck the Economy - and What It Means for You
Jan 20, 2025 | Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury is threatening to crash the economy and blame it on liberals.
Math Larry joins Thom Hartmann to discuss how Donald Trump is to blame for the 2025 economic crash.
Math Larry joins Thom Hartmann to discuss how Donald Trump is to blame for the 2025 economic crash.
Sunday, 19 January 2025
Gary Stevenson: What Does Elon Musk Want?
Should you wish to do so, you can become a member of ‘garys economics’ on Patreon here.
Saturday, 18 January 2025
Michael Lambert: UK Economy - Where Is the Growth Coming from?
Jan 18, 2025 | Every week we hear further bad news about the UK economy. Although other countries are also suffering, the situation in the UK seems far worse, not least as a result of Brexit.
The government under Keir Starmer seems clueless as to how to improve our economy despite talking endlessly about growth. Starmer recently gave a speech about how the UK is to become a worldwide AI superpower alongside China and the USA. It was also announced that he had written to each of the UK regulators asking them to present pro-growth initiatives to Downing St.
Once in power the Labour government agreed to a 15% rise for train drivers who are paid double the UK average. Measures were introduced to increase the minimum wage and make it very difficult to dismiss employees from day one, both of which are likely to deter employment. In the budget Rachel Reeves increased employers' NHI contributions which is a deterrent to employers taking on more staff.
The government has been talking about growth since before they came to power but there has been none. Starmer is now talking about the UK becoming an AI superpower. None of the cabinet has any experience in business and seem clueless as to how to solve our problems. Any solution will take a long time and must prioritise the promotion of small business.
The government under Keir Starmer seems clueless as to how to improve our economy despite talking endlessly about growth. Starmer recently gave a speech about how the UK is to become a worldwide AI superpower alongside China and the USA. It was also announced that he had written to each of the UK regulators asking them to present pro-growth initiatives to Downing St.
Once in power the Labour government agreed to a 15% rise for train drivers who are paid double the UK average. Measures were introduced to increase the minimum wage and make it very difficult to dismiss employees from day one, both of which are likely to deter employment. In the budget Rachel Reeves increased employers' NHI contributions which is a deterrent to employers taking on more staff.
The government has been talking about growth since before they came to power but there has been none. Starmer is now talking about the UK becoming an AI superpower. None of the cabinet has any experience in business and seem clueless as to how to solve our problems. Any solution will take a long time and must prioritise the promotion of small business.
Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Do Starmer and Reeves Have a ‘Big Idea’ to Save the Economy?
Amid turmoil in the bond market and a plummeting pound, Sir Keir Starmer has had to defend his chancellor Rachel Reeves while dealing with the resignation of the former anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq. So, can Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves turn it around?
The Prime Minister says it will take 10 years to solve some of the chronic issues facing the UK, but will he even get a second term with Labour's support sliding in the polls and Nigel Farage's Reform UK breathing down his neck?
In this episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by the Financial Times’ columnist Katie Martin, psephologist Luke Try and Channel 4 News' political editor Gary Gibbon.
Produced by Calum Fraser, Silvia Maresca and Ka Yee Mak.
The Prime Minister says it will take 10 years to solve some of the chronic issues facing the UK, but will he even get a second term with Labour's support sliding in the polls and Nigel Farage's Reform UK breathing down his neck?
In this episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by the Financial Times’ columnist Katie Martin, psephologist Luke Try and Channel 4 News' political editor Gary Gibbon.
Produced by Calum Fraser, Silvia Maresca and Ka Yee Mak.
"China Will Destroy the USA" – Yanis Varoufakis
German Economy Shrinks for Second Year in a Row
THE GUARDIAN: First consecutive year of declining GDP since early 2000s highlights challenges facing next government
Germany’s economy has shrunk for a second consecutive year for the first time in more than two decades, highlighting the challenges the next government will face after snap elections in February.
As voters prepare to head to the polls amid heightened political uncertainty in Europe’s largest economy, official figures showed gross domestic product fell by 0.2% last year after dropping by 0.3% in 2023.
The figures represent only the second two-year contraction in the German economy since the 1950s, after it shrank in 2002 and 2003.
“The early 2000s were the last time Germany received the very flattering title of ‘sick man of Europe’. History doesn’t repeat but it rhymes,” said Carsten Brzeski, an analyst at the Dutch bank ING. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Germany’s economy has shrunk for a second consecutive year for the first time in more than two decades, highlighting the challenges the next government will face after snap elections in February.
As voters prepare to head to the polls amid heightened political uncertainty in Europe’s largest economy, official figures showed gross domestic product fell by 0.2% last year after dropping by 0.3% in 2023.
The figures represent only the second two-year contraction in the German economy since the 1950s, after it shrank in 2002 and 2003.
“The early 2000s were the last time Germany received the very flattering title of ‘sick man of Europe’. History doesn’t repeat but it rhymes,” said Carsten Brzeski, an analyst at the Dutch bank ING. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Argentina’s Economy in Crisis, Soup Kitchens Struggle after Government Spending Cuts
Javier Milei is another unfeeling, cruel clown who wants to “fix” the economy even if half of the population of Argentina has to starve to death for him to achieve his desired results! The secret of running a successful economy is to get good economic results with the minimum of hardship and suffering.
I recently watched a documentary on Milei’s anarcho-capitalistic policies and what Argentinians thought of them. It was very clear to me that the people who thought his policies were good were all well-heeled individuals living in beautiful homes. When the government’s policies have minimal impact on your lifestyle, it is easy to be uncritical of them. But for those who are dependent on assistance, for those who are suffering shortages, it’s a different story.
I said from the very start that this experiment will end in tears. I still believe it will. I stand by my original assessment. – © Mark Alexander
‘Don’t Allow You to Go to the Bathroom’: Big Tech’s Call Center Workers in Greece On Strike
THE GUARDIAN: Workers at Teleperformance, customer support company for Apple, Google and Netflix, accuse it of union busting and surveillance
Call center workers for some of the world’s biggest tech companies including Apple, Google, Microsoft and Netflix are accusing their employer of retaliating against union organisers, constantly surveilling staff and even refusing bathroom breaks.
In the US or Europe, if you call for technical or customer support from a big tech company, you may be speaking with a worker at one of Teleperformance’s call centers in Greece.
Teleperformance, the largest call center operator in the world, employs about 12,000 workers in Greece, serving more than 140 markets around the world in 43 different languages and dialects. The company has seven multi-language hubs in Greece – in Athens, Chania, and Thessaloniki. » | Michael Sainato | Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Call center workers for some of the world’s biggest tech companies including Apple, Google, Microsoft and Netflix are accusing their employer of retaliating against union organisers, constantly surveilling staff and even refusing bathroom breaks.
In the US or Europe, if you call for technical or customer support from a big tech company, you may be speaking with a worker at one of Teleperformance’s call centers in Greece.
Teleperformance, the largest call center operator in the world, employs about 12,000 workers in Greece, serving more than 140 markets around the world in 43 different languages and dialects. The company has seven multi-language hubs in Greece – in Athens, Chania, and Thessaloniki. » | Michael Sainato | Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Monday, 13 January 2025
Spain Plots 100pc Property Tax to Block Expats from Buying Homes
THE TELEGRAPH: Britons could be hit by exorbitant levy under new measures to fix the country’s housing crisis
British expats will be forced to pay 100pc tax on their holiday home in Spain under new measures to fix the country’s housing crisis.
Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced 12 reforms amid an ongoing row over the impact of foreigners on local house prices.
This includes the introduction of a tax for those from outside the European Union (EU) who do not currently live in Spain.
Proposals from the Spanish government suggest this levy could be as high as 100pc of the value of the home, much higher than current rates. Real estate purchases in Spain are currently subject to 10pc tax on newly-built homes and 6pc on old properties. » | Madeleine Ross, Money Reporter. James Badcock in Madrid | Monday, January 13, 2025
Gosh! This must be another one of those Brexit benefits that that numbskull Farage spoke about! – © Mark Alexander
British expats will be forced to pay 100pc tax on their holiday home in Spain under new measures to fix the country’s housing crisis.
Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced 12 reforms amid an ongoing row over the impact of foreigners on local house prices.
This includes the introduction of a tax for those from outside the European Union (EU) who do not currently live in Spain.
Proposals from the Spanish government suggest this levy could be as high as 100pc of the value of the home, much higher than current rates. Real estate purchases in Spain are currently subject to 10pc tax on newly-built homes and 6pc on old properties. » | Madeleine Ross, Money Reporter. James Badcock in Madrid | Monday, January 13, 2025
Gosh! This must be another one of those Brexit benefits that that numbskull Farage spoke about! – © Mark Alexander
Sunday, 12 January 2025
The Gap between the Super-rich rich & the Rest of Us Is Now HUGE: This Is Why You Should Care
Click here for details on Liam Byrne’s book.
Is Trump Right about the Canadian Border? | About That
Is Trump Right about the US 'Subsidizing' Canada? | About That
Friday, 10 January 2025
Trump, US Decline, and Global Chaos - Robert D Kaplan Interview | US Politics | The New Statesman
Jan 8, 2025 | Under Trump, US power will diminish - that's a disaster for the whole world, says Robert D Kaplan.
In this interview, renowned geopolitical analyst Robert D Kaplan argues that American power has been in decline for years, and this will likely get worse under Trump.
"This time around Trump is more experienced, he's more vindictive," Kaplan says.
He explores what this means for geopolitics, in particular in relation to other "great powers" China and Russia.
Kaplan also explains his view that "a world where all the great powers are declining... will lead not to a fairer world, a better world, but to more chaos"
Robert D Kaplan is the author most recently of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, which will be published in January. He holds the Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He spoke to the New Statesman's Kate Lamble for the New Statesman podcast.
In this interview, renowned geopolitical analyst Robert D Kaplan argues that American power has been in decline for years, and this will likely get worse under Trump.
"This time around Trump is more experienced, he's more vindictive," Kaplan says.
He explores what this means for geopolitics, in particular in relation to other "great powers" China and Russia.
Kaplan also explains his view that "a world where all the great powers are declining... will lead not to a fairer world, a better world, but to more chaos"
Robert D Kaplan is the author most recently of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, which will be published in January. He holds the Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He spoke to the New Statesman's Kate Lamble for the New Statesman podcast.
Elon Musk and AfD's Alice Weidel Talk on X | DW Analysis
Jan 9, 2025 | We begin with the politics of billionaire Elon Musk, and why that may or may not matter to voters here in Germany. Next month voters will go to the polls here. Early elections because the current left of center government collapsed. Polls show the conservatives and the far-right AfD party leading.
Enter Elon Musk. He has been very vocal on his platform X in his support for the AfD, saying it is the only party that can save Germany. He has also called for the current chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign. And tonight he held a one on one conversation on X with the AfD's chancellor candidate Alice Weidel. At one point there were 211 thousand people listening in. This is part of what they heard.
Enter Elon Musk. He has been very vocal on his platform X in his support for the AfD, saying it is the only party that can save Germany. He has also called for the current chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign. And tonight he held a one on one conversation on X with the AfD's chancellor candidate Alice Weidel. At one point there were 211 thousand people listening in. This is part of what they heard.
Thursday, 9 January 2025
Germany Election: AfD Candidate Alice Weidel on Election, EU, Trump, Energy
How You Can Stop Fascism When Voting Isn't Enough
One of the greatest problems is that our politicians since Thatcher and the ‘Old Gipper’ have been too scared to tax these bastards. These people should never have been allowed to amass this enormous wealth at the expense of the rest of us. All meaningful sacrifices in paying taxation are made by the lower and middle classes. These billionaires either pay no tax at all or they pay so little that they cannot feel it. Ordinary people feel it alright! Our politicians need to grow a pair! There are too many weak politicians bereft of gonads! – © Mark Alexander
Wednesday, 8 January 2025
BlackRock: The Conspiracies You Don’t Know
Monday, 6 January 2025
Wolff Responds: "What Trump Delivers: A Deeply Uncertain New Year" | Dated January 1, 2025
Sunday, 5 January 2025
How Elon Musk Got Rich: The $230 Billion Myth | The Class Room ft. Second Thought
Jul 19, 2022 | Elon Musk spent decades building something big: himself. Musk managed to sell the world on a persona: the visionary genius billionaire working his hardest to save the the world. And it’s worked: the myth of Elon Musk has made him a lot of money.
But what did it cost to get him there? And what does it mean that the richest man in the world build that wealth purely on an image of himself?
We took a deep look into Musk’s entire career: court documents, SEC filings, and interviews to break down the story Elon tells about himself and how he leveraged it to accumulate wealth and power.
But what did it cost to get him there? And what does it mean that the richest man in the world build that wealth purely on an image of himself?
We took a deep look into Musk’s entire career: court documents, SEC filings, and interviews to break down the story Elon tells about himself and how he leveraged it to accumulate wealth and power.
Saturday, 4 January 2025
Secrets Of The World's Richest Woman EP 1 | Luxury Industry
Secrets Of The World’s Richest Woman - This is the story of a small business that rose to epitomize beauty and glamour, shaped by a family whose wealth, secrets, and public controversies mirror the profound shifts and shadows of the 20th century.
Secrets Of The World’s Richest Woman EP 1 (2017)
Director: Gérard Miller & Jacques Dubuisson
Writer: Gérard Miller & Anais Feuillette
Genre: Documentary
Country: France
Language: English
Release Date: September 22, 2017 (France)
Synopsis:
The incredible journey of a small business that became the archetype of beauty and glamour is embodied through the extraordinary personalities who propelled its success, starting with its founder, Eugène Schueller—the father of Liliane Bettencourt. It’s the story of a remarkable family, so wealthy and mysterious, woven with achievements and unspoken secrets, a reverence for discretion alongside public scandals. A sweeping saga, worthy of a Balzacian novel, that takes us through the 20th century, with its sociological and aesthetic upheavals, as well as its darkest periods.
WIKIPEDIA: Liliane Bettencourt »
More articles on Liliane Bettencourt here and here.
Secrets Of The World’s Richest Woman EP 1 (2017)
Director: Gérard Miller & Jacques Dubuisson
Writer: Gérard Miller & Anais Feuillette
Genre: Documentary
Country: France
Language: English
Release Date: September 22, 2017 (France)
Synopsis:
The incredible journey of a small business that became the archetype of beauty and glamour is embodied through the extraordinary personalities who propelled its success, starting with its founder, Eugène Schueller—the father of Liliane Bettencourt. It’s the story of a remarkable family, so wealthy and mysterious, woven with achievements and unspoken secrets, a reverence for discretion alongside public scandals. A sweeping saga, worthy of a Balzacian novel, that takes us through the 20th century, with its sociological and aesthetic upheavals, as well as its darkest periods.
WIKIPEDIA: Liliane Bettencourt »
More articles on Liliane Bettencourt here and here.
How One Speech Toppled Thatcher and Directly Led to Brexit 26 Years Later
Jan 3, 2025 | “It created a fault line in the Tory Party and British politics which led directly to Brexit.”
Ed Vaizey is joined by playwright Jonathan Maitland to dissect how Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech in 1990 changed the course of British politics.
WIKIPEDIA: Geoffrey Howe »
Ed Vaizey is joined by playwright Jonathan Maitland to dissect how Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech in 1990 changed the course of British politics.
WIKIPEDIA: Geoffrey Howe »
In Conversation with Margaret Thatcher | Former PM of the United Kingdom
Margaret Thatcher's words sound sweet. Unfortunately, she and her sidekick, the Old Gipper in the States, were the architects of many of our woes today, particularly the enormous wealth gap between the superrich and the very poor. I am old enough to have been taken in by her when she was in power. Now, I see the folly of her ways. She sold off the family silver leaving the UK impoverished. Most of the UK today is owned by foreigners, not Brits. Unfortunately, Thatcher destroyed much that was wonderful about Britain. She is even the woman who sowed discontent with our membership of the European Union, leading to that ridiculous and impoverishing Brexit. Long may Thatcher rest in peace. Unfortunately, her legacy doesn't allow us Brits to live in peace. – © Mark Alexander
Friday, 3 January 2025
Wednesday, 1 January 2025
Jon Danzig: Why We Joined the EU
Jan 1, 2025 | [The EU] was never ‘just about trade’.
𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗨, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗪𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡
It was 52 years ago – on 1 January 1973 – that Britain joined the European Community.
My (Jon Danzig’s) video explains why we joined – and why we might join again, for the same reasons. It was never just about trade. The EEC/EU was started first and foremost to create lasting peace between its members, following the most devastating war the world had ever known.
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Knowledge is surely our best defence, and attack, against the mistake of Brexit. Happy New Year! – @JonDanzig
𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗨, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗪𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡
It was 52 years ago – on 1 January 1973 – that Britain joined the European Community.
My (Jon Danzig’s) video explains why we joined – and why we might join again, for the same reasons. It was never just about trade. The EEC/EU was started first and foremost to create lasting peace between its members, following the most devastating war the world had ever known.
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Knowledge is surely our best defence, and attack, against the mistake of Brexit. Happy New Year! – @JonDanzig
Wealth, Privilege, and Responsibility - The World of the Superrich | DW Documentary
Dec 31, 2024 | While the German economy navigates troubled waters, the lives of the rich continue on unaffected. This film takes a look into the largely closed-off world of the country's millionaires and billionaires - and at how the wealthy see themselves and their privileged lifestyles.
We talk to the CEO of a luxury watchmaker who says German industry suffers from overregulation, with insufficient rewards for taking risks. A well-off building contractor from Dusseldorf, on the other hand, explains how most of the country's millionaires acquire their wealth not from entrepreneurship, but from inheritance. He wants to see a drastic rise in tax rates for the rich, and the proceeds invested where they're needed, e.g. in infrastructure and education.
This documentary also shows life at the Salem boarding school, where the wealthy pay tens of thousands of euros a year to send their children to school. For many, their education includes learning to take on the responsibility involved in later running their family-run businesses.
The superrich live longer and enjoy special tax benefits. The suspension of a wealth tax in 1997 has reportedly cost the German state €380 billion in lost revenues. With the country facing a financial crisis, will its most prosperous individuals live up to their responsibilities that come with privileged financial power?
We talk to the CEO of a luxury watchmaker who says German industry suffers from overregulation, with insufficient rewards for taking risks. A well-off building contractor from Dusseldorf, on the other hand, explains how most of the country's millionaires acquire their wealth not from entrepreneurship, but from inheritance. He wants to see a drastic rise in tax rates for the rich, and the proceeds invested where they're needed, e.g. in infrastructure and education.
This documentary also shows life at the Salem boarding school, where the wealthy pay tens of thousands of euros a year to send their children to school. For many, their education includes learning to take on the responsibility involved in later running their family-run businesses.
The superrich live longer and enjoy special tax benefits. The suspension of a wealth tax in 1997 has reportedly cost the German state €380 billion in lost revenues. With the country facing a financial crisis, will its most prosperous individuals live up to their responsibilities that come with privileged financial power?
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