How Peter Thiel Is Destroying Democracy

Dec 7, 2025 | This is Peter Thiel - a major player in Silicon Valley who wants to transform humanity. But what does he actually want? What’s his problem with democracy? And is there an endgame?

"Empire in Decline": Historian Alfred McCoy on U.S. Aggression in Venezuela, Iran & Beyond

Jan 13, 2026 | As President Trump threatens Iran, Venezuela, Mexico, Greenland and more, renowned historian Alfred McCoy says the United States is "an empire in decline," following a predictable pattern of militarism abroad and political instability at home as it loses power and influence on the world stage. "American politics become increasingly contorted and irrational," says McCoy. "I think the thing to do is to realize that we are an empire in decline, … and it will continue for another decade or two, until American power finally slips away."

McCoy just published his latest book, "Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage," on the impact of U.S.-Soviet imperial proxy wars in Africa, Asia and Latin America.


Democracy Now! can be supported here.

“The United States Is an Empire In Decline”

Feb 7, 2026 | We spoke to renowned historian Alfred McCoy about his latest book, "Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage," and why he believes the U.S. is losing its dominance on the world stage.

Cuba’s Government Has Lasted 67 Years. Will It Fall Under Trump?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Trump administration, which has tightened the U.S. chokehold on Cuba by cutting off foreign oil, is betting that this is the Cuban communist revolution’s last year.

Celebrations broke out in front of Miami’s Versailles restaurant nearly 20 years ago after Fidel Castro announced that he was so sick he had to temporarily step down as president of Cuba.

Cuban exiles rejoiced again two years later when he quit for good — and once more when he died in 2016, though his brother Raúl Castro was president at the time.

Now, the country’s economy is in free fall, its electric grid is failing, millions of its citizens have left and the Cuban government is facing off against perhaps its most menacing foe: President Trump.

Mr. Trump has closed off Cuba’s access to oil shipments, helped cripple its vital tourism industry and declared that Cuba’s government is “going down for the count.”

The Trump administration and the many Cuban exiles who have been waiting nearly seven decades for the fall of Cuba’s Communist government said they believed this might finally be their moment.

After years of U.S. presidents trying various economic pressure tactics to hasten the demise of the Cuban government, the Trump administration’s cutoff of fuel has raised the ante drastically because oil keeps the country — from public transit to factories to farms — running.

…

After the U.S. military captured the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Mr. Trump halted Venezuelan oil to Cuba. Venezuela had long kept Cuba afloat with 35,000 barrels of oil a day in exchange for medical services by Cuban doctors. Read the whole article in today’s NYT HERE ». Y en español AQUÍ.

Michael Lambert: Why No Leader Can Fix Britain’s Current Course

Feb 7, 2026 | In this video I reflect on recent events in British politics from a very different perspective — speaking from Bangkok and watching the UK from afar.

I discuss the latest defections to Reform UK, why Nigel Farage still represents a political cul-de-sac rather than a governing future, and what these shifts say about the Conservative Party’s decline.

I also look at Keir Starmer’s trip to China, the reality behind the so-called “sophisticated relationship”, and the uncomfortable truth about Britain trying to negotiate alone in a world dominated by large trade blocs.

Along the way I touch on Peter Mandelson, Labour’s leadership dilemma, Andy Burnham, Davos and the wider question of whether Brexit has left Britain trying to play a role in the world that no longer exists.

«Je réalise qu’il y a un monde où je peux tout perdre» : la chute du bitcoin fait vaciller les certitudes des possesseurs de crypto

LE FIGARO : TÉMOIGNAGES - Alors que le bitcoin s’effondre après une année d’euphorie, des investisseurs, souvent jeunes, mesurent avec amertume les risques d’un pari qu’ils pensaient gagnant.

La fin du Bitcoin a-t elle déjà sonné ? C’est la question que se posent nombre d’épargnants conquis par l’engouement des cryptomonnaies qui a gagné les marchés et la toile depuis un an. « Je suis parti avec 1 000 euros en misant sur le bitcoin. Aujourd’hui, mon portefeuille vaut la moitié », confie Arthur*, 29 ans, employé du secteur de l’édition. Comme beaucoup de jeunes diplômés de sa génération – les « milléniaux » –, Arthur a été séduit par les discours des prophètes prônant la diversification par la cryptomonnaie.

Enchanté à ses débuts dans l’univers « crypto », Arthur déchante sérieusement depuis quelques semaines. Le bitcoin a chuté de presque 50 % depuis mi octobre 2025. Ces derniers jours, la baisse est encore plus brutale. Après avoir culminé à plus de 100.000 dollars, rien ni personne ne semblait douter de l’ascension de cet actif numérique qui, il est vrai, a déjà montré sa résilience face aux soubresauts du secteur. Un lointain souvenir ? » | Par Louise de Maisonneuve et Enguerrand Armanet | vendredi 6 février 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

The Great Depression of 1929: When the Dream Collapsed I SLICE History | Full Documentary

Nov 2, 2025 | 1929: The biggest economic crisis of the 20th century brought an abrupt end to the euphoria of the Roaring Twenties. Driven from their land, the farmers of the Great Plains were forced to abandon everything they had. They became migrants in their own country and were treated as such by the vast Californian estates. They became the symbol of an America confronted by its own reality.

Built on the work of the iconic photographers of the Great Depression - Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Arthur Rothstein - this full archive documentary analyzes the consequences of the economic collapse in the United States and provides a unique take on the failure of the American model.

Documentary: An American Depression (2019)
Directed by Sylvain Desmille
Production: Les Batelières Productions pour LCP & Toute l’Histoire

Could International Boycotts of US Brands Indicate a Decline in US Cultural Power? | DW News

Feb 6, 2026 | US President Donald Trump's return to the White House and his tariffs have had a seismic impact on global markets. Trump's own personal brand is growing - from cryptocurrencies to merchandise and real estate - but his policies are also creating "reputational risks" for other American companies.

Long before Trump, many US brands were able to capitalize on the "cool factor" of being American. But since Trump's terms in office, international movements to boycott US products have spread around the world. Is this backlash causing an actual decline in consumption of US products?

I called for a boycott of all American products and services back in early January! Click here.

Steve Rosenberg: “Several Think Tanks Warning of a Recession in Russia": Russian Paper

Feb 6, 2026 | From today’s Russian papers: “You don’t have to be an economist to forecast a recession: Russia’s export revenue is falling, budget revenues are falling, taxes rising, consumer demand shrinking…” Another paper: “Oil & gas revenues fall…rise in bread prices.” Also today, what the Russian papers are saying about the two days of peace talks in Abu Dhabi.

Crypto Takes a Deep Slide Despite Trump’s Support

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The price of Bitcoin is now lower than when President Trump was elected in 2024, raising concerns of a new “crypto winter” in the industry.

The price of Bitcoin is lower than it was the day before President Trump’s election. A leading cryptocurrency exchange is laying off a large chunk of its work force. And a push for industry-friendly legislation has stalled in Congress.

After months of declining prices and dispiriting setbacks, the crypto industry has found itself deep in one of its periodic slumps — a so-called crypto winter.

Bitcoin is trading at less than $64,000, a nearly 50 percent decline from its peak price, which it reached just last October. The prices of two other top coins, Ether and Solana, are both down more than 30 percent over the past week.

At the same time, the stock prices of major crypto firms have plummeted. Strategy, a company that buys enormous amounts of Bitcoin, is down 75 percent since November 2024, when Mr. Trump was newly elected and promised to make the United States “the crypto capital of the planet.” » | David Yaffe-Bellany | David Yaffe-Bellany covers the crypto industry. | Thursday, February 5, 2026

Orbán Is Terrified of Losing His Seat

Learn more.

Warum leben so viele Milliardäre in der Schweiz?

Feb 3, 2026 | Die Schweiz zählt zu den beliebtesten Wohnorten der Superreichen. Mit 156 Milliardären, darunter Einzelpersonen und Familien, weist das Land die weltweit höchste Dichte pro Kopf auf. Vier Hauptgründe erklären diese Position der Schweiz.

The Economist: Welcome to Zero-migration America

Here’s the problem.

Stocks, Gold and Oil Plunge in Market Rout

THE TELEGRAPH: Stocks, gold and oil have plunged in a global market rout driven by fears about AI spending and the outlook for interest rates.

Asian markets were pummelled and Wall Street was expected to open lower as a sell-off in precious metals fuelled a downturn across the world.

Gold was down as much as 7pc to nearly $4,400 an ounce, less than a week after hitting a record high close to $5,600. Silver plummeted by as much as 14pc to less than $72, having tipped above $120 for the first time last week. Oil was also down around 5pc to less than $66 a barrel.

Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said: “Traders are unnerved by the market tumult witnessed on Friday in precious metals.”

Gold and silver sold off sharply at the end of last week as a string of concerns swept the market, from Donald Trump’s trade war to the latest batch of tech earnings.

There were also questions over the outlook for US interest rates after President Trump nominated a Kevin Warsh to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. » | Chris Price | Monday, February 2, 2026

Bitcoin Wipeout Erases Entire Trump-era Gains

THE TELEGRAPH: Cryptocurrency tumbles as US president fuels geopolitical uncertainty

Bitcoin’s entire Trump-era gains have been wiped out after the cryptocurrency was hit by a fresh market sell-off.

The price of Bitcoin dropped sharply over the weekend to around $77,000 (£56,000) as investors fled the notoriously volatile asset.

The losses pushed Bitcoin to its lowest level since last April, when the US president shocked global markets with sweeping tariffs on his so-called “liberation day”.

It signals a reversal of fortunes for Bitcoin after the cryptocurrency surged to almost $125,000 late last year, buoyed by a series of crypto-friendly measures introduced by Mr Trump. » | James Warrington, Media and Telecoms Editor | Sundai, January 1, 2026

Is Trump Destroying the Western Alliance? Will Europe Ally with China?

Feb 1, 2026 | As Donald Trump hits the EU with tariffs and threatens to colonize Greenland (an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark), European leaders are improving relations with China and seeking new trade partners. Is this the end of the political West and the transatlantic alliance? Ben Norton explains.

Sandra Navidi: „Der amerikanische Traum ist tot“

Autorin Sandra Navidi erzählt, wie Trump die USA ruiniert und wieso sie heute nicht mehr nach Amerika auswandern würde

Es beginnt wie der amerikanische Traum. Vor rund 25 Jahren startet die deutsche Anwältin Sandra Navidi in Manhattan eine Karriere, die sie später in die exklusiven Sphären der US-Finanzbranche führen sollte. Doch bereits kurz nach ihrer Ankunft in New York erlebt sie, wie die Anschläge auf das World Trade Center die Gesellschaft verändern. Einige Jahre später ist sie in der Wall Street angelangt und findet sich im Epizentrum der Finanzkrise wieder. Doch nichts davon erschüttert ihr Bild vom Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten so sehr wie die Ankunft von Donald Trump im Weißen Haus. In diesem Interview blickt die mittlerweile deutsch-amerikanische Unternehmerin und Autorin auf ihren Werdegang zurück. Sie erzählt, wie Trump die USA ruiniert und wieso sie heute niemandem mehr raten würde, nach Amerika auszuwandern.

Interview: Zsolt Wilhelm, Produktion: Laura Schmidt
STANDARD-Podcast LIVE:

Bernie Delivers a Hard Rebuke of Stephen Miller on the Senate Floor

Jan 30, 2026 | Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke out against the military occupation of Minneapolis.

Bernie Sanders is the man who should be the president of the USA. Bernie Sanders is a sensible, decent man. America would be a much better, kinder, milder , fairer country if he were. — © Mark Alexander

Thom Hartmann: The Fall of American Economic Power: Is Trump the Turning Point?

Jan 30, 2026 | Under Trump, tax giveaways to the wealthy and soaring debt replaced economic stability and sacrificed the nation’s future for short-term political gain.

Wieso zerstört Trump die USA? | Sandra Navidi

Sept 21, 2025 | Die Ermordung des rechten US-Aktivisten Charlie Kirk hat die politische Spaltung in den USA nur noch weiter verschärft. Könnte es unter Präsident Donald Trump gar zu einem erneuten Bürgerkrieg kommen? Und kann die Demokratie in den Vereinigten Staaten noch gerettet werden?

Darüber spricht US-Expertin Sandra Navidi in dieser Videoversion des STANDARD-Nachrichtenpodcasts "Thema des Tages".

Navidi ist deutsch-amerikanische Autorin und Unternehmerin. Ihr Buch "Die DNA der USA" über die Entfremdung der US-Gesellschaft wurde zum Bestseller.

Moderation: Zsolt Wilhelm
Produktion: Tobias Holub