Economy

By William Hauk | (The Conversation) | – – President Donald Trump finally followed through on his almost year-old threat to restrict imports of foreign steel. On March 8, the president slapped a 25 percent tariff on the metal, while also putting a 10 percent duty on foreign aluminum. After initially suggesting there’d be no […]

Inequality

The last time the US enacted Punitive Tariffs it enabled the Great Depression

contributors

By Charles Hankla | (The Conversation) | – – President Donald Trump finally appears poised to make good on his promised threats to slam the door on free trade and erect walls around the country’s economy. Citing the need to protect national security, he released plans to impose tariffs of 25 percent on foreign steel […]

Donald Trump

As workers notice no Raise, the Tax Scam Is Starting to Sink In

contributors

By Josh Hoxie | (Otherwords.org) | – – While billionaires fund a PR push for the tax law, most ordinary workers report seeing no increase in their take-home pay. It’s no fun being scammed. I distinctly remember looking for my first big city apartment and finding an ad that looked perfect. Beautiful picture, cheap rent, […]

European Union

Europe’s big Plans for Iran Trade announce Independence from Trump’s Washington

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Despite the significant economic problems Iran faces, and despite the real problems in unequal income distribution, Iran’s economy is seeing bright spots that the Western press rarely admits. In the year after international sanctions were lifted on the signing of the nuclear accord, spring 2016-spring 2017, […]

Donald Trump

Top 5 Economic Disappointments of the Trump Regime (so far)

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Since Trump has decided that declining to clap for him is a form of treason, and only dictators in banana republics use that sort of diction, perhaps it is time to start speaking of the Trump regime rather than administration. And that regime rode to power […]

Banking

The Great Trump Bubble

Juan Cole

Nomi Prins | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – There’s been lots of fire and fury around Washington lately, including a brief government shutdown. In Donald Trump’s White House, you can hardly keep up with the ongoing brouhahas from North Korea to Robert Mueller’s Russian investigation, while it already feels like ages since the celebratory mood […]

Employment

Plummeting Tourism to US, costing $10 bn., blamed on Trump Slump

contributors

TeleSur | – – Some in the travel industry attribute the decline to something they call the “Trump slump.” Travel to the United States has declined. While some in the [$244 bn.] tourist industry are asking why, others are pointing their fingers squarely at U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office […]

Inequality

World’s Richest 1% Acquired 82% of Wealth in 2017: Report

Juan Cole

TeleSur | – – Only 42 people own the same amount of wealth as the poorest 50 percent worldwide, the report claimed. Nearly 82 percent of global wealth generated last year went to one percent of the population, while the bottom 50 percent saw no increase at all, according to a new Oxfam report that […]

Economy

The Rise and Fall of America’s Middle Class

contributors

By Jim Hightower | (Otherwords.org) | – – The middle class was built by movements — and can be rebuilt by movements. Ever since 1776, the “common yeoman” — America’s middle class — has been hailed as the virtuous heart and backbone of our nation. How ironic, since it took 150 years before we actually […]