An important reminder about how pensions work and the risks of various types.
Friday, January 30, 2026
The US Dollar: Not a Traditional Safe Haven
Why the dollar is more of a safe haven than it might seem, despite Trump’s persistent undermining.
Why Iran Must Be Broken to Build the U.S.–Israeli Vision for a “New Middle East”
The drive to remake the Middle East runs through Iran. Power shifts, oil markets, and hegemony explain why conflict is escalating.
Iran War Watch
The US is acting like it is hot for war with Iran. Trump is moving so many military assets that it will be hard to climb down. What next?
ICE Not Only Looks and Acts Like a Paramilitary Force – It Is One, and That Makes It Harder to Curb
Why it is important to recognize that ICE is a paramilitary operation. Among other things, they are harder to reform than traditional police.
Defeat of the West – Michael Hudson and Lena Petrova on Davos Panic, Destruction of the EU & Economic Collapse
Michael Hudson and Lena Petrova discuss the breakdown of the US-led order, Trump’s misguided efforts to maintain primacy, and what comes next
Satyajit Das: Book Essay – Measuring Progress
Carl Benedikt Frey traces the history of technological innovation. But does that constitute progress?
Coffee Break: Stephen Miller vs ICE Barbie & Corey Is a Distraction
The notion that Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and his allies may be falling out of favor with Trump is a delightful distraction, but we shouldn’t let palace intrigue take our focus off the looming civil conflict.
Population Growth Slows to Crawl, Net Migration May Turn “Negative”: Census Bureau’s New Population Estimates
Population stagnation or even shrinkage has major implications for prospects for housing, employment, and consumer spending.
Science and President Trump: Year Five and Counting
According to the news article in Damage Assessment (paywall that may be surmounted by registration) in Science by Jeffrey Mervis, the stated goals of Trump v2.0 have been consistent and were implicit during Trump v1.0. These have been: (1) shrink the size and scope of the federal government, (2) expand the power of the presidency, […]
More Evidence of Destructive Deflation in China
China’s deflation crunch is getting worse.
Creative Energy Diplomacy Might Avert Another American Attack On Iran
Trump needs a face-saving way to de-escalate with Iran. Is an energy deal possibe?
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Silicon Valley and The Military–Industrial–Venture Complex
Silicon Valley’s entry into defense contracting is often framed as a long-overdue modernization of a bureaucratic Pentagon. This article argues that the venture capital model is structurally misaligned with the requirements of strategic defense systems engineering. The rise of a Military–Industrial–Venture Complex risks collapsing governance into product design, accelerating technological deployment without corresponding institutional capacity, and increasing escalation and democratic accountability risks.
