Alternative Visions - Behind the Bitcoin Bubble Bust + Apple’s $105 billion Trump Tax Cut - 1/19/2018

 Dr. Rasmus explains the forces behind the 2017 escalating Bitcoin bubble and their reversal in 2018 in recent weeks, leading to the collapse of Bitcoin prices. Both demand and supply forces driving, then collapsing, bitcoin are explained, and projections for 2018 offered where Bitcoin and other Altcoins may be headed. Crypto currencies as classic financial asset speculative plays are explained, in context of 21^st century Capitalism’s continuing securing shift to financial asset investing. Rasmus then estimates the true tax cuts for US businesses from the Trump tax act ($4 trillion not $1.5 trillion), and estimates that US multinational corporations will reap at least half of that $4T. The case example of Apple Corp’s tax cuts are estimated—from the repatriation one time tax savings in 2018 and thereafter for the next five years, after Apple’s announcement of bringing back $38 billion (over the next five years) of its $270 billion offshore untaxed thus far profits hoard. Rasmus explains only part of the $38 billion will result in wage and real investment, with most going to stock buybacks, dividends, and mergers and acquisitions. (Next week: ‘What’s Happening in China?’)