Alternative Visions

Alternative Visions - Declining American Economy and Stimulus Negations

Alternative Visions - Economics Consequences of a Failed Stimulus + Trump’s Plan B

Dr. Rasmus discusses the growing economic crisis for millions of wage earners at the end of 2020, as Congress continues to debate a year end fiscal stimulus package. The bargaining maneuvers going on between McConnell, Mnuchin, Trump, Pelosi-Shumer, and the corporate wing of the Democrat Party are assessed. What it means for the unemployed, renters, students, small businesses, homeowners, and others. The show concludes with an analysis of Trump’s final move to overturn the Electoral College results before 12-14 deadline. What may be his strategy behind his ‘Plan B’? Will it succeed?

Alternative Visions - Stimulus Negotiations Status Update + Latest Dismal Job Numbers

 Dr. Rasmus reviews latest labor department jobs numbers released today and compares them to the more accurate new unemployment claims numbers released yesterday. The various categories of jobless that aren’t included in the monthly jobs numbers and why unemployment benefit recipients are double that of the officially unemployed reported every month by the labor department. The show then focuses on the state of the current negotiations on a stimulus bill in Congress. The elements of the various proposals are described: McConnell’s $519 billion vs. the ‘Bipartisan’ Senate proposal $908 billion introduced last week vs. the Pelosi-Shumer original $3 trillion stimulus of last May (now reduced to $2.2 trillion since August). What’s in each. Why Biden and corporate Democrats are pushing Pelosi-Shumer to ‘capitulate’ to Republican positions (McConnell’s & Bipartisan Senate). Why Biden’s call to take what’s on the bargaining table now and we’ll come back for more after January 21, 2021 is a subterfuge and why there’ll be no ‘second’ stimulus in 2021.

Alternative Visions - US Treasury vs. US Federal Reserve ‘Rift’ + Functions of Capitalist Central Banks

Dr. Rasmus discusses what’s behind the recent so-called ‘rift’ between the Mnuchin Treasury and Powell’s Federal Reserve bank. Why is it that Mnuchin ordered the return of $455 billion unspent stimulus funds passed in March while hundreds of thousands of small businesses are going under, 20-25m workers still unemployed, food lines growing, and rent evictions accelerating? The political reasons behind Mnuchin (and Trump & McConnell) actions to ‘take back’ the money allocated in the last March Cares Act from the Fed. Rasmus uses this event to explain the functions of these two key economic US capitalist institutions—the Treasury and the Fed and to debunk the mainstream economics fiction that central banks like the Fed are ‘independent’ of capitalist bankers and their politicians. Rasmus offers a short history lesson of

Alternative Visions - US triple crisis worsens

Dr. Rasmus explains why the triple crisis in America is intensifying once again. why the US economy is deteriorating. why covid health crisis is worsening. why the US political crisis is deepening as Trump tries to get the electoral college to change votes. 

 

Alternative Visions - Election ‘Takeaways’ + Trump’s Election Challenge 4 Decision Points

 Dr. Rasmus reviews the significant political & economic takeaways 10 days now after the election. Then discusses the four dates in December that amount to milestones for Trump to try to overturn the election. How each offers an opportunity for Trump to reverse, or at least delay, the certification of the election and create more political and economic chaos in the interim. Rasmus briefly also discusses what’s going on with Trump’s firings in his Defense Dept and national intelligence agencies? Is he preparing a foreign policy ‘October Surprise’ in December?  A review of key issues in the Supreme Court’s upcoming ACA decision & why tax cuts for the rich is really at its core. The Pfizer vaccine and its possible disappointment. The China-US Trade War deal one year after. The show concludes with comments on an early look at Bidenomics and why it will likely be Obamanomics 2.0 warmed over—and therefore insufficient to stimulate the economy in 2021

Alternative Visions - Election Analysis & Economic Consequences

Alternative Visions - Debunking 3rd Quarter US GDP + Trump’s Coup D-Etat Plan

 Today’s show covers the two topics. In first half hour, yesterday’s US GDP preliminary numbers are debunked. Why the 3^rd Qtr net growth is only 2% not 7.4% and why annualized numbers showing 33.1% should be totally disregarded as phony statistical exaggerations. What’s behind the 3^rd quarter growth, industry by industry, why it reflects slowing momentum for the economy, not growth, and why the fourth quarter (and late 3^rd) indicators reflect a possible negative 4^th quarter. Definitely a ‘W-Shape’ trajectory and not at all a V-shape per Trump and apologists. Big factors driving a negative 4^th quarter are no fiscal stimulus, resurgence of Covid in worst wave to date over winter, and political instability post November election.  Second half of the show addresses the growing evidence of Trump’s plans to refuse to leave office by stopping the mail in ballot vote count in swing states, with help of courts include his 6-3 majority on SCOTUS. The likely scenario is discussed, as the electoral college vote is 244 v. 248

The 2nd Presidential Debate + Preview of 3rd Quarter US GDP Report - 10.23.20

Today’s show starts with an analysis and critique of last night’s 2^nd Presidential Debate between Trump & Biden, and why the quality of the debate on both sides signals the decline in the level of ability in candidates the US political elite are now providing voters to choose from as the US ‘Triple Crisis’ (health, economic, political)worsens in the beginning of the 3^rd decade of this century. What Trump said and didn’t say; what Biden could have said but didn’t!  The non-debate. The show’s second half gives an update on the ‘On Again, Off Again’ fiscal stimulus negotiations, the new unemployment claims numbers reported yesterday, and why fourth quarter US economy will greatly underperform the 3^rd quarter. (For more on the stimulus, read check out my latest article ‘A Short History of the ‘On Again, Off Again’ Fiscal Stimulus Negotiations’ on my blog, http://jackrasmus.com, and join me on Twitter for my latest day to day, and hourly, commentaries on the negotiations at @drjackrasmus.)

Alternative Visions - Stimulus Negotiations Update + Nobel Prize for Economic Ideology

Dr. Rasmus provides an update on latest status of stimulus negotiations in Congress this past week: How Pelosi refused to fall for Trump-McConnell latest trick. What’s possible next week. Much of today’s show discusses the recent Nobel prize in economics given to two Standford University professors for their contribution to showing how (auction) markets are efficient. Rasmus explains how their view is just another iteration of ‘efficient markets theory’ debunked by the events of 2008-09. Nevertheless, the Nobel group keeps giving awards to pro-free market theories that argue capitalist markets are efficient and therefore superior to government. Is it economic ‘science’ or economic ‘ideology’, supporting the fiction that markets always produce the best prices—and therefore the government should sell off (privatize) public goods (wireless spectrum) using auction markets at a lower price than it might sell otherwise. What are the hallmarks and indicators of ‘economic ideology’ (ideology defined as misrepresentation of reality, facts, & truth)?