Geopolitical Economy Report

How did Western governments get to the point where major decisions are made by and for large corporate monopolies? Ben Norton is joined by political economist Radhika Desai to discuss neoliberalism and the myth of the free market. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tczNLhfdQ7A This is based on chapter 6 of Radhika's book "Capitalism, Coronavirus and War". You can download it for free here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/02/17/capitalism-coronavirus-war-geopolitical-economy-radhika-desai/ Check out other episodes in the series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hNZoKp0XsLFwSxxlMQu6ye8

China describes its system as a "socialist market economy". How does that work? What is the role of its stock exchanges? Ben Norton explains Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4__IBd_sGE Topics 0:00 Intro 1:11 Deng Xiaoping & China's "Reform & Opening Up" 4:06 Socialism with Chinese Characteristics 5:17 China's economic growth & poverty reduction 7:42 How state-owned enterprises (SOEs) run China's economy 10:09 Chen Yun & the "birdcage economy" 11:39 SOE share of China's GDP 13:37 China's largest companies are SOEs 14:53 Socialist market economy 16:02 "Grasp the large, let go of the small" 17:42 "Managed competition" in China 19:50 Billionaires in China 20:43 China's stock markets 27:17 (Clip) Western financial analyst says China rejected Washington Consensus 30:43 (Clip) Bloomberg complains "China doesn't care about the stock market" 32:10 Differences between US & Chinese economies 33:33 (Clip) Investor explains China's stock market is not priority for government 36:56 China's economic policy is made for workers, not investors 45:55 US financialized capitalism vs. Chinese socialism 46:33 US stock market is 60.5% of entire world 47:13 Richest 10% of Americans own 93% of stocks 47:52 Global oligarchs hold wealth in US stock market 48:31 China's pursuit of "common prosperity" 51:49 Outro

Top UN human rights experts called on Western weapons corporations to stop sending arms to Israel, saying they could be complicit in war crimes. Asset managers like BlackRock and Wall Street banks are also profiting. Ben Norton looks at the evidence. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur2xRJzbyJE Topics 0:00 Western complicity in Israel's war crimes in Gaza 1:07 Statement by UN human rights experts 1:26 Weapons corporations aiding Israel 2:41 US, Germany, Italy are arming Israel 3:09 Israel is violating Hague rulings 4:01 Financial companies profiting from Israel 5:10 BlackRock investments in Israel 6:53 Wall Street banks underwrite Israeli bonds 8:52 US states invest in Israeli bonds 10:55 Biden continues arming Israel (despite misleading media claims) 14:11 Outro

Economists Radhika Desai and Prabhat Patnaik analyze India's 2024 general election and why Prime Minister Narendra Modi's far-right Hindu-nationalist party BJP lost its majority. They discuss the state of the economy, rising unemployment and inequality, and Modi's neoliberal model. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4xfHMkIPJ4 Transcript here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/06/27/india-modi-2024-election-economy/ You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

Countries around the world are seeking alternatives to the US dollar. IMF economists say de-dollarization is "broad-based". The Federal Reserve reluctantly admits that it is happening. Ben Norton analyzes the latest research. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Dsy7q1Miw Topics 0:00 Examples of de-dollarization around the world 3:11 IMF paper on decline of dollar dominance 6:39 Dedollarization is "broad based", IMF says 8:07 Western sanctions lead central banks to de-dollarize 8:56 Gold: Why central banks are buying it up 12:37 US Federal Reserve acknowledges dedollarization 13:18 (Clip) Fed governor on de-dollarization "challenges" 14:28 Fed governor's speech on de-dollarization 15:38 Bitcoin & crypto are NOT an alternative to the dollar 17:29 CBDCs: China-led mBridge system challenges dollar hegemony 18:58 Fed governor discusses de-dollarization examples 20:21 Fed paper on de-dollarization 24:22 Outro

The United Nations Human Rights Council published a report that concluded that Israel has committed war crimes and "the crimes against humanity of extermination" in Gaza. Ben Norton analyzes the statements of UN legal experts. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCIEdThk2jc Topics 0:00 Intro 0:42 (Clip) UN expert: Israel is committing crimes against humanity 1:11 Quotes from UN report 2:25 Israeli army is "criminal", says UN expert 3:01 (Clip) UN expert: Israeli army is "criminal" 3:39 Israel is ethnically cleansing Palestinians with West's complicity 5:10 UN expert: Israel is committing g -- cide in Gaza 6:40 Israel ignores Hague rulings 8:09 (Clip) UN expert details Israeli crimes in Gaza 10:17 The problem with bothsidesism and false equivalence 12:15 Outro

The vast majority of the world population, in the Global South, rebuked the West's pro-war so-called "Summit on Peace in Ukraine", which was held in Switzerland in June. Russia was not even invited. Ben Norton discusses NATO's hypocrisy and explains why only 78 countries (mostly in Europe) endorsed the "Bürgenstock declaration", while China and Brazil propose genuine peace talks. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY4e2kKcuhk Topics 0:00 Intro 0:17 Map of countries 1:24 Western media admits conference failed 4:35 Zelensky claims China & Brazil aren't "civilized" 7:07 Joint statement & signatories 10:26 China proposes real peace plans 13:54 West is out of touch with rest of world 17:32 Colombia's president criticizes Swiss summit 20:13 Outro

Western governments invited billionaire BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to the G7 summit in Italy to speak about "public-private partnerships" and why oligarchs should buy up global infrastructure (to compete with China's state-led Belt and Road Initiative). Ben Norton discusses how capitalism is becoming so extremely monopolized and unequal that it is devolving into neo-feudalism. (One correction: At 26:17, I meant to say "over 90%", well above 60%.) VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88VU1JjmEps How Wall Street buys US elections: Blackstone funds Trump, BlackRock backs Biden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJaJ4BST6Nc Topics 0:00 Global inequality 0:56 G7 summit in Italy 1:57 BlackRock CEO invited to G7 summit 2:32 What is BlackRock? 4:45 PGI: US' corporate alternative to China's Belt & Road 7:50 (Clip) BlackRock CEO Larry Fink speaks at G7 summit 8:44 Wall Street vulture funds 10:51 BlackRock buys up infrastructure 14:40 BlackRock buys Malaysia's airports 15:34 BlackRock veterans run Biden's Treasury 16:00 Blackstone CEO funds Trump campaign 17:53 Investment companies buy up houses 18:40 BlackRock runs world's largest Bitcoin fund 19:58 Privatization of infrastructure 23:34 WEF: "You'll own nothing. And you'll be happy" 25:56 Home ownership under socialism vs. capitalism 26:17 Correction: over 90%* (I misspoke) 26:21 Home ownership under socialism vs. capitalism 28:38 World Economic Forum 29:33 Return on capital exceeds economic growth 31:20 Outro

Ukraine is a "gold mine" with $12 trillion worth of critical minerals, US Senator Lindsey Graham insisted in a TV interview. Ben Norton discusses how Western companies want these resources, and how Washington hopes to block China's access to them to hurt its technology industries. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TRPk3N8FyQ Zelensky is literally selling Ukraine to US corporations on Wall Street: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/09/09/zelensky-selling-ukraine-wall-street/ Topics 0:00 Intro 1:35 Clip: US Senator Lindsey Graham wants Ukraine's minerals 2:24 Ukraine war has nothing to do with democracy 5:44 US also wants to 'weaken' Russia in Ukraine 6:21 Wall Street buys up Ukraine 8:08 Military-industrial complex profits 10:07 Washington Post on Ukraine's 'battle for minerals' 11:55 Russia 12:48 US seeks to block China's access to minerals 15:44 Multiple reasons for Ukraine war 17:10 Trump wanted to take Venezuela's oil 19:16 Exxon CEO ran US State Department 20:29 US plan to seize Russia's $300B in FX reserves 21:20 Clip: Lindsey Graham calls to seize Russia's reserves 21:43 Debate over Russia's central bank reserves 23:07 De-dollarization 24:38 Outro

Polling shows that the vast majority of people in the US and Western Europe want a negotiated settlement to end the war in Ukraine, but NATO opposes a peace proposal made by China and Brazil, while refusing to invite Russia to a so-called "peace conference" in Switzerland. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=l5eQd1E_Huo Topics 0:00 Intro 1:30 Biden authorizes attacks inside Russia 2:12 France plans to send military forces to Ukraine 3:52 US discusses increased nuclear weapon deployments 4:57 Poll: most people in US & W Europe want peace 7:04 China & Brazil propose peace plan 9:38 West's "peace conference" didn't invite Russia 11:26 China wants peace in Ukraine 15:45 Nicaragua backs China-Brazil peace plan 16:05 Outro

In Mexico, a new independent left-wing movement has defeated the country's elites. Following current President AMLO, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum and their Morena party won the 2024 election in a landslide. Ben Norton is joined by journalist José Luis Granados Ceja to discuss what their "Fourth Transformation" (4T) means for the US, China, Russia, Latin America, and the global economy. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=M0k0WU7JKgM Check out Soberanía, the Mexican Politics Podcast: https://youtube.com/@SoberaniaPodcast Follow José Luis on Twitter: https://x.com/GranadosCeja Mexico Solidarity Media website: https://mexicosolidarity.com Our related video "Mexico's AMLO has 80% approval, despite media lies & US meddling": https://youtube.com/watch?v=-2PQPJUn6KU Topics 0:00 Claudia Sheinbaum wins election 1:36 Geopolitics: Mexico, US, China, Russia 3:19 AMLO boosts minimum wage, reduces poverty 3:45 Economy & natural resources 6:09 US corporations are angry 7:34 Introducing guest 8:18 Why Sheinbaum's victory is historic 13:01 AMLO & 4th Transformation 21:43 Morena & defeat of PRI-PAN-PRD establishment 32:38 Mexico's economy 44:24 Geopolitics: US new cold war on China & Russia 53:28 Latin American regional integration 1:01:02 Everyday life in Mexico 1:08:21 Outro

While BlackRock veterans run Joe Biden's Treasury, Donald Trump's presidential campaign is financed by Wall Street's highest-paid CEO, of Blackstone, the world's largest commercial landlord. Ben Norton explains how Wall Street investment companies, asset managers, and banks essentially buy US elections. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZJaJ4BST6Nc Check out our related video - "How the dollar's 'exorbitant privilege' enriches the USA (and global elites)": https://youtube.com/watch?v=jYkiMcR1Rj8 TOPICS 0:00 Wall Street always wins US elections 0:57 Blackstone CEO funds Trump 2:58 BlackRock backs Biden 3:48 BlackRock vs Blackstone - What's the difference? 7:30 Wall Street's highest paid CEO, Stephen Schwarzman 10:15 Oil & gas industry moguls fund Trump 10:53 Fossil fuel profits tripled under Biden 13:15 Oligarchs back fellow billionaire Trump 15:14 Biden promised: "Nothing would fundamentally change" 15:54 10% of Americans own 93% of stocks & 67% of all wealth 17:23 USA is not a democracy; it's an oligarchy 18:43 Wall Street funded Barack Obama 19:20 Wall Street funded Mitt Romney 20:07 US government represents Wall Street 21:54 BlackRock veterans run Biden's Treasury 25:08 Goldman Sachs veterans ran Trump's Treasury 27:16 Blackstone: the largest landlord in the US (& on Earth) 30:53 De-industrialization & financialization 32:25 Private equity destroyed Toys“R”Us 33:11 Private equity firms buy up retirement homes, hospitals, vets 34:53 2008 crisis & subprime mortgages 37:22 Financial parasites 38:39 Outro

As Israel bombs Rafah with US support, both are blatantly defying the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC). Ben Norton documents the hypocrisy of the Biden administration's claims to uphold the "rules-based international order" as it sponsors Netanyahu's crimes against humanity in Gaza. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q2B6wkbO6vw Check out our related video - "US threatens ICC, warning 'If they [prosecute] Israel, we're next!'": https://youtube.com/watch?v=ChZZ3GKiNE0 Topics 0:00 Intro 1:30 ICJ orders Israel to stop attacking Rafah 2:38 Israel bombs tent camp in Rafah 3:51 US & UK help Israel violate ICJ rulings 4:34 UN expert calls for sanctions on Israel 6:28 Netanyahu: "Nobody will stop us - not the Hague" 7:19 US threatens to sanction ICC 8:19 Israeli spy chief threatened ICC 9:23 Trump & Biden attack ICC 9:50 Hypocrisy of "rules-based order" 13:02 US House Speaker Mike Johnson threatens ICC 13:48 US "rules-based order" vs. international law-based order 14:40 UK PM Rishi Sunak praises "rules-based order" 15:00 Germany's hypocrisy on Israel 17:55 Western neocolonialism 23:58 China defends international law 26:16 Outro

Putin met with Xi Jinping in Beijing, where China and Russia released a joint statement blasting Western "colonialism and hegemonism", supporting a multipolar world and more representation for the Global South, and calling for de-dollarization and expansion of BRICS. Ben Norton analyzes the historic document. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ufjxmDLQyBU Full text of the joint statement with links here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/05/24/china-russia-joint-statement-new-era-75th-anniversary/ Topics 0:00 Intro 0:49 Putin's visit to China 1:42 Summary of the joint statement 4:58 Russia deepens economic integration with China 7:18 China expands trade with anti-hegemonic nations 8:50 Note on translation of joint statement 11:20 75th anniversary of China-Russia relations 13:46 Supporting Global South & multipolar world 17:58 Condemning Western neocolonialism & hegemony 20:49 Expanding cooperation 23:03 "True multilateralism" 25:14 Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter 27:35 Shanghai Cooperation Organization 28:33 Expanding BRICS 30:10 Nuclear weapons 30:33 Condemning US militarism 34:26 Climate change & pollution 36:01 Ukraine war 38:58 Non-interference 40:29 ASEAN 40:46 East Asia 41:33 North Korea 42:36 West Asia (Middle East) & Palestine 44:07 Afghanistan 45:18 Africa 46:25 Latin America 48:17 Outro

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has applied for an arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu over crimes against humanity in Gaza. The Biden administration is threatening sanctions on Prosecutor Karim Khan. US Senator Lindsey Graham warned, "if they'll do this to Israel, we’re next!" Ben Norton discusses Washington's extreme hypocrisy and shows the real face of the so-called "rules-based international order". VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ChZZ3GKiNE0 US politicians threaten to invade Int'l Criminal Court if Israel faces war crimes charges: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/05/07/us-threat-icc-israel/ US senator says Israel should drop nuclear bombs on Gaza: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/05/12/senator-lindsey-graham-israel-nuclear-weapons-gaza/ Intro 0:00 "We're next!" 0:15 ICC seeks to arrest Israeli officials 1:50 US gov't threatens ICC 4:08 Lindsey Graham quote: "if they'll do this to Israel, we’re next!" 5:01 Protest 5:27 Bipartisan barbarism 6:57 Karim Khan dropped previous investigation into US/NATO war crimes 8:26 Both sides-ism 9:35 ICC charges against PM Netanyahu & DM Yoav Gallant 10:38 ICJ or ICC? 11:59 Western officials says ICC "was built for Africa" 12:39 Netanyahu responds: "No one will stop us" 13:16 20,000 US citizens in IDF 14:04 Israel is an outpost of the US empire 15:29 Biden, Blinken, & Republicans agree 16:54 Trump imposed sanctions on ICC 18:53 US hypocritically backs ICC charges against Putin 20:15 US & Israel: rogue states 22:57 Outro

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash, sought to unite the Global South against Western imperialism. He joined BRICS, advocated de-dollarization, supported Palestine, promoted a "Look East" strategy toward China and Russia, and allied with Africa and Latin America. Ben Norton analyzes the late Iranian leader's anti-colonial foreign policy. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pzPKOhHcnvc Topics 0:00 Raisi's death & Iran's future 2:51 Raisi's anti-colonial foreign policy 4:54 Palestine 6:10 Anti-imperialism 8:42 BRICS 10:53 Dedollarization 11:45 Shanghai Cooperation Organization 12:46 "Look East" strategy 13:19 China 18:11 Russia 20:02 Indonesia 20:42 Africa 23:32 Latin America 28:40 Nicaragua & Iran: sister revolutions 33:08 Outro

Political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson are joined by Professor C.P. Chandrasekhar to discuss what is really happening in India's economy, if its government growth statistics and other official data are accurate, the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party BJP, and the country's 2024 elections. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3zt1ZYzWP7k You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

The Joe Biden White House imposed high tariffs on Chinese technological products, including electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, batteries, and semiconductors. Ben Norton analyzes the hypocrisy of US government accusations that Beijing provides unfair subsidies to its industries, while Washington is spending trillions on industrial policy -- and how this exposes the "free trade" dogma spread by neoliberal economists as a myth. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=a7okuN2qJU8 Our related video: "Is China producing too much? US 'overcapacity' accusations: new tactic in economic war" - https://youtube.com/watch?v=GUpWxNcdnYU Topics 0:00 Biden puts tariffs on China 1:05 Elon Musk demanded tariffs on Chinese EVs 1:55 US "overcapacity" allegations 2:40 Europe threatens tariffs too 3:19 Biden condemned tariffs in 2019 4:58 Climate change hypocrisy 6:13 "Free market" myth 8:47 "Forced" technology transfer myth 13:12 BYD outcompetes Tesla 13:56 Neoliberalism: de-industrialization & financialization 18:26 Subsidies: US gov't plans trillions in benefits 23:52 More tariffs on Chinese products 25:30 Washington Consensus 29:01 US destroys WTO (after creating it) 31:28 Protectionism: How US & UK really developed 39:39 Outro

US Senator Lindsey Graham insisted in a TV interview that Israel should drop nuclear bombs on Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinian civilians, including 1 million children, are trapped under what the Israeli defense minister called a “complete siege”. Ben Norton discusses Washington's bipartisan complicity in crimes against humanity. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4jJpA11Z5N8 Atomic bombing of Japan was NOT necessary to end WWII. US gov't documents admit it: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/08/07/atomic-bombing-japan-not-necessary/ Links and sources here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/05/12/senator-lindsey-graham-israel-nuclear-weapons-gaza/ Topics 0:00 Intro 0:31 Lindsey Graham says Israel should nuke Gaza 1:11 Fact check 1:59 Israeli minister called to nuke Gaza 3:55 Crimes against humanity 4:47 US support is bipartisan 5:26 Israel's nuclear weapons 6:45 Israel offered nukes to apartheid South Africa 9:05 US atomic bombing of Japan was not necessary 13:10 Outro

143 countries, representing the vast majority of the world, voted at the UN General Assembly to support giving Palestine full membership. They were opposed by the US, Israel, and seven other small countries, representing just 5% of the global population. Ben Norton analyzes the geopolitics. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JtHx7hhpFDY Sources and links here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/05/11/us-israel-vote-palestine-un-member Topics 0:00 Intro 0:56 Map of UN vote on Palestine membership 1:44 Countries that oppose Palestine 3:13 Europe is divided 3:35 Ukraine supports Israel & opposes Global South 5:11 Global South supports Palestine 5:44 Biden is allied with Hungary's Viktor Orbán 6:20 UNGA resolution 6:47 Venezuela's voting rights taken away 8:02 Read the UNGA resolution 9:02 Hypocrisy of US "two-state solution" rhetoric 10:29 Most Democrats condemn Israel; Republicans support it 11:11 Countries with bilateral relations with Palestine 11:47 Palestine's rights as UN observer state 13:04 China supports Palestine 13:46 Russia supports Palestine 14:11 Outro

While visiting Serbia, China's President Xi Jinping condemned the US and NATO for bombing Beijing's embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1999. Ben Norton discusses why Washington launched the attack, and lied about it. Then Ben analyzes China-Serbia relations and the Belt and Road Initiative. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=MILgSmiBLA8 Topics 0:00 Xi condemns US/NATO for bombing China's embassy 1:50 US attack was intentional 4:44 Protests in China 5:58 Civilian victims of NATO's war on Yugoslavia 7:34 China's relations with Yugoslavia 9:05 Belt and Road Initiative 10:21 Chinese investment in Serbian steel plant 17:38 Outro

US Senators sent a letter to International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan, threatening to impose sanctions and even invade the Hague if he issues arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Biden administration is also pressuring the ICC not to charge Israeli officials over their war crimes in Gaza. Ben Norton discusses Washington's deep hypocrisy. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pM29iLpZMJU Sources and links: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/05/07/us-threat-icc-israel Topics 0:00 Intro 0:48 US politicians threaten ICC 2:26 Trump sanctioned ICC 3:17 Biden's hypocrisy 3:56 Republican senators' letter to ICC 6:47 Hague Invasion Act 8:44 Israel's gen0c1de in Gaza 9:48 Israel unleashed famine in Gaza 10:37 Israeli minister demands "total annihilation" of Gaza 11:26 Amalek 13:16 US hypocrisy on ICC warrant for Russia's Putin 14:51 Africa criticizes ICC 15:42 US/Israel lobbied for ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan 16:46 US & Israel refuse to join ICC 17:02 ICC vs ICJ 18:40 Save face, or save your empire? 21:13 Outro

China is reducing its holdings of US Treasury securities. Instead, the People's Bank of China is buying gold, and Beijing prioritizes imports of important commodities like oil and metals. Ben Norton discusses the geopolitical impact of de-dollarization in the world's largest economy. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=z-bnIrbZjaM Check out our related video - "How the dollar's 'exorbitant privilege' enriches the USA (and global elites)": https://youtube.com/watch?v=jYkiMcR1Rj8 Topics 0:00 Why countries are de-dollarizing 1:05 Russia & China 1:41 Brazil & China 2:18 Persian Gulf oil & gas 3:29 Central bank reserves 4:54 China drops US Treasurys 6:15 Debate in Beijing 8:40 Gold 9:37 Charts: China buys metals & oil 11:21 Strategic petroleum reserve 11:53 Belt & Road Initiative 12:50 East Asia funds US deficits 14:25 Global South funds Global North 15:25 Japan replaces China as top US creditor 16:03 US inflation, interest rates, bond yields, & debt 18:48 Outro

Japan's currency the yen has fallen significantly against the dollar. It its economy in crisis? What is the role of US interest rates, inflation, debt, and deficits? What about China? Ben Norton explains the complex geoeconomic situation. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sz3r36ZTe7Q Topics 0:00 Intro 1:40 Yen plunges against US dollar 3:32 Rising exports, falling imports 4:40 Did Germany overtake Japan? 5:58 Nominal GDP is misleading 7:27 PPP is much more accurate 9:25 Misunderstanding GDP figures 10:53 US deficits & debt drive GDP growth 12:37 Strong US dollar 13:58 Industrialization & manufacturing 15:31 Current account 16:15 US Treasury securities 18:09 Why is the yen falling? 18:43 Interest rates 20:37 Bond yields 23:28 Why doesn't Japan raise interest rates? 23:50 Japan's debt 26:18 Inflation 29:32 US Treasurys 30:29 De-dollarization: China drops US bonds 33:14 TL;DW (conclusion) 35:07 Outro

How much does the US benefit from printing the global reserve currency? An economist calculated that US average daily income would fall by 27-57% if the dollar lost its "exorbitant privilege". Ben Norton explains how wealthy investors not only in North America but around the world hold much of their wealth in the dollar. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jYkiMcR1Rj8 Link to Philip Pilkington's report and Twitter account: https://twitter.com/philippilk/status/1782409654519128497 Topics 0:00 US dollar dominance 2:00 Economics of exorbitant privilege 5:23 Current account 9:29 Balance of payments 12:31 Effects of dollar hegemony 14:45 Neoliberalism & financialization 17:41 Foreign capital funds US deficits 19:28 Global 1% invests in US assets 20:35 Super Imperialism 22:25 Fed inflates asset bubbles 25:22 De-industrialization in West 28:06 Industrialization in BRICS 28:57 Investment & FDI 33:08 Wages & manufacturing 35:00 Re-industrialization? 38:16 Outro

US President Joe Biden signed a law that will force TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the app, or it will be banned in the US. Ben Norton explains how this is part of Washington's economic war, aimed at protecting Big Tech monopolies in Silicon Valley. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_WFYov2kfLI Topics 0:00 Biden signs law to ban TikTok 1:39 US tech war on China 5:00 India banned Chinese apps, giving US Big Tech total control 6:38 Protectionism or economic war? 8:30 Silicon Valley lobbied against TikTok 9:37 Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok... before doing 180 12:15 Role of Israel/Palestine/Gaza? 13:42 US trade war with Japan in 1980s 15:38 "Free market" hypocrisy 18:25 US does not truly want "competition" with China 19:39 Outro

If Ukraine loses in the NATO proxy war with Russia, "it will be the end of Western hegemony", lamented former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Ben Norton explains the geopolitics of the conflict, and how most of the Global South has not joined the Global North in opposing Moscow. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=M8ZmkIhs8r0 Check out our related report - "‘Western dominance has ended’, EU foreign-policy chief admits, warning of ‘West against the Rest’": https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/02/26/western-dominance-ended-eu-josep-borrell

Jill Stein explains why she decided to run for US president on an anti-war, pro-worker platform, challenging the duopoly of the Democrats and Republicans as the candidate for the Green Party. She is interviewed by political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=oDUb7-MPH48 Read the transcript here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/04/20/jill-stein-president-green-party-candidate/ You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

The US vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council that called to recognize Palestine as a member state, while Israel launched attacks on Iran. Ben Norton shows how Washington is opposing peace. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VndvgbR51D4 Topics 0:00 Intro 1:29 Israel attacks Iran 4:39 US vetoes Palestinian UN membership 7:31 What is Palestine's status at UN? 8:57 Which countries recognize Palestine? 10:18 "Two-state solution" hypocrisy 12:01 How USA prevents peace in Palestine 15:35 US defended South African apartheid at UN 18:30 South Africa's anti-apartheid leaders support Palestine 21:02 China supports Palestine 22:56 Russia supports Palestine 23:47 UNSC Gaza resolutions vetoed by US 25:53 US sponsors Israel's crimes against humanity 27:23 Outro

A major Congress member and top former Trump administration official published an article calling to overthrow China's government. They boasted that the US is waging a new cold war and must win it, while proposing a military budget of $1.4 trillion per year. Ben Norton debunks the deceptions of the warmongers in Washington. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q3RMl33SqNE Check out our related report: CIA director threatens China & Russia, says Ukraine war benefits US economy - https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/02/07/cia-director-china-threat-russia-ukraine-war/ Topics 0:00 Topic 1:07 2024 election 1:59 Council on Foreign Relations & CIA 3:30 Matt Pottinger & Mike Gallagher 5:07 US new cold war on China 8:21 Deceptively distorting Xi Jinping's speeches 12:50 Information warfare 16:00 Colonialism 17:32 Misquoting Chinese officials 20:29 Militarization of Asia 21:49 $1.37 trillion military budget 22:44 US domination of Asia 24:51 Recruit "cold warriors" 26:44 Regime change: Rollback, not just containment 28:05 Manufacturing consent for war 29:21 Outro

Israel attacked Iran's embassy in Syria on April 1, in a blatant act of war. Iran had a legal right to respond in self-defense, according to article 51 of the UN Charter, which is exactly what it did by launching missiles and drone strikes on April 13. But Western governments are absurdly portraying Tehran as the aggressor. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1p1-Psc0Un8 Topics 0:00 Intro 1:11 Israel attacked Iran first 2:50 Biden & Sunak erase history 3:57 US, UK, France blocked UN Security Council condemnation 5:14 Iran invoked article 51 of UN charter 7:02 UN chief Antonio Guterres' hypocrisy 8:32 West is destroying international law 10:46 World War III? 12:25 Outro

Washington accuses China of producing too many goods and demands "free market" policies. But the US government is spending trillions on industrial policy to protect its own manufacturing sector. Ben Norton details the hypocrisy of the allegations, the latest strategy in the US economic war on China. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=GUpWxNcdnYU Topics 0:00 Intro 1:00 Chinese 'overcapacity' allegations 3:38 Janet Yellen 5:21 US vows to 'slow down China's rate of innovation' 8:02 Elon Musk begs for tariffs on Chinese EVs 10:40 US wants China to be economically subordinated 12:27 US tech war on China 14:39 Western industrial policy 16:31 Protectionism 18:38 US Inflation Reduction Act 20:12 US Chips Act 22:03 US undercapacity is the real problem 25:11 BYD has just 1.5% of EU EV market share 27:04 China's car exports vs Japan & South Korea 30:37 Is overcapacity a problem? 32:39 Outro

Political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson analyze how the United States is waging an economic war against China. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4l3EbRUOGsI Transcript: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/04/09/us-waging-economic-war-china-radhika-desai-michael-hudson/ You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

In the United Nations Human Rights Council, the West voted against the rest of the world, supporting illegal sanctions (known as unilateral coercive measures). Ben Norton analyzes how the 14% of the population in the Global North constantly opposes the Global South, representing the Global Majority. VIDEO with maps and graphics here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=VHBIfmxkHh4 Links here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/04/06/west-vote-rest-un-human-rights-council-sanctions/

Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei ordered his intelligence agency to give full power to the CIA, while the US spy agency's director is welcomed to Buenos Aires. Ben Norton discusses how self-declared "anarcho-capitalist" Milei withdrew from BRICS, allied with Israel, and is implementing neoliberal shock therapy, selling off the South American nation in mass privatizations, as most workers live in poverty. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4VBlUW4BpYs Check out our related video "How extremist Javier Milei became Argentina's president: A story of debt, crisis, and empire": https://youtube.com/watch?v=FN6hoIb-QqA Topics 0:00 Foreign meddling in Argentina 1:08 Javier Milei 1:41 CIA 3:24 Billionaire oligarch 4:03 Anarcho-capitalism 5:05 IMF 7:17 Inflation 8:25 Poverty 9:43 Israel 11:00 Milei's geopolitical alignment: US & Israel 11:33 BRICS 12:13 US corporations 13:32 Beat the status quo... by joining it 14:24 US-backed coup & dictatorship 18:24 Outro

The US government has sent troops to Taiwan, just a few kilometers from mainland China, while also selling billions of dollars of weapons and military equipment. Is Washington preparing for war? Ben Norton analyzes the geopolitical situation. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sWWABuHjSvU After Ukraine, US readies ‘transnational kill chain’ for Taiwan proxy war: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/03/01/ukraine-us-kill-chain-taiwan-war Topics 0:00 Intro 2:15 US sends troops to Taiwan 4:39 US general threatens war on China 5:28 Nuclear weapons 7:03 US once had nukes in Taiwan 10:22 US "arms Taiwan to the teeth" 13:27 US military surrounds China 16:22 Pentagon's "kill chain for the Pacific" 18:23 Elon Musk's role 19:19 US military interoperability with Taiwan 20:57 Washington threatens Chinese sovereignty 22:58 US communiqués recognizing One China policy 27:46 US violates agreements 29:28 Parallels to Ukraine 31:48 Outro

Israel is carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people and "systematic destruction of every aspect necessary to sustain life in Gaza", United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese detailed in her report titled "Anatomy of a Genocide". Ben Norton analyzes the political context. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=o4e4fI_r3b0

The world economy is structured in an unjust way in which the West drains the wealth of the Global South. Ben Norton discusses the economics of imperialism, and how China has tried to reverse it. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=PlAN5-Lk0hw China is ‘world’s sole manufacturing superpower’, with 35% of global output: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/01/31/china-world-manufacturing-superpower-production Topics 0:00 Global inequality 3:01 World-systems analysis 4:37 Prebisch-Singer thesis 6:55 Dependency theory & commodity supercycles 8:27 Unequal exchange 11:01 Haiti & Honduras: Wage suppression in the periphery 13:57 New International Economic Order 15:22 China & the Asian Tigers 19:27 The Global South rebels 22:41 South Africa's President Ramaphosa on industrialization 25:13 Indonesia's economic development 26:34 (Neo)colonialism in Indonesia 29:29 Indonesia bans raw mineral exports 32:18 Protectionism (for the West, not for the rest) 37:38 China helps Indonesia industrialize 42:04 The myth of Chinese "imperialism" 43:04 India's economy vs. Indonesia's 46:41 China's South-South integration 49:33 Outro

Political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson are joined by Beijing-based scholar Mick Dunford to discuss China's economy and debunk Western media myths, addressing accusations that consumption is too low, fears of "Japanification", the role of exports, and the new Chinese growth strategy. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=isJR5dS27qA This is part 2 of their discussion. Watch part 1 here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3K1Vku1SDd8 You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

The US government's plan to either ban TikTok or force owner ByteDance to sell it to a (US) company is part of Washington's economic war on China, and an attempt to protect Big Tech monopolies in Silicon Valley. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1I7reuh86CM Sources and links here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/03/18/us-tiktok-ban-china-tech-monopolies/ Topics 0:00 US Congress moves to ban TikTok 2:04 US tech war on China 6:12 India bans Chinese apps, giving US Big Tech total control 7:51 Protectionism or economic war? 9:18 Silicon Valley lobbied against TikTok 10:49 Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok... before doing 180 13:27 Role of Israel/Palestine/Gaza? 14:54 US trade war with Japan in 1980s 16:51 "Free market" fundamentalist hypocrisy 18:45 The Washington Consensus 20:24 US does not truly want "competition" with China 21:38 Outro

Several reports in mainstream US media outlets show how the CIA has helped to direct the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, and played a role in causing the conflict in the first place. Ben Norton examines the evidence. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=C-PdT8ZUamQ US govt knew NATO expansion to Ukraine would force Russia to intervene: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/02/27/us-nato-expansion-ukraine-russia-intervene/ Topics 0:00 CIA's role in Ukraine proxy war 2:52 Germany reveals UK/France have troops in Ukraine 4:08 Western special ops commandos are in Ukraine 6:09 CIA trained Ukrainian forces before war with Russia 9:22 US knew NATO expansion would cause Russian intervention 12:26 NY Times reveals CIA operations in Ukraine 21:26 CIA was using US embassy in Ukraine 22:23 2014 US-backed Maidan coup 25:45 CIA spying inside Russia 27:59 NATO/EU member Estonia rewrites WWII history 30:04 Assassinations by CIA-trained Ukrainian forces 34:27 CIA collaborated with UK's MI6 and Netherlands 36:27 Outro

Political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson are joined by Beijing-based scholar Mick Dunford to discuss what is actually happening in China, explaining its economic transition and move toward a new industrial revolution. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3K1Vku1SDd8 You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

The US government has sent Israel more than 100 arms shipments since October 7, to help it bomb Gaza. Polls show 52% of North Americans oppose these weapons sales. Biden is defying the Democratic Party's base, while allying with Trump and the Republicans. Ben Norton reviews the evidence. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Yoj8Sleb9XQ US kills 4th UN call for peace in Gaza, helping Israel violate Hague's genocide ruling: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/02/21/us-veto-un-resolution-gaza-israel-hague-genocide/ Topics 0:00 Most Americans oppose US arms sales to Israel 2:57 Youth & Democrats say Israel commits genocide 5:10 ICJ: genocide case against Israel is "plausible" 5:30 Top UN expert: Israel commits genocide in Gaza 6:03 US court: Israel "plausibly" committing genocide 7:00 Biden admin sends Israel 100+ arms shipments 9:17 US vetoes ceasefire resolutions in UN Security Council 9:50 Israel's war on Gaza is most destructive in modern history 10:50 Biden's cynical "food aid" PR stunt 11:19 Israel is starving Palestinian children to death 12:01 Amnesty: Israel violates Hague's Gaza ruling 12:46 UN warns Gaza kids are dying of hunger 13:50 China condemns Israel's "disgrace for civilization" 14:23 Malaysia's PM blasts West's "murderous" hypocrisy 16:21 Western colonialism continues 18:57 Outro

Why is the United States waging economic war on China? Ben Norton discusses how China became the world's industrial superpower and a leader in important technologies, why the US is unable to compete, and the clash between Western neoliberal capitalism and Chinese socialism. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=c3ngd__0ok0 China is now the 'world's sole manufacturing superpower': https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/01/31/china-world-manufacturing-superpower-production/ Topics 0:00 Bipartisan US economic war 2:19 China is world's #1 manufacturer 4:28 Clash of systems 6:29 Elon Musk laughed at Chinese competitors. Now they're beating him. 9:27 TikTok: Why US wants to ban it 10:56 EU threatens tariffs on China 11:20 West's hypocrisy on climate change 12:25 Solar panels: China installs more than rest of world combined 13:46 Clean energy is top driver of China's growth 14:56 China leads world in green transition 16:57 Neoliberal West can't outcompete China's state-led industrial development 18:27 The death of "free market" dogma 20:31 The myth of "free trade" 23:23 US opposes industrial policy when China does it 29:10 "Washington Consensus" failed, Washington admits 38:01 Ronald Reagan's trade war on Japan 43:25 Outro

The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, admitted that the “era of Western dominance has indeed definitively ended”. He warned that the EU must not divide the world into “the West against the Rest”, as “many in the ‘Global South’ accuse us of ‘double standards’”. Ben Norton analyzes the historic shift. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=PVSQRypJXzY Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/02/26/western-dominance-ended-eu-josep-borrell/ Related videos: - EU confesses 'our prosperity was based on China & Russia': cheap energy, low-paid labor, big market: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/10/18/eu-prosperity-china-russia-energy-market/ - West votes against democracy, human rights, cultural equality at UN; promotes mercenaries, sanctions: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/11/26/west-vote-democracy-human-rights-un-sanctions/ Topics 0:00 "Western dominance has ended" 2:41 Europe's "prosperity was based on China and Russia" 4:05 West vs. the Rest 5:07 Ukraine and NATO 7:05 Europe becoming US "vassal" 8:06 West votes against rest of world at UN 12:44 US-led imperialist system 18:58 Terms "Global South" and "West" 24:54 Outro

Political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson discuss the rhetoric and reality of Bidenomics, and how good US President Joe Biden really was for the economy. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xwht64COz2Q Transcript: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/02/28/bidenomics-economy-radhika-desai-michael-hudson/ You can find other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/tag/geopolitical-economy-hour/

The Western media showed its extreme bias by whitewashing the fatal protest of US airman Aaron Bushnell, who set himself on fire outside Israel's embassy in Washington, DC while shouting "Free Palestine!" and "I will no longer be complicit in genocide!". Ben Norton contrasts the press' coverage of Russia, showing clear double standards. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=u3J4FfAGaEI

Many Latin American countries have accused Israel of genocide against the Palestinian people, even comparing it to Nazi Germany. Ben Norton explains the responses of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela. VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=63Zj691F8Iw Topics 0:00 Intro 0:54 Latin American countries that support Palestine 1:47 ICJ or ICC? Differences 2:41 ICJ says Israel can be investigated for genocide 3:32 Israel's war on Gaza is most destructive in modern history 4:20 Brazil's President Lula compares Israel to Nazi Germany 6:01 Israeli media compares Netanyahu's government to Nazis 8:18 Colombia's President Gustavo Petro accuses Israel of genocide 9:43 Bolivia's ex-President Evo Morales accuses Israel of genocide 10:22 US imperialism in Latin America and West Asia 12:08 Venezuela compares Israel to Nazi Germany 13:07 Nicaragua's President Ortega blasts West's "horrendous crimes" 13:56 Nicaragua joins South Africa's ICJ case 16:04 Cuba accuses Israel of genocide 16:39 Bolivia breaks diplomatic ties with Israel 16:58 Belize breaks diplomatic ties with Israel 17:08 Honduras recalls its ambassador in Israel 17:19 Latin America's right-wing governments support Israel 18:41 El Salvador's Nayib Bukele supports Israel 19:23 Argentina's Javier Milei supports Israel 20:21 Latin American left vs right 21:13 Latin America's anti-imperialist leadership 23:18 Outro

The United States used its veto power to block a fourth UN Security Council resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration keeps sending weapons to Israel, helping it violate an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that says Netanyahu must respect the Genocide Convention and stop killing Palestinians. Ben Norton explains. Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/02/21/us-veto-un-resolution-gaza-israel-hague-genocide VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zDcN9LsntHI Our related video - Israel admits Gaza health ministry death toll is accurate: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Dbj1GNT3Mjk Topics 0:00 US votes against 4th UNSC Gaza resolution 4:13 Israel violates ICJ genocide ruling 6:15 UN says 100,000 Palestinians killed, wounded, or missing 7:34 Gaza health ministry death toll 8:23 Israel's war on Gaza is most destructive in modern history 9:57 US sends more weapons to Israel 11:35 Biden admin's hypocrisy 13:05 EU foreign policy chief criticizes Israel's "slaughter" 15:26 Canada's military support for Israel 17:05 Image of US voting against the world 17:40 Russia condemns Israel's ethnic cleansing 19:10 France says Israel must end war 19:47 China urges peace and "justice" in Palestine 20:39 US doctor describes "annihilation" in Gaza 22:16 ICJ cases against Israel 23:35 US threatens South Africa 24:20 New York governor uses genocidal rhetoric 25:11 Top UN official warns of "slaughter" in Gaza 26:41 Israel bombs Lebanon too 27:32 Outro

NATO's new cold war on Russia and China is destroying Germany's industrial base, devastating Europe's economy, and destabilizing its politics, fueling the rise of the far-right, as neoliberal austerity policies exacerbate the ongoing recession. Ben Norton analyzes the evidence. Links: - EU confesses ‘our prosperity was based on China & Russia’: cheap energy, low-paid labor, big market: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/10/18/eu-prosperity-china-russia-energy-market - German lawmaker denounces Ukraine 'proxy war' and US 'terror attack' on Nord Stream pipelines: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/02/22/germany-ukraine-nord-stream-sevim-dagdelen - How corporate profits are driving inflation, not workers' wages: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/06/26/corporate-profits-inflation-europe-imf Topics 0:00 Crisis in EU's economic heart: Germany 5:04 EU admits "our prosperity was based on China and Russia" 6:51 German industry 8:09 US-NATO "vassalization" of Europe 10:09 Cheap Russian gas or expensive US LNG? 13:37 Corporations and speculators profit 17:08 Greedflation 19:08 Neoliberal austerity is back 21:24 US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) 23:52 Economic war on China backfires 27:01 Rise of far-right 29:46 Germany's leftist anti-war alternative 33:01 Environmentalist policies are not the problem 34:56 Outro