Mike Norman Economics

Yesterday (November 26, 2019), the news came out from the Hellenic Minister of Finance that Greece had completed its latest repayment of 2.7 billion euros to the IMF early (Source). They owed around 9 billion euros to the IMF. Greece had to go ‘cap-in-hand’ to its “European creditors” to gain permission to make the payment early, which they claim saves them crippling interest rate payments. The loans were locked in at 4.9 per cent per annum – usury rates by any definition. Celebration seems...

The Game Really is Rigged — in a Casino Economy, Only the House Wins I try to put out what I think are really good articles, but every now and again one really sticks out, this is one of them. There’s a strange and terrible thing that’s happened to our societies. You already know it, because you might well be living it. And yet it goes largely unremarked upon. It’s become more or less impossible to live a decent life by doing an honest day’s or even career’s...

Former Head of Derivatives Product Development at the London Stock Exchange backs Labour to stand up to the UK finance lobby (unlike all previous governments since Thatcher). Josh-Ryan Collins The finance lobby, arguably the UK’s most aggressive, has turned London into the world’s leading centre for international banking and finance by rigging politics to ensure it pockets the fortunes. I should know, I was former Head of Derivatives Product Development at the London Stock Exchange....

Reknowned economist Dr. Michael Hudson spoke at the 14th Forum of the World Association for Political Economy, held in Winnipeg in July 19-21, 2019. The conference was entitled Class, State and Nation in the 21st Century. [embedded content]

Ruja Ignatova called herself the Cryptoqueen. She told people she had invented a cryptocurrency to rival Bitcoin, and persuaded them to invest billions. Then, two years ago, she disappeared. Jamie Bartlett spent months investigating how she did it for the Missing Cryptoqueen podcast , and trying to figure out where she's hiding. I can't believe the shear audacity of this sting operation.The BBCThe BBC - Cryptoqueen: How this woman scammed the world, then vanished

Caitlin Johnstone — Rogue JournalistSurprise! MSM Spins OPCW Leak As Russian Disinfo Caitlin Johnstone CounterpunchSanctimonious US Senators Condemn Hong Kong Police Ignoring Far More Brutal US Cops David Lindorf Craig Murray BlogInterfering with Laura Kuenssberg Craig Murray, formerly British ambassador to Uzbekistan and Rector of the University of Dundee John Solomon ReportsA dozen document troves that could change the Ukraine scandal if Trump released themRT‘We did not boycott US...

British*investor Bill Browder has made a name for himself in the West through blaming Moscow for the death of his auditor, Sergey Magnitsky. Der Spiegel has picked apart his story and uncovers it has major credibility problems. * Bill Browder is an American-born ex-pat living in London. He gave up his American citizenship for British.RTAnti-Russian sanctions based on fraudster’s tales? Spiegel finds Magnitsky narrative fed to West by Browder is riddled with liesSpiegel OnlineWie wahr ist...

In late April, Petrobras approved the sale of eight refineries as part of its divestment plan. In May, the energy firm struck a deal with the Brazilian antitrust regulator that will allow it to sell those downstream assets in a bid, the company said, to encourage greater competition in the industry.... OilpriceBrazil Aims For $18 Billion From Its Sale Of Key Refinery AssetsTsvetana Paraskova

From the moment that the U.S. re-imposed sanctions in earnest on Iran late last year, Pakistan has been looking at ways to resuscitate a deal that had been agreed in principle before the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) last May. This deal involved moving as much gas as Pakistan needs from Iran’s Asalouyeh into Pakistan’s Gwadar and then on to Nawabshah for further transit if required. At the same time, China has been in long-running discussions...

The Venezuelan government has launched its first gold processing complex as part of efforts to overcome US-led sanctions. According to government sources, the Manuel Carlos Piar Complex in Matanzas, Bolivar State will initially process twenty kilograms of gold per month. When completed, it will reportedly have a capacity of 200 kilograms a month, which would make the complex the fifth largest in Latin America. The installation employs 150 workers and is made up of nine heap leaching plants...