All articles from Naked Capitalism
Links 12/28/2025
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The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Sholay (1975) Run Time: 3H 10M Bonus Cinema Documentary
Sholay is a movie about friendship, romance, and high adventure.
Did Israel’s Rivalry With Turkiye Play A Major Role In Its Recognition Of Somaliland?
Will the US follow in recognizing Somaliland?
Links 12/27/2025
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Michael Hudson: The Economic Unravelling of the Political West
Michael Hudson describes the development and progression of America's economic parasitism.
Status of the US Dollar as Global Reserve Currency: USD Share Drops to Lowest Since 1994
Central banks diversify their holdings from the dollar into dozens of smaller non-traditional reserve currency alternatives.
Coffee Break: Boxing Day Miscellany
Part the First: No, This Is Not Another Bell Labs. Bell Labs was justifiably renowned as the place to do high level physics and engineering. It also supported Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in their
Links 12/26/2025
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US Launches Christmas Strikes on Nigeria—the 9th Country Bombed by Trump
With Nigeria, Trump—who calls himself “the most anti-war president in history”—has now bombed more countries than any president in history.
Is Your Dog or Cat Getting Old? These Simple Gestures Could Help Them Live Longer and Happier Lives
Like human seniors, an old cat or dog will benefit from help with their special needs.
Elections in Venezuela and Honduras: Two Sides of the Same Coin — Minted in Washington
In Venezuela and Honduras, the U.S. demonstrates that political authority in Latin America derives not from democracy, but from U.S. endorsement
Links 12/25/2025
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Satyajit Das: The Shadow of Financial Instability
Shadow banks, rebranded as anodyne "non-bank financial institutions" are larger than ever and pose a threat in a new financial crisis
Why the Ukraine Electric War Has Been Failing Until Now
Confirmation that Putin has been restraining the execution of the electric war in Ukraine....but might finally be relaxing the choke chain.
Coffee Break: Going Beyond the MSM Name-Calling Narrative at TPUSA
The MSM covered the name-calling at TPUSA, but ignored the MAGA vs MIGA subtext driving the conflict between Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson.
What World Was Jesus Born Into? A Historian Describes the Turbulent Times of the Real Nativity
On the debate over the life of the historical Jesus.
Links 12/24/2025
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John Helmer: Merz’s War Against Russia Is Splitting the Europeans – Greek Role in Tanker Attack Exposed
NATO is trying to have it both ways: escalating against Russia via a naval/tanker campaign while pretending they are not directly at war.
Behind the USDA’s Regenerative Rhetoric Lurks Business as Usual
More on a part of the MAHA con, that of regenerative farming, which is simply a rebrand of factory farming.
Merry Christmas and Holiday Schedule
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate it!
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – The Unfortunate Philippines
For more than a century, the Philippines has been afflicted by recurring internal conflict—colonial rebellion, communist insurgency, separatist war, Islamist militancy. This article argues that these
Trillions for War, Pennies for People: How Soaring Military Spending Fails Americans
Unpacking why the US military is so expensive and even if it were less pork-driven, would still be unduly costly for society at large.
Links 12/23/2025
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Governments in the West Are Turning Their Sights on VPNs As They Escalate Their Assault on Online Privacy and Anonymity
“Politicians have now discovered that people are using VPNs to protect their privacy and bypass these invasive laws. Their solution? Entirely ban the use of VPNs."
US (So Far) Fails to Capture Third Venezuela Tanker. What Does the US Do to Restore Its Manhood? Allow Privateers via Letters of Marque?
The US campaign against Venezuela takes a new turn as a Chinese tanker so far has successfully run away from the US Navy.
Americans Aren’t Traumatized Enough by Gun Violence
More on American resignation and hypocrisy about gun crimes.
Coffee Break: Democrats Looking to Coast on Anti-Trump Sentiment
Democratic Party leadership is sending signals that they intend to coast on anti-Trump sentiment rather than serious self-examination, open primaries, and vigorous policy debate. The 'Blue MAGA' cult
Near-Term Climate News and Other Tall Tales
A new climate sighting plus AI fakery.
Improving Indoor Air Quality Might Save Your Life
Cost-effective ways exist to improve your indoor air quality that will reduce your COVID and flu risk, lower your cancer and lung disease risk, and eliminate headaches and sleepiness caused by poor ve
Links 12/22/2025
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Pax Germanica
Has the German—and the EU—political class dug so deep, they’re already comfortable at bomb shelter depth?
Some Perhaps Not Fully Anticipated Effects of Increased AI Use: Evidence Doubts, Fraud and Fraud Containment
Some important second-order effects of greater AI use, such as greater ease of perpetrating fraud and what might responses might be
Links 12/21/2025
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The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: An Ideal Husband (1969) Run Time: 1H 22M Bonus: Woo!
An Ideal Husband is a humourous play about past mistakes and future serendipities.
These 15 Coal Plants Would Have Retired. Then Came AI and Trump.
Utilities started reversing coal power’s “irreversible” decline. Will it last?
Links 12/20/2025
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Michael Hudson: Trump Floundering Efforts to Shore Up US Hegemony
Why Trump's National Security Strategy and his efforts to shore up dollar dominance are proofs of weakness.
Has Public Debt Become Unmanageable?
Why alarmism about public debt is fundamentally misguided.
Coffee Break: Climate, Eugenics, and a Note on mRNA Vaccines
Part the First: Climate, “What, Me Worry?” Once again Alfred E. Neuman comes to mind as “policy-based science” remains the order of the day in the Current Administration as Trump Administration Plans
Ethnic Cleansing, Trump Style: Administration Moves to Send Asylum Seekers to Uganda, Honduras and Ecuador
Yes, the Trump Administration is seeking to shunt asylum seekers to Uganda, Honduras, and Ecuador, presumably pour décourager les autres.
Links 12/19/2025
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“The Truth Behind Trump’s Aggressive Venezuela Strategy”
An explanation of why US belligerence against Venezuela is not about exploiting its oil. So what is it about?
Today’s Doctored CPI Inflation Release Is Like a Bad Joke, but Very Serious
Unpacking the data crime in the new inflation report: a bizarre fall in housing costs, aka Owners Equivalent of Rent, which is 26% of CPI.
‘Emotional Loading’: Decoding the Media Coverage of the Bondi Beach Shooting
‘Emotional loading’ is a technique used in the coverage of Bondi Beach to shape the narrative and sideline critical analysis
“Trump Supporters Distrust Science. We Need Ways to Reach Them”
The elites, including those in science, seem to think that their loss of legitimacy can be solved by messaging. Good luck with that.
Links 12/18/2025
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Shining a Light on How Exxon Mobil Bankrolls Think Tank “Experts” Pushing for Regime-Change War in Venezuela
For the US oil major, this is about reclaiming its stake in a market it walked away from in 2007, after the Hugo Chávez government called for a fairer divvying up of profits. The US’ seizure last Wed
We Are Nineteen Years Old
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What Will Happen If the Right Wins Absolutely?
Right wing factions are determined to implement extreme agendas. Where are they heading?
Poor Health Weakens Support for Fairer Healthcare
Why highly unequal societies like the US exhibit falling levels of population-level fitness along side falling support for better healthcare.
Coffee Break: MAGA’s Messaging Meltdown Snags Susie Wiles, Kash Patel’s FBI
MAGA's Messaging Meltdown this week has seen the Trump team failing utterly in their area of core competence: controlling the narrative and somebody might just get themselves fired over it.
The Bondi Strike: Who Will Control the Narrative?
How key players are starting to throw down markers to shape perceptions of the Bondi mass shooting.
Links 12/17/2025
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What to Eat Now, More Than Ever
Marion Nestle has been the essential guide to our “food system” (one trillion dollars a year) in the United States for a long time. Her work is relevant in other such as the United Kingdom that lack
Is AI Creating Monsters?
More troubling new sightings on the AI front.
The EU’s New Policy Towards Russia’s Seized Assets Isn’t About Helping Ukraine
It's hard to be cynical enough in looking at EU rationales and motives for strengthening their hold on Russia's seized assets.
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Africa’s Enduring Wars
Since decolonization, Africa has experienced a succession of wars whose combined death toll likely reaches into the tens of millions—mostly from indirect causes such as displacement, famine, and state
Doctors, Strikes and the Failures of Wes Streeting and Labour
It appears Wes Streeting has channeled his inner Trump and is trying to bully NHS doctors when he does not hold good cards.
Links 12/16/2025
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Israel Is Trying to Turn the Tide of Opposition (to Its Genocidal Proclivities) in Latin America
Could one of the few pockets of resistance to Israel's genocide in Gaza and its myriad other war crimes be about to fall?
Satyajit Das: AI – Artificial Intelligence or Absolute Insanity?
AI is following the same trajectory as the dot-com bubble.
Why Housing Prices in Big Cities Cannot Be Expected to Come Down Any Time Soon
On the dynamics behind seemingly unyielding high urban housing prices.
Coffee Break: Trump Loses in Indiana as the MAGA Civil War Rages On
Last week, POTUS Donald Trump lost his battle to bully Indiana Republicans into redrawing their congressional districts, are we seeing Trump 2.0's mojo bleeding out as MAGA's civil war continues?
Obamacare Enhanced Subsidies/Health “Care” Fixes, Expressed as Pentagon Units
Time for some perspective on enhanced Obamacare subsidies costs and stakes.
Links 12/15/2025
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How the Pandemic Accelerated the Geopolitical Breakdown
Did COVID-19 deepen the crises of capitalism and inject a sense of panic into the world’s power struggles?
Oklahoma’s Ban on Chinese-Owned Farmland Made an Exception for Smithfield Foods
Despite introducing legislation across the country to restrict foreign ownership of farmland, lawmakers do not appear motivated to target monopolistic firms, or to bring more of the food supply chain
Africa’s New Data Dependency – Technology Colonialism
Data agreements are replacing armies as tools of colonialism and the return of external governance
Links 12/14/2025
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The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Sweet Movie (1974) Run Time: 1H 38M
Sweet Movie is a film about candy, rebirth, and sexuality just for starters.
In an Ohio Suburb, Sprawl Is Being Transformed Into Walkable Neighborhoods
Yale Climate Connections argues that rethinking American suburbs could help people drive less, lowering emissions.
Links 12/13/2025
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What’s at Stake in Trump’s Executive Order Aiming to Curb State-Level AI Regulation
Fortunately, an executive order won't stop states from restricting AI. But expect the Administration to try other routes.
Political Power and Profitable Trades in the US Congress
A new study finds that it's not the Congress rank and file that generates insider trading big bucks, only some of the leaders.
Coffee Break: Science Update, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good, Part the First: Basic Science Has the Answer, Once Again. T cells of the immune system are responsible for the establishment of self-tolerance and adaptive immune function. T cells come fr