Geopolitical Economy Report
Ben Norton
Geopolitical Economy Report is an independent news outlet that provides original journalism and analysis to understand the changing world.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 18, 2023 • 40min
US government bailout of Silicon Valley and banks is $300B gift to rich oligarchs
The US Federal Reserve printed $300 billion in one week to save collapsing banks and bail out wealthy Silicon Valley oligarchs. 93% of Silicon Valley Bank's deposits were uninsured, over the FDIC limit of $250,000, but the government still paid them. 56% of SVB's loans went to venture capitalist and private equity firms.
Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/19/fed-bailout-silicon-valley-banks
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jyrj7gZwg3U
US Federal Reserve says its goal is ‘to get wages down’: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/05/24/us-federal-reserve-wages-inflation

Mar 16, 2023 • 26min
Taiwan separatists lose key ally, Honduras recognizes China - just 12 small countries remain
Honduras' leftist President Xiomara Castro announced her government will recognize China. Now only 12 UN member states have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan separatists. They have a combined population of less than 39 million, or 0.49% of the planet.
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KklV9438o1w
Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/16/taiwan-honduras-china-12-countries
US military plans for war on China, backing Taiwan separatists: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ODbrpimBgKo
US-backed coup regimes trapped Honduras in unpayable odious debt, warns new President Xiomara Castro: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/01/31/coup-honduras-unpayable-odious-debt

Mar 14, 2023 • 1h 2min
Why 3 US banks collapsed in 1 week: Economist Michael Hudson explains
Economist Michael Hudson analyzes the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate, and Signature Bank, explaining the similarities to the 2008 financial crash. He also addresses the US government bailout (which it isn't calling a bailout), the role of the Federal Reserve and Treasury, the factor of cryptocurrency, and the danger of derivatives.
TRANSCRIPT: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/14/us-banks-collapsed-economist-michael-hudson
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=uvm9qrXhqf8
Check out the playlist for the show that Michael Hudson co-hosts here, Geopolitical Economy Hour: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP
Michael's column "Why the US banking system is breaking up": https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/12/michael-hudson-why-the-us-banking-system-is-breaking-up
Michael's other article "Why the US bank crisis is not over": https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/13/michael-hudson-us-bank-crisis

Mar 12, 2023 • 43min
China brokers Iran-Saudi peace: big blow to petrodollar, geopolitical game changer
China sponsored peace talks that led Saudi Arabia and Iran to normalize diplomatic relations, in a big blow to the petrodollar. Both countries are major oil producers that have applied to join BRICS and are discussing selling energy in other currencies.
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DyAFerEouN0
BRICS challenges US ‘dollar dominance’, Saudi considers selling oil in other currencies: New multipolar economic order: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/01/21/brics-us-dollar-saudi-oil-currency-multipolar

45 snips
Mar 11, 2023 • 1h 39min
The dollar system's contradictions after de-linking from gold, with Radhika Desai & Michael Hudson
Economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson discuss the consequences of the dollar system after de-linking from gold, including dollar hegemony, quantitative easing, and the euro. They also explore the impacts of Volcker, Reaganomics, and financialization on the US economy, as well as the effects of deindustrialization and leveraged buyouts. Additionally, they discuss the shift to finance capitalism, the 2008 crisis, and the role of the dollar system in it.

Mar 8, 2023 • 1h 6min
History of US empire: JFK and wars on Vietnam and Laos
Historian Aaron Good explains US President John F. Kennedy's policies on the wars on Vietnam and Laos, and JFK's conflict with the generals in the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vkslqu9_q0w
This is from the Empire and the Deep State series that Geopolitical Economy Report editor Ben Norton is co-hosting with Aaron Good and Seamus McGuinness of the American Exception podcast.
This is part 2 of our historical analysis of the JFK administration.
(This episode was recorded in November 2022.)
PLAYLIST with past episodes in the series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hNArLl765PXe8tsTKmOciGL

Mar 7, 2023 • 26min
Xi blasts US ‘containment, encirclement’ of China, Foreign Min. slams 'hysterical neo-McCarthyism'
President Xi Jinping denounced the US-led Western attempt to "contain, encircle, and suppress China". Foreign Minister Qin Gang condemned Washington's "hysterical neo-McCarthyism" and "malicious confrontation", opposing the "cold war mentality".
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4laXMaMhbPo
Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/07/xi-us-containment-encirclement-china
US ambassador arrogantly lectures China ‘threat’: ‘We’re the leader in this region (Asia)’!: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/04/us-ambassador-china-leader-region
US admits weather pushed Chinese balloon off course, US shot down hobbyists’ $12 balloon in $2M missile attack: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/02/18/us-weather-chinese-balloon-hobbyist

Mar 4, 2023 • 33min
US arrogantly tells China ‘threat’: ‘We’re the leader in this region (Asia)’!
In an interview with the Chamber of Commerce, US Ambassador Nicholas Burns referred to China as a “threat”, “great challenge”, and “very difficult government”, stating arrogantly, “The United States is staying in this region. We’re the leader in this [Indo-Pacific] region”.
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BEqmQkKlcjo
Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/03/04/us-ambassador-china-leader-region
US admits weather pushed Chinese balloon off course, US shot down hobbyists’ $12 balloon in $2M missile attack: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/02/18/us-weather-chinese-balloon-hobbyist
China report excoriates ‘US hegemony’, war crimes, CIA coups, 400 foreign interventions: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/02/22/china-report-us-hegemony-wars-coups-intervention

Mar 3, 2023 • 1h 6min
Imperialism, neoliberalism's failure and the new cold war, with Radhika Desai
Economist Radhika Desai and Ben Norton analyze imperialism, the failure of neoliberalism, and the new cold war that the US is waging against China and Russia.
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=RVIpyOwJRW4
This is part 2 in a series discussing Radhika's new book "Capitalism, Coronavirus and War: A Geopolitical Economy".
You can download Radhika's book for free here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/02/17/capitalism-coronavirus-war-geopolitical-economy-radhika-desai
Other episodes in the series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hNZoKp0XsLFwSxxlMQu6ye8
Check out the International Manifesto Group at https://internationalmanifesto.org

Mar 3, 2023 • 18min
Ukraine conflict 'caused by Europeans' love of war, hegemony', says Malaysia's ex leader
Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said “the present war between Ukraine and Russia is caused by the Europeans’ love of war, of hegemony, of dominance”. He warned it “can be interpreted as the start of the Third World War”.
VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3zUJAvB56a4
Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/02/25/ukraine-europe-love-war-hegemony-malaysia


