Politics of Power in a Country Roiling from Despair

Recorded on May 13, 2021 It’s been ten months since we dropped an episode, and the world looks very different than the last time we sat down with Rinaldo S. Brutoco, Founding President & CEO of the World Business Academy to hear his take on the politics, society, and the economy.  Many of our long-time listeners have expressed their sadness over our break, and so we are bringing you all this special edition of New Business Paradigms!    On this episode of New Business Paradigms, we focus exclusively on the changing economy as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rinaldo and the Academy’s Executive Director, Kristy Jansen discuss the real economy, interrogate inflation fears and examine the adjusted April jobs report, which is actually not bad when you dig into the numbers. Also in consideration: the labor shortage affecting the hospitality industry; the value of women’s labor, and why this moment is not serving women very well; some policy changes needed to get America back to work. Hint, think about a living wage for all! Be sure to let us know you are listening!  Email: [email protected]!  Support us at www.worldbusiness.org/donate. (Credits: Produced and edited by Benjamin Schwartz and Kristy Jansen.  Theme Music by Alejandro Del Pozo)

Recorded July 18, 2020 On the final episode of New Business Paradigms, Academy Chief of Staff Kristy Jansen and President Rinaldo Brutoco discuss: What Congressman John Lewis stood for, and why his passing represents the end of an era.The danger of Trump acting like a proto-dictator by sending unmarked federal troops to arrest protestors in Portland, Oregon and the administration’s shocking lack of urgency about the rising number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States.The recent hacking of twitter and Russian hacking of elections and companies making COVID-19 vaccines.Predictions about what we might see between now and the election in November related to the rise of gold, a stock market that will go sideways or down, the US Jewish community beginning to criticize Netanyahu, trouble in the UK, and the rise of the European Union as a more cohesive unit. Listen now to learn more! Love what you hear? Be sure to let us know if you have been in our listening audience by emailing us at [email protected]. While we are suspending this podcast, we’re always looking for ways to engage with our audience and will continue creating informative, essential content through our other channels… If there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss, please let us know, and as always, donations help us keep the world informed and inspiring business to move towards a more inclusive, just and sustainable business culture! Donate at worldbusiness.org/donate.  Edited and produced by Benjamin Schwartz and Kristy Jansen Theme music by Alejandro Del Pozo  

Recorded July 11, 2020 On this episode of New Business Paradigms, Academy Chief of Staff Kristy Jansen and President Rinaldo Brutoco discuss: How to make the post office cash-flow positive in three not-so-massive steps.Global signposts focusing on Israeli annexation plans, recent explosions that caused major setbacks to the Iranian nuclear program, future failed states in Africa due to COVID-19, China’s leap backward with the new Hong Kong security law, a new crop-picking program in Britain, and Putin’s latest act in his quest to become “king” in Russia.The reason that the American stock market just had its two best quarters in the last decade. Listen now to learn more! Love what you hear? Be sure to let us know if you are listening by emailing us at [email protected]. We’re always looking for ways to improve our show… If there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss, please let us know, and as always, donations help us keep the show running at the highest quality possible! Donate at worldbusiness.org/donate.  Edited and produced by Benjamin Schwartz and Kristy Jansen Theme music by Alejandro Del Pozo

Recorded on July 4, 2020 In this episode of New Business Paradigms, Producer Benjamin Schwartz and President Rinaldo Brutoco discuss the positive actions the business community has gotten behind lately via the recent announcement from the Business Roundtable on the urgency of police reform and the widespread boycott of advertising on Facebook. Rinaldo contrasts these positive examples of businesses being responsive to the shifting mores in society to the old-school story of Bayer paying billions to settle Roundup lawsuits. The show concludes with some economic indicators, global signposts, and a discussion on the danger of a president who is being held hostage by a foreign leader. Listen now to learn more! Love what you hear? Be sure to let us know if you are listening by emailing us at [email protected]. We’re always looking for ways to improve our show… If there’s a topic you’d like us to discuss, please let us know, and as always, donations help us keep the show running at the highest quality possible! Donate at worldbusiness.org/donate.  Edited and produced by Benjamin Schwartz Theme music by Alejandro Del Pozo

Recorded on June 27, 2020 On this episode of New Business Paradigms, Academy Chief of Staff, Kristy Jansen, and Academy President, Rinaldo Brutoco discuss how an effective federal government ideally would offer economic support to help states get back on their feet. Rinaldo touches off his discussion of how we might dig ourselves out of this economic collapse by comparing his perspective to one recently expressed by Paul Krugman.  Rinaldo notes that he agrees with Krugman about the absolute necessity of getting the pandemic under control before we can heal this economy but disagrees with Krugman over direct stimulus to individuals.  While Krugman argues it’s too expensive to keep funding additional unemployment insurance payments or to do ongoing direct payments to all adults, Rinaldo argues that we can’t afford NOT to keep American households solvent.  More direct payments, a transition to single-payer health insurance, and more investment in regular people are key for minimizing this downturn.  We reject these approaches at our peril. In addition, we address economic indicators, focusing on when gold might reach its true price – answer some listeners' questions – and spend a bit of time on Global Signposts. The show concludes with a discussion about the state of the Affordable Care Act and Rinaldo lambasts Governor Newsom for a failed reopening in California. Be sure to let us know you are listening!  Email: [email protected]!  Support us at www.worldbusiness.org/donate. (Credits: Produced and edited by Benjamin Schwartz and Kristy Jansen.  Theme Music by Alejandro Del Pozo)

Recorded June 20, 2020 On this episode of New Business Paradigms, Chief of Staff Kristy Jansen and Academy President and Founder, Rinaldo Brutoco, discuss the state of the economy, and Rinaldo’s long-term predictions about increasing gold prices, even in the midst of “a depression wrapped in a pandemic, which is all compounded by the effects climate change.” When, “Oops,” and “He was just joking,” are the standard response of a federal administration to try to explain away overtly racist actions, historical ignorance, dog-whistle terminology, procedural blunders, and the blatant hollowing out of competence in government, the upcoming election has taken on new meaning. The combination of racism, anti-Semitism, cronyism, greed, and a complete lack of morals or compassion surrounding the president has made it clear that the 2020 election is about more than the president for the next four years, it is about the soul of the United States and the future of this nation. Rinaldo discusses the judicial wins this week and explains why a semi-competent third branch of government is essential, though it currently barely enough to keep law and order in a country so close to devolving into chaos. The show ends with remarks on a California decision to end for-profit prisons and the continuation of the new Global Signposts segment. Be sure to let us know you are listening!  Email: [email protected]!  Support us at www.worldbusiness.org/donate. (Credits: Produced and edited by Benjamin Schwartz and Kristy Jansen.  Theme Music by Alejandro Del Pozo)

Recorded on June 14, 2020 On this episode of New Business Paradigms, Chief of Staff Kristy Jansen and Academy President and founder, Rinaldo Brutoco, discuss the fast-paced nature of the news that has resulted in New Business Paradigms shifting from once a month, to bi-weekly, and most recently to every week during the COVID-19 crisis.  The show begins with predictions of how certain industries – such as the airline industry – must get leaner to survive following the end of the government bailout in August. In addition to jobs being cut for workers who cannot work remotely, it is also worth considering that the next wave of jobs to be cut will be white-collar jobs; management is not necessary when workers are either being furloughed or working from home. Rinaldo and Kristy discuss the increase of infections that is part of the first wave of the pandemic and what it means that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has begun making bulletin advisories, even if they are done in a quiet, almost secretive manner. In the second half of the show, Rinaldo quickly breezes through economic indicators before focusing on failures in mainstream journalism.  This concerning trend transitions into a new segment on NBP, called Global Signposts, in which Rinaldo offers short snippets of some of the most important stories happening across the globe. Articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/upshot/dentists-coronavirus-economic-indicator.html   (Credits: Produced and Edited by Kristy Jansen & Benjamin Schwartz, Theme Music by Alejandro Del Pozo)

Recorded on June 6, 2020 On this episode of New Business Paradigms, World Business Academy Chief of Staff Kristy Jansen and Academy President Rinaldo Brutoco discuss how proud they are of the peaceful protests occurring around the United States as well as their incredulity that the POTUS would continue to fan the flames of violence so callously.  Rinaldo makes the important point that these protests may finally have taught Mr. Trump that he is not above the law.  The show then turns towards economic indicators, beginning with the incomplete unemployment numbers and the shifting to the imbalance between the stock market and the real economy. On the second half of the podcast, the conversation shifts to address recent fluctuations in gold as major economies are moving in bulk, and the decision multiple countries are making to invest in a blockchain-based currency.  The end of the show is surprisingly positive, given the uncertain times; Rinaldo mentions his letter to the graduates as a jumping-off point to urge the class of 2020 to create the world they want to see, rather than accepting the flawed world as it is. Articles Plastics, Benjamin: https://worldbusiness.org/perspectives-plastics-benjamin-a-letter-to-the-class-of-2020/

Recorded on May 30, 2020 On this episode of New Business Paradigms, World Business Academy President and President Rinaldo Brutoco is joined again by Chief of Staff Kristy Jansen to discuss the roadmap to get America healthy and functioning again.  The conversation kicks off with an analysis of critical shortcomings of the current health care industry that make it imperative that the country transition to Universal Healthcare.  Both Rinaldo and Kristy lambast the lack of leadership in the present administration, Rinaldo even going as far to make the claim that while a new administration might be able to repair the damage over the course of many years, another four years of the Trump Administration would devastate America’s position in the world forever and inflict even more havoc on the tattered fabric of American society. In the latter half of the show, Rinaldo explains his theory that the United States cannot truly go back to any old sense of normal, or even create a new normal, without addressing its two Original Sins (slavery and the genocide of Native Americans).  Also, in this segment, Rinaldo muses on the world that the Class of 2020 is graduating into and analyzes the most important policy move in European Union history. (Credits: Produced and Edited by Kristy Jansen & Benjamin Schwartz, Theme Music by Alejandro Del Pozo)

Recorded May 23, 2020 On this Episode of New Business Paradigms, Podcast Producer Benjamin Schwartz and Academy President Rinaldo Brutoco discuss options for healing an economy despite an incorporate federal administration and an increased number of infections as states reopen too early.  Rinaldo makes it clear, that between a failing economy and the COVID-19 pandemic, the strain from climate change will be even less manageable than in prior years. The second half of the show covers the COVID-19/economic situations in individual states, starting with the success that California has had at stopping the spread of the virus as well as while considering just what will be needed in the state’s budget.  Rinaldo finishes with an update on the UC System; they have achieved a pledge (made in September 2019) to remove all fossil fuel-investments from its $126-billion investment portfolio. (Credits: Produced and Edited by Kristy Jansen & Benjamin Schwartz, Theme Music by Alejandro Del Pozo)