Alternative Visions - 7-17-26

Here's the final show announcement. Please post as soon as possible. With title of show in larger type (and announcement smaller.). Thanks PRN engineers for all these years support.   Title: Decline of Empire + Final Alternative Visions Show Good-Bye Copy: Dr. Rasmus announces final show and reviews the past themes and contributions of the show. He can be reached via his blog, jackrasmus.com; email [email protected]; new forthcoming substack and X accounts, and his weekly published articles on Counterpunch, World Financial Review, LA Progressive, Znet, World Review of Political Economy, and URPE forum. In the second half of the show, Dr. Rasmus reviewed the major themes and conclusions of his just published new book, Twilight of American Imperialism, and provided some final predictions on the current course of Empire, AI tech developments, financial markets instability, US elections, and wars of Empire. Thanks to all the followers of the show, real time and via podcasts. Follow me on the sources indicated for continuing analysis. 

Today's show discusses this week's Fed rate hike and why it won't have any effect on inflation. Why monetary policy no longer affects the economy—either inflation reduction or economic growth stimulation—due to long term financialization, globalization and now Trump policies as well. Why the US Treasury market is approaching crisis and needs higher interest rates by the Fed. Why sales of Treasuries to fund the US budget deficit may not occur. Result is deeper US economic crisis and inability to finance rising deficit spending. The show also explains how and why AI is out of control and can't be regulated. ...

What is the state of the US working class in terms of jobs, wages, etc. as of Labor Day 2026? The picture per latest US jobs report for August 2026. Wages.  What's the emerging impact of AI on the American Working Class? Not just in terms of job loss but in conditions of work. What is 'Agentic AI" now doing to the work force? Show continues with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's last week interventions in the global currency and US bond markets, the chaos results in the recent G20 finance ministers meeting and latest claim the US will 'grow' out of its current $40 trillion debt crisis. What's the actual record of US GDP growth long term?

Today's show takes up the topic of the American Empire in decline. It's the first summary preview of my forthcoming book, available in early September, "The Twilight of American Imperialism", Clarity Press, 2026.  What does it mean to say 'decline'? What are the indicators? They're not just geopolitical—i.e. rise of BRICS, lost US wars, disputes with allies, fracturing military alliances, etc. All empires run on money and the American is running out of enough to fund the accelerating costs of empire. It is now experiencing an accelerating financial crisis as costs of Empire accelerate faster than revenues to fund it. As a result, the empire's Practices have begun to fail and its Institutions under-perform. The book covers the period 1992 through 2026, focusing in large part on Trump 2025-26 and policies now accelerating the decline. Today's show concludes by revisiting the crisis in the US Treasury market—the main means for debt financing of the Empire--emerging in recent weeks and explains how it is related to the main theme of the book.

US Treasury Bonds Dumping Worldwide: Latest Financial Market Instability Event?   Following recent weeks crisis in the Yen carry trade and Japan and US governments' intervention, this past week US 30 yr. Government bond rates surged past 5% to rates just below the 2007 crash. What's behind it? After the AI stock bubble, legacy software companies' implosion, private credit market and gold, silver, crypto price crashes, is the 30 Yr. Bond another reflection of increasing US and global financial markets' instability? What's the cause? Inflation? US $40 trillion government debt? AI corporate bubble and record debt crowding out government debt servicing?  Why the US is approaching a crisis in inability to finance its massive debt with Treasury securities sales. Why the Empire is going broke!

What's behind Japan and the US Treasury intervening to buy Yen? Will Japan join China in dumping US Treasury bonds? Who'll make up the loss this time? What it means for the US deficit and Fed interest rates. The AI bubble: more evidence of fragility as competition intensifies internally and from China. How China's openAI and Deepseek AI model is destabilizing the AI market. Show concludes with latest on Iran and Ukraine wars: why Trump TACO-ed again and Iran's deal with Oman to open the strait of Hormuz on its terms. Why the US can't even get a proxy war going in the region. Finally, what are the facts behind the western media propaganda campaign that Russia's losing the war in Ukraine.

 A Greater Eurasian War? + latest US GDP and AI bubble Why the Iran and Ukraine wars are leading to a merging of the conflicts and a 'greater Eurasian war'. Iran and Ukraine 2026 are not unlike Spain and China 1937. Today's show discusses at length the latest developments in both the Iran and Ukraine conflicts and why they are both escalating. Why Iran and Russia have given up on negotiations with Trump and the 'west'. Why the wars are spreading. Why the Europeans want and need the war to continue. Trump's latest flip flop in favor of Ukraine and search for proxies in Iran. The Empire's deceptions of Anchorage and the MOU. Show concludes with discussion of latest US GDP figures of only 1.5% growth (actually 1%) and latest developments in AI bubble.

Scenario for US Economy 2026-28 + Updates on Iran and Ukraine Escalations   Today's show focuses on likeliest scenario for US economy under Trump's remaining term, including Pentagon and total US war spending, non-defense spending cuts, deficits, national debt, interest payments on the debt, tariffs, inflation, Fed interest rates, financial markets, real GDP and wages, and likely forecast of recession after 2026. Also updates on why the MOU with Iran collapsed and why Trump now sides with Europe and Ukraine favoring further escalation of war in Ukraine. 

Today's show focuses on the Neocon/Trump strategy to escalate the war with Russia. Why the August 2025 Anchorage agreement between Trump and Putin was just a PR event. And why Trump's MOU with Iran last month was also just a tactical deception as well. The Empire's two forever wars now continue. What's behind the recent gains by Social Democrats in recent Dem party primaries and how both the Dem party leaders and Trump are gearing up to stop it.

Today's show reviews the recent 'deal' announcement for ceasefire in the Iran war. What's a 'deal'. This is just an MOU, an outline of items to be negotiated over next 60 days. A framework for negotiation. Is it the beginning of US retreat from middle east? Why did the regime change fail. How do regime change ops succeed? Why not Iran. Takeaways from the 'deal'. Economic fallouts for US: inflation. Military spending. Austerity. US growth. Global economy impacts to come