Money War: How the U.S. Unleashed Economic Warfare Across the Globe, from Venezuela to Iran

[Uncle Joe]

We look at a new Washington Post investigation titled “Money War” that traces the effects of U.S. sanctions under the last four presidents: Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden. According to the report, the U.S government has instituted, in some form or another, sanctions against a third of all other countries around the world, despite no clear evidence that they are effective in influencing target nations’ politics, and in fact may often entrench the power of ruling parties. We speak to Jeff Stein, one of the authors of the Post investigation, about the findings, including on the effects of sanctions in Venezuela and Iran.

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.

[peppertree]

1. He should add Argentina to that list - with its tragic consequences

The State Department drank the neo-con Kool-Aid against Argentina , and tacitly helped the vulture funds (led by Paul Singer's Caymans-based NML) ruin its credit in 2014 - which it had recovered in 2005-10 after tremendous effort.

That pushed down the economy just enough to let neo-con puppet (and Trump pal) Macri worm his way in 2015 - upon which he bankrupted the country the same way the last dictatorship did: by taking on a mountain of foreign debt, mostly to finance large-scale dollarizing and offshoring by (largely fascist) elites.

Five years on, Argentina has never recovered - and in fact is now mired in a deep depression thanks to the latest neo-con clown: the coked-up sociopath Milei, who was elected thanks to IMF pressure.

A real "Mileise," if you will.

[osteopath6]

2. Rules based order

Unfortunately, this is how a nation bends the arm of another in the new age. A century ago, we could have gone to war or send an armada, or any number of other acts we'd be free to take. If they would follow the rules, we wouldn't have to twist any arms.

[Uncle Joe]

3. It's more like corporate or oligarch over human beings or human rights based order

Regardless, under the current dynamics the inevitable result will be war and increased strife here at home from masses of refugees displaced by those very same draconian, mass punishment sanctions, not to mention climate change.

If we can't learn to live and respect other nations' rights of self-determination and governing including global institutions such as the United Nations, "rule based order" will be nothing but a fig leaf.

Not that much has changed since the days of Smedley Butler in regards to the financial motivations behind it all.