Geopolitical Economy Report

The AI bubble has caused the most concentrated and overvalued stock market in US history. The billionaire CEOs of Big Tech corporations fear it may pop soon, so they changed the rules on Wall Street so that, mere days after their IPOs, SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic will be given "fast track" inclusion in major index funds, despite the fact that they are losing tons of money.

These corporate oligarchs want to use average retail investors as exit liquidity, looting pensions, 401(k)s, and other retirement funds, all so Elon Musk can become the world's first trillionaire. Ben Norton explains the scandal.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh3d8xO9NHg

Topics
0:00 US stock market bubble
1:08 (CLIP) Ray Dalio on AI bubble
1:37 Comparisons to past bubbles
3:38 Market cap to GDP
4:50 Concentration of stock market
6:52 Magnificent 7 stocks
7:28 Monopolies eat the economy
8:37 Corporate profits break records
9:35 USA slashes corporate taxes
10:40 Plan to loot retirement funds
11:38 SpaceX is absurdly overvalued
12:32 SpaceX is losing money
13:51 SpaceX IPO is a trap
17:00 Elon Musk, first trillionaire
18:08 OpenAI's shady IPO scheme
19:32 Many IPOs at peaks of bubbles
21:51 Bogus Big Tech earnings reports
24:09 AI circular financing scheme
25:09 Animal spirits
25:49 Unregulated financial looting
26:54 Outro

A comprehensive global survey found that people in most countries see the United States as the biggest threat to the world, and they prefer China over the US. Ben Norton analyzes the results of the Democracy Perception Index.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UhHqPGFGos

Topics
0:00 Shifting global political order
1:35 Democracy Perception Index
3:08 USA is biggest threat to world
4:25 US military bases unpopular
5:36 Negative perception of USA
6:25 China more popular than US
8:07 US war against Iran
9:06 Israel-Palestine
9:40 Ukraine war
10:14 Taiwan
11:14 Greenland
11:54 Countries progressing
13:15 Democracy
17:33 USA is an oligarchy
20:20 End of end of history
21:15 Outro

The US government is desperate to create a new supply chain that cuts out China, through its Pax Silica initiative. To do so, the Trump administration plans to colonize the territory of the Philippines, a supposed "ally" run by corrupt leader Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, with a 99-year colonial concession. Ben Norton explains the controversy.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=302uQhql3kY

Topics
0:00 Intro
0:35 Cold War Two
1:50 US-India critical minerals deal
2:55 Pax Silica
3:41 US meddling in Philippines
4:55 Corrupt Marcos dynasty
6:36 US military bases & missiles
8:38 US colonial plan
10:37 Colonial 99-year leases
12:11 US colonialism
13:31 China "threat" narrative
14:34 Exploiting natural resources
15:39 US official Jacob Helberg
16:16 Silicon Valley oligarchs
17:39 US official freaks out
19:57 Neocolonialism
23:58 Comprador leaders
25:21 Poverty & development
28:31 Outro

It has become so widely accepted that the US lost the war with Iran that now even American neoconservative hawks admit it. Ben Norton explains why major neocons like Robert Kagan and Bill Kristol have turned against the war. They lament that Iran's victory reflects the decline of the US empire and the transition to a more multipolar world order.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrlXNHSCfoQ

Topics
0:00 USA lost war with Iran
1:47 Poll: war is unpopular
2:42 Media admits USA lost
3:32 Iran still has most missiles
4:39 Iran withstands US blockade
5:21 Iran destroyed US bases
6:03 US hawks admit the truth
7:25 Neocons and PNAC
9:13 George W Bush admin
9:55 Neoconservatism
11:30 Rise of Donald Trump
12:00 Hillary Clinton
12:44 Victoria Nuland
13:41 Coup in Ukraine
15:29 (CLIP) US-backed coup
16:14 US "checkmate" in Iran
17:05 Decline of US hegemony
18:26 Iran has major leverage
19:22 US defeat
20:34 Neocons abandon ship
22:14 Poll: Americans oppose war
22:44 Poll: Americans say US lost
23:30 Crisis of US imperialism
23:57 Outro

Donald Trump said his visit to China was a success, but he failed to pressure Beijing to make any significant concessions. Ben Norton fact-checks the claims of the White House, showing how Washington's trade war backfired, hard, on the US economy.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtuYVMrXmAM

Topics
0:00 Trump's visit to China
0:41 US trade war
2:01 The trip was a failure
3:17 CEOs of US corporations
4:24 Iran & Strait of Hormuz
7:42 Trade & investment
9:14 Rare earth elements
11:58 Trade war failure
12:42 Boeing airplanes
13:52 Agricultural products
15:05 Nvidia & chips
18:19 USA failed
20:05 Trump's empty threats
20:35 Problems in US economy
22:38 Outro