Black Box - English version en Copyright Chora The world of finance is complicated. Governed by complex ebbs and flows, and arcane algorithms. Finance is the liquid that we live in, even when we don’t see it. This series talks about the mechanisms behind global finance and finds a way inside its very heart: its black box.  Black Box is sponsored by Docebo. Guido Brera's English voice has been generated using generative AI technology by Voiseed (www.voiseed.com) Black Box is a Chora News podcast, produced by Chora Media and sponsored by Docebo. Written by Guido Brera with I Diavoli. Text translation by John Vincent. Editorial supervision by Francesca Milano. Intro and sound design by Luca Micheli. Post production and editing by Luca Micheli and Mattia Liciotti. Sound editing by Emanuele Moscatelli. Production organization by Alex Peverengo https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/68b9892a-5611-11ee-ad71-0bbe59038727/image/Brera_BLACK_BOX_Cover_DOCEBO_EN_def-Sponsored.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Black Box - English version episodic Guido Brera - Chora Media The world of finance is complicated. Governed by complex ebbs and flows, and arcane algorithms. Finance is the liquid that we live in, even when we don’t see it. This series talks about the mechanisms behind global finance and finds a way inside its very heart: its black box.  Black Box is sponsored by Docebo. Guido Brera's English voice has been generated using generative AI technology by Voiseed (www.voiseed.com) Black Box is a Chora News podcast, produced by Chora Media and sponsored by Docebo. Written by Guido Brera with I Diavoli. Text translation by John Vincent. Editorial supervision by Francesca Milano. Intro and sound design by Luca Micheli. Post production and editing by Luca Micheli and Mattia Liciotti. Sound editing by Emanuele Moscatelli. Production organization by Alex Peverengo The world of finance is complicated. Governed by complex ebbs and flows, and arcane algorithms. Finance is the liquid that we live in, even when we don’t see it. This series talks about the mechanisms behind global finance and finds a way inside its very heart: its black box. 

Black Box is sponsored by Docebo.

Guido Brera's English voice has been generated using generative AI technology by Voiseed (www.voiseed.com)

Black Box is a Chora News podcast, produced by Chora Media and sponsored by Docebo.

Written by Guido Brera with I Diavoli.

Text translation by John Vincent.

Editorial supervision by Francesca Milano.

Intro and sound design by Luca Micheli.

Post production and editing by Luca Micheli and Mattia Liciotti.

Sound editing by Emanuele Moscatelli.

Production organization by Alex Peverengo

]]> Chora info@choramedia.com Ep.45 - Donald Trump and the Mar-a-lago accord The Mar-a-Lago accord is a hypothetical project that both Trumpian economists and outside observers are following closely. It is bound to be an ambitious new direction for the international economic equilibrium, and certain to affect the following four years – for good or for ill. A combination of deregulation, tax cuts, devaluation, and tariffs. Should it succeed, it will lead to the highest point ever seen by the American dollar, followed by a slow and constant decline – by design of the USA, and in accordance with the rest of the world. Wed, 20 Nov 2024 23:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The Mar-a-Lago accord is a hypothetical project that both Trumpian economists and outside observers are following closely. It is bound to be an ambitious new direction for the international economic equilibrium, and certain to affect the following four years – for good or for ill. A combination of deregulation, tax cuts, devaluation, and tariffs. Should it succeed, it will lead to the highest point ever seen by the American dollar, followed by a slow and constant decline – by design of the USA, and in accordance with the rest of the world. The Mar-a-Lago accord is a hypothetical project that both Trumpian economists and outside observers are following closely. It is bound to be an ambitious new direction for the international economic equilibrium, and certain to affect the following four years – for good or for ill. A combination of deregulation, tax cuts, devaluation, and tariffs. Should it succeed, it will lead to the highest point ever seen by the American dollar, followed by a slow and constant decline – by design of the USA, and in accordance with the rest of the world.

]]> 703 Ep.44 - Franz Kafka and AI The rise of Artificial Intelligence brings to mind the fear of an apocalypse. In one of these dystopian predictions, thinking machines will take over the giant maze of bureaucracy at the core of modern society. In this scenario, AI will be tasked with deciding if and how to give out a mortgage, the order of priority for an operation, and the length of a prison sentence. In a hyper-technological version of Franz Kafka's The Trial, the real predators to fear would be Them: the digital bureaucrats. Wed, 13 Nov 2024 23:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The rise of Artificial Intelligence brings to mind the fear of an apocalypse. In one of these dystopian predictions, thinking machines will take over the giant maze of bureaucracy at the core of modern society. In this scenario, AI will be tasked with deciding if and how to give out a mortgage, the order of priority for an operation, and the length of a prison sentence. In a hyper-technological version of Franz Kafka's The Trial, the real predators to fear would be Them: the digital bureaucrats. The rise of Artificial Intelligence brings to mind the fear of an apocalypse. In one of these dystopian predictions, thinking machines will take over the giant maze of bureaucracy at the core of modern society. In this scenario, AI will be tasked with deciding if and how to give out a mortgage, the order of priority for an operation, and the length of a prison sentence. In a hyper-technological version of Franz Kafka's The Trial, the real predators to fear would be Them: the digital bureaucrats.

]]> 638 Ep.43 - When Nav Sarao shook Wall Street It’s 2.42 PM on May 6 2010. Navinder Sarao, a thirty-two year old British Indian and self-taught trader, plunges Wall Street into chaos. In just a few minutes, 750 billion euros disappear from the financial markets. All screens go black. It’s the stop logic function, put in place to avoid prices from crashing. After five long seconds, the orders slowly start up again, and the money reappears as well. But Sarao was able to take advantage of what will become known as the “flash crash”, and for a few moments human ingenuity managed to trump the domination of algorithms and models.  Wed, 16 Oct 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media It’s 2.42 PM on May 6 2010. Navinder Sarao, a thirty-two year old British Indian and self-taught trader, plunges Wall Street into chaos. In just a few minutes, 750 billion euros disappear from the financial markets. All screens go black. It’s the stop logic function, put in place to avoid prices from crashing. After five long seconds, the orders slowly start up again, and the money reappears as well. But Sarao was able to take advantage of what will become known as the “flash crash”, and for a few moments human ingenuity managed to trump the domination of algorithms and models.  It’s 2.42 PM on May 6 2010. Navinder Sarao, a thirty-two year old British Indian and self-taught trader, plunges Wall Street into chaos. In just a few minutes, 750 billion euros disappear from the financial markets. All screens go black. It’s the stop logic function, put in place to avoid prices from crashing. After five long seconds, the orders slowly start up again, and the money reappears as well. But Sarao was able to take advantage of what will become known as the “flash crash”, and for a few moments human ingenuity managed to trump the domination of algorithms and models. 

]]> 635 Ep.42 - A manifesto for the future of Italy They’re called “inner areas”, they’re the spaces of a deep Italy, which have been kept far away from public debate for too long, without public investment and services, forced to a drastic fall in habitability, ever more subject to climate change and environmental disasters. They make up 60% of the national territory, almost fifteen million people live here; they make up a consistent portion of GDP and they’re home to quality manufacturing districts. And this is exactly where the idea for an Italy of the future needs to start from. Wed, 09 Oct 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media They’re called “inner areas”, they’re the spaces of a deep Italy, which have been kept far away from public debate for too long, without public investment and services, forced to a drastic fall in habitability, ever more subject to climate change and environmental disasters. They make up 60% of the national territory, almost fifteen million people live here; they make up a consistent portion of GDP and they’re home to quality manufacturing districts. And this is exactly where the idea for an Italy of the future needs to start from. They’re called “inner areas”, they’re the spaces of a deep Italy, which have been kept far away from public debate for too long, without public investment and services, forced to a drastic fall in habitability, ever more subject to climate change and environmental disasters. They make up 60% of the national territory, almost fifteen million people live here; they make up a consistent portion of GDP and they’re home to quality manufacturing districts. And this is exactly where the idea for an Italy of the future needs to start from.

]]> 803 Ep.41 - Drugs and the politics of pain When we talk about drugs, we also have to talk about economics and urban spaces, about repressive policies and laws. We have to talk about poverty and the lack of prospects. About inefficiency, about markets, about capital and the laws of offer and demand. Drugs open and close each phase, from the heroin epidemic of the seventies to the current opioid crisis, which is destroying the heartland of America. Drugs are the one perfect good that can never be overproduced, and the one market that never creates a bubble. In short, they’re secretly a capitalist’s dream. Wed, 02 Oct 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media When we talk about drugs, we also have to talk about economics and urban spaces, about repressive policies and laws. We have to talk about poverty and the lack of prospects. About inefficiency, about markets, about capital and the laws of offer and demand. Drugs open and close each phase, from the heroin epidemic of the seventies to the current opioid crisis, which is destroying the heartland of America. Drugs are the one perfect good that can never be overproduced, and the one market that never creates a bubble. In short, they’re secretly a capitalist’s dream. When we talk about drugs, we also have to talk about economics and urban spaces, about repressive policies and laws. We have to talk about poverty and the lack of prospects. About inefficiency, about markets, about capital and the laws of offer and demand. Drugs open and close each phase, from the heroin epidemic of the seventies to the current opioid crisis, which is destroying the heartland of America. Drugs are the one perfect good that can never be overproduced, and the one market that never creates a bubble. In short, they’re secretly a capitalist’s dream.

]]> 873 Ep.40- Minimum wage and the virus of poverty In the western world, poverty is an epidemic amongst low-wage workers. Introducing, extending and increasing the minimum wage are just some of the ways in which we can face this social crisis. In the United States, the federal minimum wage amounts to 7 dollars and 25 cents per hour, and it hasn’t gone up since 2009 – despite inflation and the increase in productivity. While the current presidential candidates seem to want to dodge the issue, the virus of poverty continues to wreak havoc amongst the invisible army of working poor.  Wed, 25 Sep 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media In the western world, poverty is an epidemic amongst low-wage workers. Introducing, extending and increasing the minimum wage are just some of the ways in which we can face this social crisis. In the United States, the federal minimum wage amounts to 7 dollars and 25 cents per hour, and it hasn’t gone up since 2009 – despite inflation and the increase in productivity. While the current presidential candidates seem to want to dodge the issue, the virus of poverty continues to wreak havoc amongst the invisible army of working poor.  In the western world, poverty is an epidemic amongst low-wage workers. Introducing, extending and increasing the minimum wage are just some of the ways in which we can face this social crisis. In the United States, the federal minimum wage amounts to 7 dollars and 25 cents per hour, and it hasn’t gone up since 2009 – despite inflation and the increase in productivity. While the current presidential candidates seem to want to dodge the issue, the virus of poverty continues to wreak havoc amongst the invisible army of working poor. 

]]> 773 Ep.39 - This is Europe The ex-president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi delivers his report on European competitiveness, and invites us to change our current course. The European Union is going through a crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, by geo-political instability, by competition with China and by a change in the assets of globalization. Just like back in the days of his speech whatever it takes, Draghi continues to push for “more Europe”, and for the sharing of debt on a continental scale. Wed, 18 Sep 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The ex-president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi delivers his report on European competitiveness, and invites us to change our current course. The European Union is going through a crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, by geo-political instability, by competition with China and by a change in the assets of globalization. Just like back in the days of his speech whatever it takes, Draghi continues to push for “more Europe”, and for the sharing of debt on a continental scale. The ex-president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi delivers his report on European competitiveness, and invites us to change our current course. The European Union is going through a crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, by geo-political instability, by competition with China and by a change in the assets of globalization. Just like back in the days of his speech whatever it takes, Draghi continues to push for “more Europe”, and for the sharing of debt on a continental scale.

]]> 790 Ep.38 - The army of invisibles On the night of June 14 2017, seventy-two people die in the flames of Grenfell Tower, in North Kensington, London City. 221 feet high, 24 stories tall, housing 120 apartments, Grenfell Tower is built in 1974 as part of a public housing plan. An appendage of urban blight in the poor and multicultural district of Hammersmith. The building is renovated in 2014 with cheap materials that are so flammable that the entire high rise catches fire in just a few minutes. The Grenfell Tower fire is a class fire, emblematic of “necro-politics” which produces both profit and death. And in the West, those that die are always the poor and forgotten, the hordes of the army of invisibles. Wed, 26 Jun 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media On the night of June 14 2017, seventy-two people die in the flames of Grenfell Tower, in North Kensington, London City. 221 feet high, 24 stories tall, housing 120 apartments, Grenfell Tower is built in 1974 as part of a public housing plan. An appendage of urban blight in the poor and multicultural district of Hammersmith. The building is renovated in 2014 with cheap materials that are so flammable that the entire high rise catches fire in just a few minutes. The Grenfell Tower fire is a class fire, emblematic of “necro-politics” which produces both profit and death. And in the West, those that die are always the poor and forgotten, the hordes of the army of invisibles. On the night of June 14 2017, seventy-two people die in the flames of Grenfell Tower, in North Kensington, London City. 221 feet high, 24 stories tall, housing 120 apartments, Grenfell Tower is built in 1974 as part of a public housing plan. An appendage of urban blight in the poor and multicultural district of Hammersmith. The building is renovated in 2014 with cheap materials that are so flammable that the entire high rise catches fire in just a few minutes. The Grenfell Tower fire is a class fire, emblematic of “necro-politics” which produces both profit and death. And in the West, those that die are always the poor and forgotten, the hordes of the army of invisibles.

]]> 761 Ep.37 - Roger Federer and high finance If tennis is a metaphor of life, then it’s also a metaphor of finance – seeing as finance determines every aspect of life itself. There’s a strong connection between the trajectories impressed onto a tennis ball and the thousands of variables that dominate financial exchanges. Just like there’s a certain manner by which to face an opponent on the other side of the net, and by which to maneuver the fluctuations of the markets. Recently, Roger Federer – one of the greatest tennis players of all time - received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Dartmouth College. The champion’s commencement speech is an inspiring lesson on how to accept both victory and defeat: in tennis, on the financial markets, and in life. Wed, 19 Jun 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media If tennis is a metaphor of life, then it’s also a metaphor of finance – seeing as finance determines every aspect of life itself. There’s a strong connection between the trajectories impressed onto a tennis ball and the thousands of variables that dominate financial exchanges. Just like there’s a certain manner by which to face an opponent on the other side of the net, and by which to maneuver the fluctuations of the markets. Recently, Roger Federer – one of the greatest tennis players of all time - received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Dartmouth College. The champion’s commencement speech is an inspiring lesson on how to accept both victory and defeat: in tennis, on the financial markets, and in life. If tennis is a metaphor of life, then it’s also a metaphor of finance – seeing as finance determines every aspect of life itself. There’s a strong connection between the trajectories impressed onto a tennis ball and the thousands of variables that dominate financial exchanges. Just like there’s a certain manner by which to face an opponent on the other side of the net, and by which to maneuver the fluctuations of the markets. Recently, Roger Federer – one of the greatest tennis players of all time - received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Dartmouth College. The champion’s commencement speech is an inspiring lesson on how to accept both victory and defeat: in tennis, on the financial markets, and in life.

]]> 844 Ep.36 - What separates us from machines There’s something in common between Soviet Lieutenant Stanislav Petrov, American activist Aaron Swartz and the co-founder of OpenAI Ilya Sutskever. In different times and ways, all three of them have put aside their timidity and opposed the war-thirsty, proprietary and neo-feudal order incarnated by computers, algorithms and more-or-less thinking machines. Timidity itself (and its antonyms) reminds us of the importance of remaining human. Wed, 12 Jun 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media There’s something in common between Soviet Lieutenant Stanislav Petrov, American activist Aaron Swartz and the co-founder of OpenAI Ilya Sutskever. In different times and ways, all three of them have put aside their timidity and opposed the war-thirsty, proprietary and neo-feudal order incarnated by computers, algorithms and more-or-less thinking machines. Timidity itself (and its antonyms) reminds us of the importance of remaining human. There’s something in common between Soviet Lieutenant Stanislav Petrov, American activist Aaron Swartz and the co-founder of OpenAI Ilya Sutskever. In different times and ways, all three of them have put aside their timidity and opposed the war-thirsty, proprietary and neo-feudal order incarnated by computers, algorithms and more-or-less thinking machines. Timidity itself (and its antonyms) reminds us of the importance of remaining human.

]]> 674 Ep.35 - A bitcoin a day / Part two Since June 2019, Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez has been the President of the Republic of El Salvador. Bukele hasn’t just freed the country from the throttle of drug gangs, but also started an unexpected economic upturn with the introduction of bitcoin as legal tender. It’s something that has never been tried before, and it’s been reaping enormous benefits in terms of the sustainability of debt, on the country’s international image, and on its support of “clean” energy sources for crypto mining. Welcome to El Salvador, where mythology and science fiction walk together. Where the future is already here. Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Since June 2019, Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez has been the President of the Republic of El Salvador. Bukele hasn’t just freed the country from the throttle of drug gangs, but also started an unexpected economic upturn with the introduction of bitcoin as legal tender. It’s something that has never been tried before, and it’s been reaping enormous benefits in terms of the sustainability of debt, on the country’s international image, and on its support of “clean” energy sources for crypto mining. Welcome to El Salvador, where mythology and science fiction walk together. Where the future is already here. Since June 2019, Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez has been the President of the Republic of El Salvador. Bukele hasn’t just freed the country from the throttle of drug gangs, but also started an unexpected economic upturn with the introduction of bitcoin as legal tender. It’s something that has never been tried before, and it’s been reaping enormous benefits in terms of the sustainability of debt, on the country’s international image, and on its support of “clean” energy sources for crypto mining. Welcome to El Salvador, where mythology and science fiction walk together. Where the future is already here.

]]> 829 Ep.34 - A bitcoin a day / Part one Leather jacket, mirror shades, a neatly trimmed beard and slick hair, Nayib Bukele has been the President of the Republic of El Salvador since 2019. Following his election, he’s repressed the drug gangs in his country with an iron fist. Last February he won a second mandate using a constitutional loophole. But Bukele has also brought about a significant economic development: starting from 2022 he recognized bitcoin as legal tender in his country. El Salvador is the first nation in the world to attempt such an experiment. Wed, 29 May 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Leather jacket, mirror shades, a neatly trimmed beard and slick hair, Nayib Bukele has been the President of the Republic of El Salvador since 2019. Following his election, he’s repressed the drug gangs in his country with an iron fist. Last February he won a second mandate using a constitutional loophole. But Bukele has also brought about a significant economic development: starting from 2022 he recognized bitcoin as legal tender in his country. El Salvador is the first nation in the world to attempt such an experiment. Leather jacket, mirror shades, a neatly trimmed beard and slick hair, Nayib Bukele has been the President of the Republic of El Salvador since 2019. Following his election, he’s repressed the drug gangs in his country with an iron fist. Last February he won a second mandate using a constitutional loophole. But Bukele has also brought about a significant economic development: starting from 2022 he recognized bitcoin as legal tender in his country. El Salvador is the first nation in the world to attempt such an experiment.

]]> 675 Ep.33 - J.H. Simons, the mathematician who conquered markets This May 10 we lost James Harris Simons, a legend of high finance, the so-called “King of Quants”, the mathematician who left university and conquered the markets. In 1982, he founded the New York Renaissance Technologies, which would soon become one the greatest global hedge fund firms in the world. Forbes said of JHS that he was “arguably the world’s greatest investor”. Simons found success by applying mathematical models and computer algorithms to financial fluctuations. He turned record profits and he almost always won out. Almost… Wed, 22 May 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media This May 10 we lost James Harris Simons, a legend of high finance, the so-called “King of Quants”, the mathematician who left university and conquered the markets. In 1982, he founded the New York Renaissance Technologies, which would soon become one the greatest global hedge fund firms in the world. Forbes said of JHS that he was “arguably the world’s greatest investor”. Simons found success by applying mathematical models and computer algorithms to financial fluctuations. He turned record profits and he almost always won out. Almost… This May 10 we lost James Harris Simons, a legend of high finance, the so-called “King of Quants”, the mathematician who left university and conquered the markets. In 1982, he founded the New York Renaissance Technologies, which would soon become one the greatest global hedge fund firms in the world. Forbes said of JHS that he was “arguably the world’s greatest investor”. Simons found success by applying mathematical models and computer algorithms to financial fluctuations. He turned record profits and he almost always won out. Almost…

]]> 621 Ep.32 - The bunker: the dream of the West We live in an age of permanent catastrophes: viruses and wars, nuclear threats and climate crises. If danger is everywhere, then it’s necessary to seek protection in closed up and impenetrable spaces: such as the North Star Missile Silo, one of the most secure havens ever made. North Star can be found in Kansas, and it was built to withstand an atomic explosion and every type of catastrophe. In short, a symbol of the cold war is once again back in fashion. In 2021, during the pandemic, the silo was auctioned off to a private owner at a base price of about 900,000 dollars. The space is impenetrable and the dream of the west is unspeakable. Welcome to the bunker. Wed, 15 May 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media We live in an age of permanent catastrophes: viruses and wars, nuclear threats and climate crises. If danger is everywhere, then it’s necessary to seek protection in closed up and impenetrable spaces: such as the North Star Missile Silo, one of the most secure havens ever made. North Star can be found in Kansas, and it was built to withstand an atomic explosion and every type of catastrophe. In short, a symbol of the cold war is once again back in fashion. In 2021, during the pandemic, the silo was auctioned off to a private owner at a base price of about 900,000 dollars. The space is impenetrable and the dream of the west is unspeakable. Welcome to the bunker. We live in an age of permanent catastrophes: viruses and wars, nuclear threats and climate crises. If danger is everywhere, then it’s necessary to seek protection in closed up and impenetrable spaces: such as the North Star Missile Silo, one of the most secure havens ever made. North Star can be found in Kansas, and it was built to withstand an atomic explosion and every type of catastrophe. In short, a symbol of the cold war is once again back in fashion. In 2021, during the pandemic, the silo was auctioned off to a private owner at a base price of about 900,000 dollars. The space is impenetrable and the dream of the west is unspeakable. Welcome to the bunker.

]]> 700 Ep.31 - The American civil war Theatres are seeing the release of Civil War, by British director Alex Garland, and in the meanwhile the United States truly seem to be under the influence of irreconcilable differences. If we look to the markets we can see the best of all possible worlds, but in the streets Fentanyl is causing thousands of deaths, the middle class is getting poorer and poorer, and student debt is out of control. Meanwhile, investments focus mainly of the defense and arms industries, or towards safe-haven assets such as gold and bitcoin. War is always good business in a nation where the divide between American dream and American nightmare is greater than ever before. Wed, 08 May 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Theatres are seeing the release of Civil War, by British director Alex Garland, and in the meanwhile the United States truly seem to be under the influence of irreconcilable differences. If we look to the markets we can see the best of all possible worlds, but in the streets Fentanyl is causing thousands of deaths, the middle class is getting poorer and poorer, and student debt is out of control. Meanwhile, investments focus mainly of the defense and arms industries, or towards safe-haven assets such as gold and bitcoin. War is always good business in a nation where the divide between American dream and American nightmare is greater than ever before. Theatres are seeing the release of Civil War, by British director Alex Garland, and in the meanwhile the United States truly seem to be under the influence of irreconcilable differences. If we look to the markets we can see the best of all possible worlds, but in the streets Fentanyl is causing thousands of deaths, the middle class is getting poorer and poorer, and student debt is out of control. Meanwhile, investments focus mainly of the defense and arms industries, or towards safe-haven assets such as gold and bitcoin. War is always good business in a nation where the divide between American dream and American nightmare is greater than ever before.

]]> 683 Ep.30 - The carnage of Rana Plaza On April 24th 2013, at 8.45. Rana Plaza – an eight-story building which houses several activities including some textile factories, at Savar near Dacca in Bangladesh – collapses upon itself. 1,134 people are killed, and 2,515 are wounded. The carnage wasn’t unexpected – and at the same time, it was the direct consequence of a production model which is ravaging our environment and society. It’s called “fast fashion” and it guarantees the systematic production of clothing at low prices thanks to the ruthless exploitation of workers, the lack of safety measures and the heavy use of petrol-based synthetic fibers. Over ten years have passed since that day, and the massacre of Rana Plaza is still one of the most brutal repressions of Western society. Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:10:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media On April 24th 2013, at 8.45. Rana Plaza – an eight-story building which houses several activities including some textile factories, at Savar near Dacca in Bangladesh – collapses upon itself. 1,134 people are killed, and 2,515 are wounded. The carnage wasn’t unexpected – and at the same time, it was the direct consequence of a production model which is ravaging our environment and society. It’s called “fast fashion” and it guarantees the systematic production of clothing at low prices thanks to the ruthless exploitation of workers, the lack of safety measures and the heavy use of petrol-based synthetic fibers. Over ten years have passed since that day, and the massacre of Rana Plaza is still one of the most brutal repressions of Western society. On April 24th 2013, at 8.45. Rana Plaza – an eight-story building which houses several activities including some textile factories, at Savar near Dacca in Bangladesh – collapses upon itself. 1,134 people are killed, and 2,515 are wounded. The carnage wasn’t unexpected – and at the same time, it was the direct consequence of a production model which is ravaging our environment and society. It’s called “fast fashion” and it guarantees the systematic production of clothing at low prices thanks to the ruthless exploitation of workers, the lack of safety measures and the heavy use of petrol-based synthetic fibers. Over ten years have passed since that day, and the massacre of Rana Plaza is still one of the most brutal repressions of Western society.

]]> 782 Ep.29 - The future of the woods (and our own) Humans have being changing the landscape and balance of the Alps for over a century. The ecosystem was compromised after the devastation of the First World War and its reconstruction based on a monoculture of European spruce trees. One hundred years later, extreme weather events caused by climate change and the infestation of the so-called “spruce-bark beetle” have forced us to measure the ruinous effects of an economic model that has cancelled out biodiversity in the woodlands and opened up the mountain to hundreds of dangers. Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Humans have being changing the landscape and balance of the Alps for over a century. The ecosystem was compromised after the devastation of the First World War and its reconstruction based on a monoculture of European spruce trees. One hundred years later, extreme weather events caused by climate change and the infestation of the so-called “spruce-bark beetle” have forced us to measure the ruinous effects of an economic model that has cancelled out biodiversity in the woodlands and opened up the mountain to hundreds of dangers. Humans have being changing the landscape and balance of the Alps for over a century. The ecosystem was compromised after the devastation of the First World War and its reconstruction based on a monoculture of European spruce trees. One hundred years later, extreme weather events caused by climate change and the infestation of the so-called “spruce-bark beetle” have forced us to measure the ruinous effects of an economic model that has cancelled out biodiversity in the woodlands and opened up the mountain to hundreds of dangers.

]]> 658 Ep.28 - The scourge of the forests A catastrophe is befalling the woodlands of Italy; in the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It’s scientific name is Ips typographus, but it’s better known as the European Spruce Bark Beetle, because it loves to devour spruce bark trees. It’s a tiny beetle that feeds off wood, often attacking weakened or dead trees, but capable of attacking living ones as well if in large enough numbers. Nowadays, there are large patches of dark dry trees in the Alps. It’s a scourge caused by many factors: the change in natural balance, the destruction of an ecosystem, extreme weather and a devastating development model. Wed, 10 Apr 2024 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media A catastrophe is befalling the woodlands of Italy; in the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It’s scientific name is Ips typographus, but it’s better known as the European Spruce Bark Beetle, because it loves to devour spruce bark trees. It’s a tiny beetle that feeds off wood, often attacking weakened or dead trees, but capable of attacking living ones as well if in large enough numbers. Nowadays, there are large patches of dark dry trees in the Alps. It’s a scourge caused by many factors: the change in natural balance, the destruction of an ecosystem, extreme weather and a devastating development model. A catastrophe is befalling the woodlands of Italy; in the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It’s scientific name is Ips typographus, but it’s better known as the European Spruce Bark Beetle, because it loves to devour spruce bark trees. It’s a tiny beetle that feeds off wood, often attacking weakened or dead trees, but capable of attacking living ones as well if in large enough numbers. Nowadays, there are large patches of dark dry trees in the Alps. It’s a scourge caused by many factors: the change in natural balance, the destruction of an ecosystem, extreme weather and a devastating development model.

]]> 669 Ep.27 - The United Markets of America The financial indicators right now are wildly optimistic. The bond market especially is looking reliable, still supported by the liquidity injected last year to save regional banks affected by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Also, the stock market is seeing a large wave of purchases – not just institutional investors and hedge funds either, but families (who never invested so massively in equity like now). In this election year, the USA is a deeply divided country. But where politics divides, finance unites – and there is peace at least in the United Markets of America. Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The financial indicators right now are wildly optimistic. The bond market especially is looking reliable, still supported by the liquidity injected last year to save regional banks affected by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Also, the stock market is seeing a large wave of purchases – not just institutional investors and hedge funds either, but families (who never invested so massively in equity like now). In this election year, the USA is a deeply divided country. But where politics divides, finance unites – and there is peace at least in the United Markets of America. The financial indicators right now are wildly optimistic. The bond market especially is looking reliable, still supported by the liquidity injected last year to save regional banks affected by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Also, the stock market is seeing a large wave of purchases – not just institutional investors and hedge funds either, but families (who never invested so massively in equity like now). In this election year, the USA is a deeply divided country. But where politics divides, finance unites – and there is peace at least in the United Markets of America.

]]> 594 Ep.26 - Obesity: the ignored epidemic Obesity is the disease of our modern affluent societies. More than one billion people suffer from it globally, which is double the amount of 1990. According to predictions, by the year 2035 they could be two billion. In the USA, 32% of the male adult population and 37% of the female adult population is obese. The Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has recently launched Ozempic, a miracle drug for the obese that has taken the American market by storm (and not only). However, despite the facade of optimism, there are thousands of sides to consider when it come to issues such as prevention and accessibility to these new cures. Wed, 27 Mar 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Obesity is the disease of our modern affluent societies. More than one billion people suffer from it globally, which is double the amount of 1990. According to predictions, by the year 2035 they could be two billion. In the USA, 32% of the male adult population and 37% of the female adult population is obese. The Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has recently launched Ozempic, a miracle drug for the obese that has taken the American market by storm (and not only). However, despite the facade of optimism, there are thousands of sides to consider when it come to issues such as prevention and accessibility to these new cures. Obesity is the disease of our modern affluent societies. More than one billion people suffer from it globally, which is double the amount of 1990. According to predictions, by the year 2035 they could be two billion. In the USA, 32% of the male adult population and 37% of the female adult population is obese. The Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has recently launched Ozempic, a miracle drug for the obese that has taken the American market by storm (and not only). However, despite the facade of optimism, there are thousands of sides to consider when it come to issues such as prevention and accessibility to these new cures.

]]> 650 Ep.25 - Silicon Valley and Social Inequality Back during the gold rush, there was a sudden explosion of inequality. In the mining towns, some owned concessions, business licenses and strategic assets – and these were the ones who made the most money. Everyone else (especially the miners) just got poorer. It’s called the “Cantillon effect” and it explains the deep imbalance between the distribution of wealth there where it cycles the most. Yesterday like today. In the XXI century just like in the days of the boomtowns, expansionary monetary policies, quantitative easing and the emission of public debt have all contributed to the erosion of monetary value. This has deepened social inequality, especially in the Silicon Valley – which appears as a frontier of technological innovation, but which looks more and more like our tragic and unfair future. Wed, 20 Mar 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Back during the gold rush, there was a sudden explosion of inequality. In the mining towns, some owned concessions, business licenses and strategic assets – and these were the ones who made the most money. Everyone else (especially the miners) just got poorer. It’s called the “Cantillon effect” and it explains the deep imbalance between the distribution of wealth there where it cycles the most. Yesterday like today. In the XXI century just like in the days of the boomtowns, expansionary monetary policies, quantitative easing and the emission of public debt have all contributed to the erosion of monetary value. This has deepened social inequality, especially in the Silicon Valley – which appears as a frontier of technological innovation, but which looks more and more like our tragic and unfair future. Back during the gold rush, there was a sudden explosion of inequality. In the mining towns, some owned concessions, business licenses and strategic assets – and these were the ones who made the most money. Everyone else (especially the miners) just got poorer. It’s called the “Cantillon effect” and it explains the deep imbalance between the distribution of wealth there where it cycles the most. Yesterday like today. In the XXI century just like in the days of the boomtowns, expansionary monetary policies, quantitative easing and the emission of public debt have all contributed to the erosion of monetary value. This has deepened social inequality, especially in the Silicon Valley – which appears as a frontier of technological innovation, but which looks more and more like our tragic and unfair future.

]]> 630 Ep.24 - American nightmare This November, the USA will elect its president. The markets may seem to portray an image consistent growth, with unemployment under 4% and the best markets in recent memory, but the victory of the democrats is anything but certain. The Biden administration managed the post-Covid phase with a new course and by injecting trillions of dollars into strategic national production. But the situation is fragile. There’s an America that’s suffering from high inflation, and that hasn’t been able to compensate by investing. Many Americans have more debt than ever, and mortgage rates are rising along with the price of homes. This is an America that struggles and which is afraid, which stopped dreaming, and may well drag the world down into its own nightmare. Wed, 13 Mar 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media This November, the USA will elect its president. The markets may seem to portray an image consistent growth, with unemployment under 4% and the best markets in recent memory, but the victory of the democrats is anything but certain. The Biden administration managed the post-Covid phase with a new course and by injecting trillions of dollars into strategic national production. But the situation is fragile. There’s an America that’s suffering from high inflation, and that hasn’t been able to compensate by investing. Many Americans have more debt than ever, and mortgage rates are rising along with the price of homes. This is an America that struggles and which is afraid, which stopped dreaming, and may well drag the world down into its own nightmare. This November, the USA will elect its president. The markets may seem to portray an image consistent growth, with unemployment under 4% and the best markets in recent memory, but the victory of the democrats is anything but certain. The Biden administration managed the post-Covid phase with a new course and by injecting trillions of dollars into strategic national production. But the situation is fragile. There’s an America that’s suffering from high inflation, and that hasn’t been able to compensate by investing. Many Americans have more debt than ever, and mortgage rates are rising along with the price of homes. This is an America that struggles and which is afraid, which stopped dreaming, and may well drag the world down into its own nightmare.

]]> 706 Ep.23 - Seven signs from the future According to a report from ARK – invest (the monetary fund which analyses the frontiers of innovation), we can currently pinpoint seven mega-trends on the future that we’re facing already. Artificial intelligence, robotics, electric mobility, space industry, crypto-currencies and cutting edge personalized medicine – based on RNA and genomic editing. These trends are groundbreaking, and they’ll potentially be able to revolutionize our lives. The seventh trend is the collection of all the dangers we see in exponential vertical acceleration – without brakes nor regulation – the rise of the new privileged, the effect on occupation, environmental devastation and even the existential risk for humanity due to the rise of thinking machines. Tomorrow is uncertain, always on the cusp between the bright futures harked by the techno-optimists, and the dire predictions of the more cautious “dystopians”. Wed, 06 Mar 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media According to a report from ARK – invest (the monetary fund which analyses the frontiers of innovation), we can currently pinpoint seven mega-trends on the future that we’re facing already. Artificial intelligence, robotics, electric mobility, space industry, crypto-currencies and cutting edge personalized medicine – based on RNA and genomic editing. These trends are groundbreaking, and they’ll potentially be able to revolutionize our lives. The seventh trend is the collection of all the dangers we see in exponential vertical acceleration – without brakes nor regulation – the rise of the new privileged, the effect on occupation, environmental devastation and even the existential risk for humanity due to the rise of thinking machines. Tomorrow is uncertain, always on the cusp between the bright futures harked by the techno-optimists, and the dire predictions of the more cautious “dystopians”. According to a report from ARK – invest (the monetary fund which analyses the frontiers of innovation), we can currently pinpoint seven mega-trends on the future that we’re facing already. Artificial intelligence, robotics, electric mobility, space industry, crypto-currencies and cutting edge personalized medicine – based on RNA and genomic editing. These trends are groundbreaking, and they’ll potentially be able to revolutionize our lives. The seventh trend is the collection of all the dangers we see in exponential vertical acceleration – without brakes nor regulation – the rise of the new privileged, the effect on occupation, environmental devastation and even the existential risk for humanity due to the rise of thinking machines. Tomorrow is uncertain, always on the cusp between the bright futures harked by the techno-optimists, and the dire predictions of the more cautious “dystopians”.

]]> 854 Ep.22 - Architecton: against the architecture of concrete Architecton is a documentary by Russian director Kossakovsky, presented at the latest edition of the International Berlin Film Festival. The film is a strong critique against construction in concrete – a material which tragically represents our modern day: short-lived, perishable, polluting and unsustainable. Architecton invites us to find another way, to push back against the pervasive rhetoric of greenwashing, to embrace the reasons of true ecology, to use durable and sustainable materials, to point on circularity, to redefine the relationship between man and nature. Wed, 28 Feb 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Architecton is a documentary by Russian director Kossakovsky, presented at the latest edition of the International Berlin Film Festival. The film is a strong critique against construction in concrete – a material which tragically represents our modern day: short-lived, perishable, polluting and unsustainable. Architecton invites us to find another way, to push back against the pervasive rhetoric of greenwashing, to embrace the reasons of true ecology, to use durable and sustainable materials, to point on circularity, to redefine the relationship between man and nature. Architecton is a documentary by Russian director Kossakovsky, presented at the latest edition of the International Berlin Film Festival. The film is a strong critique against construction in concrete – a material which tragically represents our modern day: short-lived, perishable, polluting and unsustainable. Architecton invites us to find another way, to push back against the pervasive rhetoric of greenwashing, to embrace the reasons of true ecology, to use durable and sustainable materials, to point on circularity, to redefine the relationship between man and nature.

]]> 618 Ep.21 - The water crisis in the time of AI Water is the most commonly exchanged resource in the world. The “virtual market” of blue gold is four-hundred times that of petrol. But the water crisis is one of the main emergencies of our time, especially since technological acceleration requires a constant use of water. For every twenty prompts given to ChatGPT, we consume half a liter. In order to train the third generation of GPT, it took 700 thousand liters. The revolution of artificial intelligence requires enormous amounts of H₂O to cool down the intricate web of servers. Readily available water reserves have halved since 1970, and at this rate they may run dry by 2040… Wed, 14 Feb 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Water is the most commonly exchanged resource in the world. The “virtual market” of blue gold is four-hundred times that of petrol. But the water crisis is one of the main emergencies of our time, especially since technological acceleration requires a constant use of water. For every twenty prompts given to ChatGPT, we consume half a liter. In order to train the third generation of GPT, it took 700 thousand liters. The revolution of artificial intelligence requires enormous amounts of H₂O to cool down the intricate web of servers. Readily available water reserves have halved since 1970, and at this rate they may run dry by 2040… Water is the most commonly exchanged resource in the world. The “virtual market” of blue gold is four-hundred times that of petrol. But the water crisis is one of the main emergencies of our time, especially since technological acceleration requires a constant use of water. For every twenty prompts given to ChatGPT, we consume half a liter. In order to train the third generation of GPT, it took 700 thousand liters. The revolution of artificial intelligence requires enormous amounts of H₂O to cool down the intricate web of servers. Readily available water reserves have halved since 1970, and at this rate they may run dry by 2040…

]]> 694 Ep.20 - Elon Musk and the Magnificent Seven A few days ago, a Delaware court suspended the payment of Tesla’s compensation package to founder Elon Musk, which was originally decided in 2018. The package was worth about 56 billion dollars, which is unprecedented even for the fantastical world of tech companies. And this sanctions the entrance of capitalism into the age of digital feudalism. The seven tech giants - Apple, Microsoft, Google Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Tesla and Meta – form a new aristocracy that demands absolute authority and is even challenging States. On the other side, we have the American antitrust authority – or Federal Trade Commission – with the young thirty-five-year-old Lina Kahn at the helm. The match has just begun, although the first few rounds seem to have gone to the Magnificent Seven. Wed, 07 Feb 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media A few days ago, a Delaware court suspended the payment of Tesla’s compensation package to founder Elon Musk, which was originally decided in 2018. The package was worth about 56 billion dollars, which is unprecedented even for the fantastical world of tech companies. And this sanctions the entrance of capitalism into the age of digital feudalism. The seven tech giants - Apple, Microsoft, Google Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Tesla and Meta – form a new aristocracy that demands absolute authority and is even challenging States. On the other side, we have the American antitrust authority – or Federal Trade Commission – with the young thirty-five-year-old Lina Kahn at the helm. The match has just begun, although the first few rounds seem to have gone to the Magnificent Seven. A few days ago, a Delaware court suspended the payment of Tesla’s compensation package to founder Elon Musk, which was originally decided in 2018. The package was worth about 56 billion dollars, which is unprecedented even for the fantastical world of tech companies. And this sanctions the entrance of capitalism into the age of digital feudalism. The seven tech giants - Apple, Microsoft, Google Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Tesla and Meta – form a new aristocracy that demands absolute authority and is even challenging States. On the other side, we have the American antitrust authority – or Federal Trade Commission – with the young thirty-five-year-old Lina Kahn at the helm. The match has just begun, although the first few rounds seem to have gone to the Magnificent Seven.

]]> 743 Ep.19 - Artificial Intelligence and thermonuclear war Moscow, 26 September 1983. It’s a few minutes past midnight, when lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov looks the apocalypse right in the eyes. On the screens connected to OKO - a satellite system which signals the launch of nuclear warheads from the USA – five missiles have appeared on their way towards the Soviet Union. Protocol requires calling the Kremlin to prepare a counterstrike. But Petrov doesn’t believe in the attack and instead decides to report a system error. A few minutes later, he’s proven correct. The machines misread some weather patterns. The decision of one human has saved all of humanity, but what would happen if one day Artificial Intelligence should be in the place of Petrov? Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Moscow, 26 September 1983. It’s a few minutes past midnight, when lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov looks the apocalypse right in the eyes. On the screens connected to OKO - a satellite system which signals the launch of nuclear warheads from the USA – five missiles have appeared on their way towards the Soviet Union. Protocol requires calling the Kremlin to prepare a counterstrike. But Petrov doesn’t believe in the attack and instead decides to report a system error. A few minutes later, he’s proven correct. The machines misread some weather patterns. The decision of one human has saved all of humanity, but what would happen if one day Artificial Intelligence should be in the place of Petrov? Moscow, 26 September 1983. It’s a few minutes past midnight, when lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov looks the apocalypse right in the eyes. On the screens connected to OKO - a satellite system which signals the launch of nuclear warheads from the USA – five missiles have appeared on their way towards the Soviet Union. Protocol requires calling the Kremlin to prepare a counterstrike. But Petrov doesn’t believe in the attack and instead decides to report a system error. A few minutes later, he’s proven correct. The machines misread some weather patterns. The decision of one human has saved all of humanity, but what would happen if one day Artificial Intelligence should be in the place of Petrov?

]]> 794 Ep.18 - The Two Faces of Davos “Rebuilding Trust in the Future»” was the theme of the latest edition of the World Economic Forum, held like every year in Davos. This title immediately sounded vague when considering our present time of constant crises and the earthquake that is shaking globalization itself. Despite this, the meeting continued to show its “good side”: a cavalcade of abstract rhetoric, incapable of grasping the challenges of our time – from the environmental emergency to the crisis of global production chains. But the Forum has two faces, the second of which reveals a beehive crawling with private agreements and exchanges of favors between companies and states. The ambivalence of Davos is a perfect mirror of our present, of its deepest contradictions and of the inactivity, which restricts any attempt at change. Wed, 24 Jan 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media “Rebuilding Trust in the Future»” was the theme of the latest edition of the World Economic Forum, held like every year in Davos. This title immediately sounded vague when considering our present time of constant crises and the earthquake that is shaking globalization itself. Despite this, the meeting continued to show its “good side”: a cavalcade of abstract rhetoric, incapable of grasping the challenges of our time – from the environmental emergency to the crisis of global production chains. But the Forum has two faces, the second of which reveals a beehive crawling with private agreements and exchanges of favors between companies and states. The ambivalence of Davos is a perfect mirror of our present, of its deepest contradictions and of the inactivity, which restricts any attempt at change. “Rebuilding Trust in the Future»” was the theme of the latest edition of the World Economic Forum, held like every year in Davos. This title immediately sounded vague when considering our present time of constant crises and the earthquake that is shaking globalization itself. Despite this, the meeting continued to show its “good side”: a cavalcade of abstract rhetoric, incapable of grasping the challenges of our time – from the environmental emergency to the crisis of global production chains. But the Forum has two faces, the second of which reveals a beehive crawling with private agreements and exchanges of favors between companies and states. The ambivalence of Davos is a perfect mirror of our present, of its deepest contradictions and of the inactivity, which restricts any attempt at change.

]]> 709 Ep.17 - The crisis of global routes In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a new danger for global markets. The raids of the Houthi, a Yemenite rebel militia supported by Iran, have blocked one of the arteries of global commerce: the Red Sea route on which 12 percent of global wares and about one third of containers travel. Several shipping giants have suspended the passage of ships in the area. The price of oil is rising, while the costs of transport between Asia and Europe are soaring. The latest emergency is worsening the crisis of international balance in the frame of a general trend that, along with the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic, is turning the twenties of this century into the age of de-globalization. Wed, 17 Jan 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a new danger for global markets. The raids of the Houthi, a Yemenite rebel militia supported by Iran, have blocked one of the arteries of global commerce: the Red Sea route on which 12 percent of global wares and about one third of containers travel. Several shipping giants have suspended the passage of ships in the area. The price of oil is rising, while the costs of transport between Asia and Europe are soaring. The latest emergency is worsening the crisis of international balance in the frame of a general trend that, along with the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic, is turning the twenties of this century into the age of de-globalization. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a new danger for global markets. The raids of the Houthi, a Yemenite rebel militia supported by Iran, have blocked one of the arteries of global commerce: the Red Sea route on which 12 percent of global wares and about one third of containers travel. Several shipping giants have suspended the passage of ships in the area. The price of oil is rising, while the costs of transport between Asia and Europe are soaring. The latest emergency is worsening the crisis of international balance in the frame of a general trend that, along with the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic, is turning the twenties of this century into the age of de-globalization.

]]> 831 Ep.16 - Finance and the best of all possible worlds Looking at the main financial indicators, the situation at the start of 2024 looks better than the most optimistic predictions. Inflation is dropping, American growth is constant, unemployment is stable under 4%. The equity sector and Big Tech shares are all booming. The markets are telling the fairy tale of the best of all possible worlds, but reality is quite different. On our planet Earth, we can see the shadows of a looming third world war and a ruinous environmental crisis, while the assets of globalization are in tatters. Finance looks more and more like a magician’s mirror, distorting perspectives and tricking the eye to guarantee the perpetuation of the present state of affairs. Wed, 10 Jan 2024 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Looking at the main financial indicators, the situation at the start of 2024 looks better than the most optimistic predictions. Inflation is dropping, American growth is constant, unemployment is stable under 4%. The equity sector and Big Tech shares are all booming. The markets are telling the fairy tale of the best of all possible worlds, but reality is quite different. On our planet Earth, we can see the shadows of a looming third world war and a ruinous environmental crisis, while the assets of globalization are in tatters. Finance looks more and more like a magician’s mirror, distorting perspectives and tricking the eye to guarantee the perpetuation of the present state of affairs. Looking at the main financial indicators, the situation at the start of 2024 looks better than the most optimistic predictions. Inflation is dropping, American growth is constant, unemployment is stable under 4%. The equity sector and Big Tech shares are all booming. The markets are telling the fairy tale of the best of all possible worlds, but reality is quite different. On our planet Earth, we can see the shadows of a looming third world war and a ruinous environmental crisis, while the assets of globalization are in tatters. Finance looks more and more like a magician’s mirror, distorting perspectives and tricking the eye to guarantee the perpetuation of the present state of affairs.

]]> 744 Ep.15 - 2023: return of the Leviathan "2023 was the year in which the State regained control of economic policy with so-called de-risking: a risk reduction strategy by which the West wishes to move away from reliance on the Chinese market in strategic sectors such as technology and renewable energy. Some of the crises have since subsided. The central banks have proven that they can manage the growth of inflation and they can contain the earthquake that we saw in March with the fall of Silicon Valley Bank. Other emergencies, however, are still ongoing: such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. And so, 2024 is gearing up to be the ground for several open issues, first of all the effects of de-risking which could be limited or revised, or even extended to services as well, as an end to the liberal economic recipes of the last four decades." Wed, 27 Dec 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media "2023 was the year in which the State regained control of economic policy with so-called de-risking: a risk reduction strategy by which the West wishes to move away from reliance on the Chinese market in strategic sectors such as technology and renewable energy. Some of the crises have since subsided. The central banks have proven that they can manage the growth of inflation and they can contain the earthquake that we saw in March with the fall of Silicon Valley Bank. Other emergencies, however, are still ongoing: such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. And so, 2024 is gearing up to be the ground for several open issues, first of all the effects of de-risking which could be limited or revised, or even extended to services as well, as an end to the liberal economic recipes of the last four decades." "2023 was the year in which the State regained control of economic policy with so-called de-risking: a risk reduction strategy by which the West wishes to move away from reliance on the Chinese market in strategic sectors such as technology and renewable energy. Some of the crises have since subsided. The central banks have proven that they can manage the growth of inflation and they can contain the earthquake that we saw in March with the fall of Silicon Valley Bank. Other emergencies, however, are still ongoing: such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. And so, 2024 is gearing up to be the ground for several open issues, first of all the effects of de-risking which could be limited or revised, or even extended to services as well, as an end to the liberal economic recipes of the last four decades."

]]> 709 Ep.14 - The five days that did (not) shake OpenAI The latest earthquake to shake Silicon Valley was last Friday 17th November. The epicenter was at 601 Mission Street, San Francisco, headquarters to OpenAI – the leader of the AI sector. In less than a week, the CEO was first ejected and then reinstated on his chair. The tremors at the top of OpenAI are the final act in a secret war between the two factions of techno-optimists and techno-critics, who fear humanity’s loss of control over AI. But the real plot twist is the entrance on the board of Lawrence Henry Summers, the tight-rope walker, the fabricator: the mastermind behind American capitalism of the last thirty years. Wed, 20 Dec 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The latest earthquake to shake Silicon Valley was last Friday 17th November. The epicenter was at 601 Mission Street, San Francisco, headquarters to OpenAI – the leader of the AI sector. In less than a week, the CEO was first ejected and then reinstated on his chair. The tremors at the top of OpenAI are the final act in a secret war between the two factions of techno-optimists and techno-critics, who fear humanity’s loss of control over AI. But the real plot twist is the entrance on the board of Lawrence Henry Summers, the tight-rope walker, the fabricator: the mastermind behind American capitalism of the last thirty years. The latest earthquake to shake Silicon Valley was last Friday 17th November. The epicenter was at 601 Mission Street, San Francisco, headquarters to OpenAI – the leader of the AI sector. In less than a week, the CEO was first ejected and then reinstated on his chair. The tremors at the top of OpenAI are the final act in a secret war between the two factions of techno-optimists and techno-critics, who fear humanity’s loss of control over AI. But the real plot twist is the entrance on the board of Lawrence Henry Summers, the tight-rope walker, the fabricator: the mastermind behind American capitalism of the last thirty years.

]]> 717 Ep.13 - Artificial Intelligence between the apocalypse and techno-optimism It’s called Artificial Intelligence as a Service, and it’s the AI of our near future. It’s practical, easy to use, and available to all: just like electricity. It seems to be a revolution, but the debate is raging, and many are starting to push back against it. The doomsayers on one side – warning against the risks of unbridled growth of AI, and the ultra-optimists on the other – such as American entrepreneur Marc Andreessen and his “Techno-Optimist Manifesto”. It might seem impossible to balance out relentless technological acceleration against the containment of AI’s uncountable permutations, but this is exactly what we’ll need to do if we want the thinking machines to be a new lightbulb that illuminates our planet, rather than a new doomsday device which could destroy it. The audio insert you hear in this episode is taken from The Matrix, a 1999 film directed by Sister Wachowski and produced by Warner Bros, available on Netflix. Wed, 13 Dec 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media It’s called Artificial Intelligence as a Service, and it’s the AI of our near future. It’s practical, easy to use, and available to all: just like electricity. It seems to be a revolution, but the debate is raging, and many are starting to push back against it. The doomsayers on one side – warning against the risks of unbridled growth of AI, and the ultra-optimists on the other – such as American entrepreneur Marc Andreessen and his “Techno-Optimist Manifesto”. It might seem impossible to balance out relentless technological acceleration against the containment of AI’s uncountable permutations, but this is exactly what we’ll need to do if we want the thinking machines to be a new lightbulb that illuminates our planet, rather than a new doomsday device which could destroy it. The audio insert you hear in this episode is taken from The Matrix, a 1999 film directed by Sister Wachowski and produced by Warner Bros, available on Netflix. It’s called Artificial Intelligence as a Service, and it’s the AI of our near future. It’s practical, easy to use, and available to all: just like electricity. It seems to be a revolution, but the debate is raging, and many are starting to push back against it. The doomsayers on one side – warning against the risks of unbridled growth of AI, and the ultra-optimists on the other – such as American entrepreneur Marc Andreessen and his “Techno-Optimist Manifesto”. It might seem impossible to balance out relentless technological acceleration against the containment of AI’s uncountable permutations, but this is exactly what we’ll need to do if we want the thinking machines to be a new lightbulb that illuminates our planet, rather than a new doomsday device which could destroy it.

The audio insert you hear in this episode is taken from The Matrix, a 1999 film directed by Sister Wachowski and produced by Warner Bros, available on Netflix.

]]> 676 Ep.12 - Artificial intelligence and war games The debate surrounding artificial intelligence is dominated by the concept of “existential risk”, or the fear that we as humans feel that an invention can get out of our control. Humanity is facing the dangers of a sudden technological paradigm shift, just like at the times of nuclear energy and the Bomb. Unlike the Cold War, though, there’s no logic of deterrence and no principle of containment. Artificial intelligence is the brainchild of a few choice individuals in Silicon Valley, but it has thousands of implications and multiple potentially devastating risks. So, we can’t possibly hope to contain it unless we imagine a pervasive and permanent surveillance state, and even that might not be enough. The audio inserts you hear in this episode are taken from Wargames, a 1983 film directed by John Badham and produced by MGM/UA Entertainment Co., available on Prime Video. Wed, 06 Dec 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The debate surrounding artificial intelligence is dominated by the concept of “existential risk”, or the fear that we as humans feel that an invention can get out of our control. Humanity is facing the dangers of a sudden technological paradigm shift, just like at the times of nuclear energy and the Bomb. Unlike the Cold War, though, there’s no logic of deterrence and no principle of containment. Artificial intelligence is the brainchild of a few choice individuals in Silicon Valley, but it has thousands of implications and multiple potentially devastating risks. So, we can’t possibly hope to contain it unless we imagine a pervasive and permanent surveillance state, and even that might not be enough. The audio inserts you hear in this episode are taken from Wargames, a 1983 film directed by John Badham and produced by MGM/UA Entertainment Co., available on Prime Video. The debate surrounding artificial intelligence is dominated by the concept of “existential risk”, or the fear that we as humans feel that an invention can get out of our control. Humanity is facing the dangers of a sudden technological paradigm shift, just like at the times of nuclear energy and the Bomb. Unlike the Cold War, though, there’s no logic of deterrence and no principle of containment. Artificial intelligence is the brainchild of a few choice individuals in Silicon Valley, but it has thousands of implications and multiple potentially devastating risks. So, we can’t possibly hope to contain it unless we imagine a pervasive and permanent surveillance state, and even that might not be enough.

The audio inserts you hear in this episode are taken from Wargames, a 1983 film directed by John Badham and produced by MGM/UA Entertainment Co., available on Prime Video.

]]> 688 Ep.11 - The Gig Economy is broken They call it the “Gig Economy”. It’s the field of short-term services, such as private drivers, deliveries, and food couriers struggling to complete as many tasks as possible within the shortest time. As they do so, they get points and go up in their ranking, just like in videogames. But this is no game, it’s the tragic reality of a world that has cancelled worker rights. Digital platforms are in charge of it all. Recently, the employment tribunal of Palermo has sentenced that to rank workers is discriminatory, thus pointing a finger directly at this nightmare that we call “gig economy”. Wed, 29 Nov 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media They call it the “Gig Economy”. It’s the field of short-term services, such as private drivers, deliveries, and food couriers struggling to complete as many tasks as possible within the shortest time. As they do so, they get points and go up in their ranking, just like in videogames. But this is no game, it’s the tragic reality of a world that has cancelled worker rights. Digital platforms are in charge of it all. Recently, the employment tribunal of Palermo has sentenced that to rank workers is discriminatory, thus pointing a finger directly at this nightmare that we call “gig economy”. They call it the “Gig Economy”. It’s the field of short-term services, such as private drivers, deliveries, and food couriers struggling to complete as many tasks as possible within the shortest time. As they do so, they get points and go up in their ranking, just like in videogames. But this is no game, it’s the tragic reality of a world that has cancelled worker rights. Digital platforms are in charge of it all. Recently, the employment tribunal of Palermo has sentenced that to rank workers is discriminatory, thus pointing a finger directly at this nightmare that we call “gig economy”.

]]> 569 Ep.10 - Airbnb, the night of techno-finance Recently, the court of Milan has seized 779 million euros from Airbnb, the largest web service in the short-term homestay market. According to investigation, the digital goliath failed to pay its taxes for the Italian market in the years 2017 to 2021. Many things have changed since Airbnb was celebrated as the magic pill for putting renters directly in touch with travelers, benefitting both. Nowadays, the Californian company is losing control of its own narrative, as it finds itself at the center of controversy, fines, and tax issues as well as being accused of transforming neighborhoods and emptying city centers. A new wind is blowing, and the app giants are finding it harder to continue playing the part of the “good guys”. Wed, 22 Nov 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Recently, the court of Milan has seized 779 million euros from Airbnb, the largest web service in the short-term homestay market. According to investigation, the digital goliath failed to pay its taxes for the Italian market in the years 2017 to 2021. Many things have changed since Airbnb was celebrated as the magic pill for putting renters directly in touch with travelers, benefitting both. Nowadays, the Californian company is losing control of its own narrative, as it finds itself at the center of controversy, fines, and tax issues as well as being accused of transforming neighborhoods and emptying city centers. A new wind is blowing, and the app giants are finding it harder to continue playing the part of the “good guys”. Recently, the court of Milan has seized 779 million euros from Airbnb, the largest web service in the short-term homestay market. According to investigation, the digital goliath failed to pay its taxes for the Italian market in the years 2017 to 2021. Many things have changed since Airbnb was celebrated as the magic pill for putting renters directly in touch with travelers, benefitting both. Nowadays, the Californian company is losing control of its own narrative, as it finds itself at the center of controversy, fines, and tax issues as well as being accused of transforming neighborhoods and emptying city centers. A new wind is blowing, and the app giants are finding it harder to continue playing the part of the “good guys”.

]]> 690 Ep.9 - Coltan and the map of pain It’s called Coltan, and it’s a precious mineral used to make electronics and computers. Essential to build smartphone capacitors and batteries, mostly extracted in Africa. In the last year and a half, the map of central Africa itself has been riddled by violent state coups. This map of political unrest is almost identical to that of the mines where coveted materials such as Coltan are extracted. It’s a map of wild exploitation, violence and wars for the control of resources, in the name of Europe, the USA, Russia and China. It’s the map of pain for millions of human beings. Wed, 15 Nov 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media It’s called Coltan, and it’s a precious mineral used to make electronics and computers. Essential to build smartphone capacitors and batteries, mostly extracted in Africa. In the last year and a half, the map of central Africa itself has been riddled by violent state coups. This map of political unrest is almost identical to that of the mines where coveted materials such as Coltan are extracted. It’s a map of wild exploitation, violence and wars for the control of resources, in the name of Europe, the USA, Russia and China. It’s the map of pain for millions of human beings. It’s called Coltan, and it’s a precious mineral used to make electronics and computers. Essential to build smartphone capacitors and batteries, mostly extracted in Africa. In the last year and a half, the map of central Africa itself has been riddled by violent state coups. This map of political unrest is almost identical to that of the mines where coveted materials such as Coltan are extracted. It’s a map of wild exploitation, violence and wars for the control of resources, in the name of Europe, the USA, Russia and China. It’s the map of pain for millions of human beings.

]]> 728 Ep.8 - The new gold rush In 2023, the price of gold has almost reached a historic high, and rising. The greatest safe-haven asset, the most coveted metal, is the answer to the great crises that have been battering us incessantly, shaking global assets and panicking markets. While its price reaches two-thousand dollars an ounce, central banks are rushing to increase their gold reserves. The world is once more seeking out Eldorado, but the new gold rush is marked by the contradictions of a never-ending state of alert. Wed, 08 Nov 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media In 2023, the price of gold has almost reached a historic high, and rising. The greatest safe-haven asset, the most coveted metal, is the answer to the great crises that have been battering us incessantly, shaking global assets and panicking markets. While its price reaches two-thousand dollars an ounce, central banks are rushing to increase their gold reserves. The world is once more seeking out Eldorado, but the new gold rush is marked by the contradictions of a never-ending state of alert. In 2023, the price of gold has almost reached a historic high, and rising. The greatest safe-haven asset, the most coveted metal, is the answer to the great crises that have been battering us incessantly, shaking global assets and panicking markets. While its price reaches two-thousand dollars an ounce, central banks are rushing to increase their gold reserves. The world is once more seeking out Eldorado, but the new gold rush is marked by the contradictions of a never-ending state of alert.

]]> 657 Ep.7 - Federico Caffè and the Ghosts of Keynes 30th of October 1998, the Court of Rome officially declares the presumed death of Federico Caffè – the economist who disappeared without a trace one morning in April 1987. Professor of Economic and Financial Policies at the University of Rome, uncompromising Keynesian. Caffé literally vanished after his school of thought was defeated by the Conservative revolution of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Thirty-seven years later, many things have changed. The State is once again guiding the economy through the many systemic crises of our time – from the pandemic to wars. The ghosts of John Maynard Keynes have returned to the West, but the meaning of these apparitions is still unclear. Wed, 01 Nov 2023 23:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media 30th of October 1998, the Court of Rome officially declares the presumed death of Federico Caffè – the economist who disappeared without a trace one morning in April 1987. Professor of Economic and Financial Policies at the University of Rome, uncompromising Keynesian. Caffé literally vanished after his school of thought was defeated by the Conservative revolution of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Thirty-seven years later, many things have changed. The State is once again guiding the economy through the many systemic crises of our time – from the pandemic to wars. The ghosts of John Maynard Keynes have returned to the West, but the meaning of these apparitions is still unclear. 30th of October 1998, the Court of Rome officially declares the presumed death of Federico Caffè – the economist who disappeared without a trace one morning in April 1987. Professor of Economic and Financial Policies at the University of Rome, uncompromising Keynesian. Caffé literally vanished after his school of thought was defeated by the Conservative revolution of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Thirty-seven years later, many things have changed. The State is once again guiding the economy through the many systemic crises of our time – from the pandemic to wars. The ghosts of John Maynard Keynes have returned to the West, but the meaning of these apparitions is still unclear.

]]> 843 Ep.6 - Central Banks on the wire of inflation The specter of inflation is back in the western world, and the Central Banks are struggling to keep it under control. The war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the return of supply chains after thirty years of unbridled offshoring, and the demand for higher salaries in the USA are all factors in the recent price fever. On the horizon, we can see that structural inflation is only going to get worse. Central banks are going to be like a high-wire walker, managing a delicate balancing act, because inflation has two faces: when it’s too low it shows a physiological problem of growth, but when it’s too high it creates issues with refinancing public debt. Wed, 25 Oct 2023 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The specter of inflation is back in the western world, and the Central Banks are struggling to keep it under control. The war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the return of supply chains after thirty years of unbridled offshoring, and the demand for higher salaries in the USA are all factors in the recent price fever. On the horizon, we can see that structural inflation is only going to get worse. Central banks are going to be like a high-wire walker, managing a delicate balancing act, because inflation has two faces: when it’s too low it shows a physiological problem of growth, but when it’s too high it creates issues with refinancing public debt. The specter of inflation is back in the western world, and the Central Banks are struggling to keep it under control. The war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the return of supply chains after thirty years of unbridled offshoring, and the demand for higher salaries in the USA are all factors in the recent price fever. On the horizon, we can see that structural inflation is only going to get worse. Central banks are going to be like a high-wire walker, managing a delicate balancing act, because inflation has two faces: when it’s too low it shows a physiological problem of growth, but when it’s too high it creates issues with refinancing public debt.

]]> 724 Ep.5 - The economic consequences of war The conflict between Hamas and Israel may have repercussions on the world economy (already weakened by the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic and by the war in Ukraine). The price of oil and energy are the main concerns: the USA reserves of crude oil are at their lowest in recent memory, and prices are reaching dangerously high levels, just as the 2024 Presidential election gets closer. Across the pond, Europe is risking yet another rise in inflation - just as the cycle of interest rate hikes was coming to a close. The central banks need to walk a tightrope, in stiff conditions and avoiding the perils of stagflation: where high prices and zero growth coexist. A disaster that must be averted at all costs. Wed, 18 Oct 2023 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The conflict between Hamas and Israel may have repercussions on the world economy (already weakened by the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic and by the war in Ukraine). The price of oil and energy are the main concerns: the USA reserves of crude oil are at their lowest in recent memory, and prices are reaching dangerously high levels, just as the 2024 Presidential election gets closer. Across the pond, Europe is risking yet another rise in inflation - just as the cycle of interest rate hikes was coming to a close. The central banks need to walk a tightrope, in stiff conditions and avoiding the perils of stagflation: where high prices and zero growth coexist. A disaster that must be averted at all costs. The conflict between Hamas and Israel may have repercussions on the world economy (already weakened by the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic and by the war in Ukraine). The price of oil and energy are the main concerns: the USA reserves of crude oil are at their lowest in recent memory, and prices are reaching dangerously high levels, just as the 2024 Presidential election gets closer. Across the pond, Europe is risking yet another rise in inflation - just as the cycle of interest rate hikes was coming to a close. The central banks need to walk a tightrope, in stiff conditions and avoiding the perils of stagflation: where high prices and zero growth coexist. A disaster that must be averted at all costs.

]]> 551 Ep.4 - The never-ending apocalypse of Vajont La sera del 9 ottobre 1963 uno tsunami di milioni di metri cubi d’acqua, provocato dalla caduta di una valanga in un bacino idroelettrico, si abbatta su una valle al confine tra Veneto e Friuli-Venezia Giulia, cancellando il paese di Longarone e provocando più di 1.900 morti. Da quella notte di autunno, la tragedia del Vajont è diventata simbolo dell’«ingegnerizzazione della natura», delle trasformazioni che l’uomo impone all’ecosistema fino a comprometterne gli equilibri. Sessant’anni dopo, l’acqua è al centro dell’emergenza climatica. L’“oro blu” è un bene che scarseggia, il cui valore continua ad aumentare vertiginosamente e su cui si appuntano le pulsioni speculative di un paradigma di sviluppo rovinoso: un paradigma che si alimenta di catastrofi e che mette in conto mille, altri possibili “Vajonts”. Al plurale. Wed, 11 Oct 2023 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media La sera del 9 ottobre 1963 uno tsunami di milioni di metri cubi d’acqua, provocato dalla caduta di una valanga in un bacino idroelettrico, si abbatta su una valle al confine tra Veneto e Friuli-Venezia Giulia, cancellando il paese di Longarone e provocando più di 1.900 morti. Da quella notte di autunno, la tragedia del Vajont è diventata simbolo dell’«ingegnerizzazione della natura», delle trasformazioni che l’uomo impone all’ecosistema fino a comprometterne gli equilibri. Sessant’anni dopo, l’acqua è al centro dell’emergenza climatica. L’“oro blu” è un bene che scarseggia, il cui valore continua ad aumentare vertiginosamente e su cui si appuntano le pulsioni speculative di un paradigma di sviluppo rovinoso: un paradigma che si alimenta di catastrofi e che mette in conto mille, altri possibili “Vajonts”. Al plurale. La sera del 9 ottobre 1963 uno tsunami di milioni di metri cubi d’acqua, provocato dalla caduta di una valanga in un bacino idroelettrico, si abbatta su una valle al confine tra Veneto e Friuli-Venezia Giulia, cancellando il paese di Longarone e provocando più di 1.900 morti. Da quella notte di autunno, la tragedia del Vajont è diventata simbolo dell’«ingegnerizzazione della natura», delle trasformazioni che l’uomo impone all’ecosistema fino a comprometterne gli equilibri. Sessant’anni dopo, l’acqua è al centro dell’emergenza climatica. L’“oro blu” è un bene che scarseggia, il cui valore continua ad aumentare vertiginosamente e su cui si appuntano le pulsioni speculative di un paradigma di sviluppo rovinoso: un paradigma che si alimenta di catastrofi e che mette in conto mille, altri possibili “Vajonts”. Al plurale.

]]> 764 Ep.3 - The elephant in the room With more that 32 trillion dollars in public debt, the United States are the country with the largest debt on earth. China and Saudi Arabia are no-longer buying American government bonds, and as the next Presidential election looms, many are starting to fear a new government shutdown: where federal activities are put on hold because the government can’t pass a budget legislation. The considerable increase of public debt in the USA and in the West as a whole, is going to cause serious expense containment measures, and severe service cuts. Once again, those who will suffer the most aren’t just the weakest classes and minorities, but also the middle class, fully-employed workers and small investors. Wed, 04 Oct 2023 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media With more that 32 trillion dollars in public debt, the United States are the country with the largest debt on earth. China and Saudi Arabia are no-longer buying American government bonds, and as the next Presidential election looms, many are starting to fear a new government shutdown: where federal activities are put on hold because the government can’t pass a budget legislation. The considerable increase of public debt in the USA and in the West as a whole, is going to cause serious expense containment measures, and severe service cuts. Once again, those who will suffer the most aren’t just the weakest classes and minorities, but also the middle class, fully-employed workers and small investors. With more that 32 trillion dollars in public debt, the United States are the country with the largest debt on earth. China and Saudi Arabia are no-longer buying American government bonds, and as the next Presidential election looms, many are starting to fear a new government shutdown: where federal activities are put on hold because the government can’t pass a budget legislation. The considerable increase of public debt in the USA and in the West as a whole, is going to cause serious expense containment measures, and severe service cuts. Once again, those who will suffer the most aren’t just the weakest classes and minorities, but also the middle class, fully-employed workers and small investors.

]]> 643 Ep.2 - The United States are a wounded giant The United States are apparently in turmoil. While the American public debt is growing at a frightening pace, and the dollar’s supremacy as currency of the world reserve is in doubt, a dark sickness grips its people. In 2022, the United States saw a record 50,000 suicides. Never before, in the last fifteen years, did so many people decide to take their own lives. Despite these weaknesses, the USA is still unparalleled in its capacity to attract and utilize talent. Also in 2022, American startups managed to collect 245 billion dollars in venture capital financing. This number alone equals that of the rest of the entire world. When it comes to the decisive game of scientific progress and technological innovation, the new frontier is right there where we left it. Trailing across the wild and undiscovered country of the deep West. Wed, 27 Sep 2023 22:15:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media The United States are apparently in turmoil. While the American public debt is growing at a frightening pace, and the dollar’s supremacy as currency of the world reserve is in doubt, a dark sickness grips its people. In 2022, the United States saw a record 50,000 suicides. Never before, in the last fifteen years, did so many people decide to take their own lives. Despite these weaknesses, the USA is still unparalleled in its capacity to attract and utilize talent. Also in 2022, American startups managed to collect 245 billion dollars in venture capital financing. This number alone equals that of the rest of the entire world. When it comes to the decisive game of scientific progress and technological innovation, the new frontier is right there where we left it. Trailing across the wild and undiscovered country of the deep West. The United States are apparently in turmoil. While the American public debt is growing at a frightening pace, and the dollar’s supremacy as currency of the world reserve is in doubt, a dark sickness grips its people. In 2022, the United States saw a record 50,000 suicides. Never before, in the last fifteen years, did so many people decide to take their own lives. Despite these weaknesses, the USA is still unparalleled in its capacity to attract and utilize talent. Also in 2022, American startups managed to collect 245 billion dollars in venture capital financing. This number alone equals that of the rest of the entire world. When it comes to the decisive game of scientific progress and technological innovation, the new frontier is right there where we left it. Trailing across the wild and undiscovered country of the deep West.

]]> 712 Ep.1 - This is China Xi Jinping’s absence at the recent G20 summit, and the catastrophe that hit China’s real-estate sector just this August, may be deeper signs of change in the global balance. Meanwhile, in the West economists are divided: those that follow the school of Keynes see Beijing’s difficulties as caused by a crisis in internal demand. They don’t dramatize the possible repercussions of this downturn, and they congratulate the Biden administration on its public support towards the economy, seeing in it the correct response to the Chinese model. On the other front, conservative theorists want to take advantage of the dragon’s difficulties and to reaffirm the supremacy of a liberal economic paradigm. There’s great confusion under the sky, and the feeling is that the west continues to use outdated analytical approaches in attempting to make sense of the Asian colossus, its unique characteristics, and the paradoxes of our modern era. Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:43:00 -0000 full Guido Brera - Chora Media Xi Jinping’s absence at the recent G20 summit, and the catastrophe that hit China’s real-estate sector just this August, may be deeper signs of change in the global balance. Meanwhile, in the West economists are divided: those that follow the school of Keynes see Beijing’s difficulties as caused by a crisis in internal demand. They don’t dramatize the possible repercussions of this downturn, and they congratulate the Biden administration on its public support towards the economy, seeing in it the correct response to the Chinese model. On the other front, conservative theorists want to take advantage of the dragon’s difficulties and to reaffirm the supremacy of a liberal economic paradigm. There’s great confusion under the sky, and the feeling is that the west continues to use outdated analytical approaches in attempting to make sense of the Asian colossus, its unique characteristics, and the paradoxes of our modern era. Xi Jinping’s absence at the recent G20 summit, and the catastrophe that hit China’s real-estate sector just this August, may be deeper signs of change in the global balance. Meanwhile, in the West economists are divided: those that follow the school of Keynes see Beijing’s difficulties as caused by a crisis in internal demand. They don’t dramatize the possible repercussions of this downturn, and they congratulate the Biden administration on its public support towards the economy, seeing in it the correct response to the Chinese model. On the other front, conservative theorists want to take advantage of the dragon’s difficulties and to reaffirm the supremacy of a liberal economic paradigm. There’s great confusion under the sky, and the feeling is that the west continues to use outdated analytical approaches in attempting to make sense of the Asian colossus, its unique characteristics, and the paradoxes of our modern era.

]]> 769