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Green Sunday (9/8): Dr. Jack Rasmus on “Trump’s Economy

Green Sunday (9/8):  Dr. Jack Rasmus on “Trump’s Economy: Trade Wars, Tax Cuts, and Recession”


Global recession is underway. Manufacturing is contracting worldwide. Trade is no longer growing. Germany and Europe are on the brink, Japan is stagnating, and China is slowing. On the financial side of the global economy, stock markets are becoming unstable, bonds and gold are in a bubble, oil, commodities and currencies are deflating, financial crises are erupting in Argentina, South America, and India, and German and Italian banks are becoming fragile. In the USA business investment and construction are contracting and manufacturing has stalled. Meanwhile, corporate, household and government debt are at dangerous levels. Will the US join the global economy slide into recession? If so, how soon? And will it be like 2008-09 or worse? Or not?

The presentation will show what role Trump’s policies have played in the scenario. It will include analyses of Trump’s trade wars, his $4.5 trillion business-investor tax cuts, his escalating War/Defense spending, and the trillion dollar annual budget deficits that tax cuts and war spending have spawned for another decade. What’s really behind the Trump tariff war with China? Why Trump is attacking the Federal Reserve chairman, Powell. Why wages and jobs are not really rising as Trump claims. And why Trump policies are leading to a political and constitutional crisis in the U.S.

The presentation will conclude with a political analysis why corporate-friendly Democrat Party leadership has not been able to stop Trump nor deal with the political movement (and money) behind him. And why their current strategy may lead to another Trump victory in 2020.

As part of the presentation, Dr. Rasmus will share some of the quantitative data and analyses from his forthcoming book, “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump”, Clarity Press, October 1, 2019, which raises the theme: Neoliberalism entered a crisis after 2008-09 and Trump represents a desperate effort to restore it in a new aggressive, virulent form which requires a fundamental restriction of civil liberties and restructuring of the American democratic system.

September 8, 5:00 to 6:30 PM

Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., near Alcatraz, Oakland

Dr. Jack Rasmus is the author of the forthcoming book, “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump”, Clarity Press, October 1, 2019. Dr Rasmus currently teaches economics at St. Marys College in Moraga, California, and publishes on subjects of US economic policy, US political change, global financial instability, financial business cycles, history of economic thought, American Labor and unions, and US Economic History. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley (BA Economics) and University of Toronto, Canada (MA, PH.D Political Economy).

Prior to his academic career and publishing, Dr. Rasmus was formerly an Economist, Vice-President, and strategic market analyst for various global tech, market research, and silicon valley technology start-up companies for twenty years. Before that for more than a decade he was a local union president, vice-president, contract negotiator, strike coordinator, and organizer for various unions, including the National Writers Union/UAW, Communication Workers of America, and Hotel & Restaurant and Service Employees International Unions.

Dr. Rasmus is also author of several prior books on the USA and global economy, including, Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of the Fed, Lexington Books, March 2019; Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes, Clarity Press, August 2017; Looting Greece, Clarity Press, September 2016; Systemic Fragility in the Global Economy, Clarity Press, January 2016; Epic Recession: Prelude to Global Depression, Pluto Books, 2010; Obama’s Economy: Recovery for the Few, Pluto Books, 2012; and The War At Home: The Corporate Offensive From Reagan to George W. Bush, Kylos Books, 2006. Dr. Rasmus blogs at jackrasmus.com and his website http://kyklosproductions.com, where his articles and radio and TV interviews are available for download. His twitter handle is @drjackrasmus. He also hosts the weekly radio show, Alternative Visions, on the Progressive Radio Network  podcasts available at http://alternativevisions.podbean.com). He may be contacted at:  drjackrasmus@gmail.com or jjr2@stmarys-ca.edu. 

Green Sundays are a series of free public programs & discussions on topics “du jour” sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. Snacks are potluck. Vegetarian and vegan snacks are always welcome, but we appreciate whatever you can bring! The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party follows, at 6:45 pm. Council meetings are open to anyone who is interested.