PODCAST

Alternative Visions

Progressive Radio Network

Dr. Jack Rasmus will focus on today’s continuing crisis in the U.S. and global economies.

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All Episodes

58:42

Alternative Visions- Is the US Empire About to...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/05/30

Today's show is dedicated to discussing the state of the US empire today. Contrary to some on the left, it is not about to collapse. But it is in a state of intensifying decline. Today's show reviews these two themes and considers the evidence for collapse vs. decline. A brief history how empires extract wealth from their dependencies (plunder, occupation, colonialism, unequal trade, financial imperialism, etc.) is discussed. A review of US institutions of Empire and how the US practices imperial

55:54

Alternative Visions- Recessionary Impacts of Trump's...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/05/23

Mainstream media isn't addressing the potential negative impacts on GDP and growth from Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' cutting taxes and spending by trillions of dollars. After reviewing in detail the various provisions of the US House of Representatives final bill, likely changed little by the Senate, today's show explains how the short term impacts of the spending cuts on GDP in 2nd half this year will likely more than offset the longer term effects of the tax cuts. Review of consumer spending,

58:24

Alternative Visions- UPDates: Trump Tax Legislation...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/05/19

Today's show discusses further details on Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' tax proposals. Why target total cost was reduced by Congress from $4.5T to $3.8T. Impacts on wealthies1% and,1% and median income households. Backtracking on 'working class' cuts (tips, overtime, social security income & no tax hikes on carried interest and stock buybacks or corporate tax cut rates, as the tax package begins to look more and more favoring capital incomes and businesses. Update on Ukraine war negotiations

55:52

Alternative Visions- Trump Tax Cut Legislation Details

Alternative Visions ·

2025/05/12

Today's show focuses on pending $4 Trillion Tax Cuts soon acted on by US Congress as part of package of spending/budget. What's actually in the tax bill? Why is it being reduced to $4T? What about the proposed $1.1T in new working class tax cuts (tips, overtime pay, social security income, interest deduction on new car purchases, cap on state & local taxes, etc.). Will they pass? Why are corporate taxes not on the table, only individual income taxes? Why US has cut taxes by $17 trillion since

55:08

Alternative Visions- Minerals Deal + 1st Quarter US GDP

Alternative Visions ·

2025/05/05

Today's show dissects the Trump-Zelensky Minerals Deal finally signed, concluding it's not at all like Trump's first deal in March. No US repayment for past US aid in this one and a back door is opened in the deal for US giving Ukraine more weapons again. And why were 3 documents drafted but we only get to know of one? Second half of show discusses the preliminary US GDP for1st three months of 2025 showing a contraction of the US economy by -0.3%--due mostly to US businesses importing extra goods

58:18

Alternative Visions- Trump's Ukraine War 'Kellogg...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/04/28

Much of today's show is dedicated to a detailed discussion of the various plans and proposals to start negotiations on ending the Ukraine war: Trump's revised 'Kellogg Plan', Europe's plan to continue the war, Ukraine and Zelensky's refusal to negotiate without Russia leaving all territory and capitulating, and Putin's June 14, 2024 proposals that haven't changed. To summarize: Ukraine, Europe & Trump want ceasefire first then negotiations; Russia wants negotiations to start during which

53:02

Alternative Visions- Tariffs, the Fed and Ukraine...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/04/21

Today's show discusses latest events in Trump tariff policies. Not about paying for tax cuts but part of restructuring US empire financing. Why did Trump retreat from pace of tariff implementation? Answer: intense opposition from US multinational corporations to slow down implementation + Japan dumping US Treasuries. Trump launches verbal warning to Powell and Fed to start lowering interest rates, in repeat of 2017 Trump v. Powell conflict (which Trump won). Also, update on Ukraine war negotiations

59:14

Alternative Visions- A Trump Recession?

Alternative Visions ·

2025/03/28

We will be talking about the likelihood of a Trump recession or not.

55:29

Alternative Visions- Trump’s Domestic Policies Emerge

Alternative Visions ·

2025/03/25

Today’s show discusses some of Trump’s emerging domestic policies, with focus on what’s behind shutting down the Education Dept., Trump Tariffs, and the $4.5T tax cuts working its way through Congress. What’s the real impact of Tariffs on inflation and economic growth? What’s Trump’s 3 part tax strategy? Which presidents since 2001 are responsible for cutting US taxes by $17 trillion and how much did each contribute? Why Trump’s overall fiscal policies are classic Neoliberalism. The show also

58:58

Alternative Visions- US-Ukraine Jeddah Meeting &...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/03/18

After US & Russia met in Riyadh, US and Ukraine followed up to meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this past week. Today’s show summarizes the positions and demands of the various parties in the 4-way negotiations that are the current discussions re. future peace in Ukraine: USA, Russia, Ukraine, and European Union NATO. What did the USA tell Ukraine in Jeddah? The context of negotiations as military conflict continues, and likely will escalate, in Ukraine. How Russia has cleared out Kursk. Next likely

59:07

Alternative Visions- Trump’s Speech to Congress &...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/03/10

Today’s show analyzes two key events of the past week: an in-depth discussion of Trump’s speech to Congress: EOs, DOGE, Taxes, Tariffs, new defense spending in the pipelines, reaffirmation of Greenland and Panama Canal takeover and further shift in US support for Zelensky and Ukraine. Democrats’ Senator Slotkin weak response indicate Democrats still have no alternative program or strategy. Show then discusses Europe’s emergency conference in London to try to develop a response to US policy on

58:30

Alternative Visions- US-Zelensky Minerals Deal +...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/02/28

What’s behind the Minerals deal with Ukraine? Why it’s mostly smoke & mirrors, not a contract or final deal. Why both parties compromised & left the deal vague. Who benefits from the deal? How it’s related to Europe’s $260B frozen Russian assets. Why it’s PR. Second part of show continues discussion of the intensifying contradictions behind continuing the US global empire. Why the empire as now structured is no longer affordable and US imperialists are intent on restructuring it (once again

56:32

Alternative Visions- Trump Restructures the Empire...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/02/24

Today’s show first of two parts on how current events, geopolitical and US domestic, represent the start of a fundamental US restructuring of its global empire. US-Russia meeting in Riyadh Saudi Arabia marks the opening event. What happened in Riyadh? Zelensky reacts. European leaders in tizzy over being side-lined. Starmer (UK)-Macron (France) on coming Europe take over of the war as US bows out. Implications of US-EU feuding for future of NATO. US VP Vance’s speech in Munich. Current emerging

55:50

Alternative Visions- Trump’s Radical 4 Foreign...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/02/17

In the past week Trump issued four announcements that continue to portend a radical restructuring of the US imperial system. First: US proposes to ‘own’ GAZA, allowing Israel to focus on future expansion into Syria, west bank & Lebanon, and shift its policy from genocide to ethnic cleansing. The role of Trump son-in-law Kushner’s US-Israel real estate consortium behind the scenes. Second, Trump holds 90 min. talk with Putin, followed by 10 min. with Zelensky, while ignoring the Europeans who in

59:05

Alternative Visions- Trump Foreign Policies & Their...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/02/10

today’s show addresses Trump’s recent foreign policies moves, including US ‘owning’ GAZA, Trump overtures to negotiations with Russia over Ukraine, threats to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada and their response sending 10k troops to US border, Rubio’s visit to Panama, latest on Greenland and China tariffs exchanges. The show then describes the various US moves in recent years that have had the effect of making Europe a growing economic and political dependency of the US. Show closes with early

56:09

Alternative Visions- Early Look at Trump’s Emerging...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/01/27

Today’s show moves on to the Trump years, with many more shows to come no doubt. It’s been only one week but some outlines of where Trump may be going are emerging. Today the discussion focuses on the emerging spending cuts and how they’re designed to pay for Trump’s new tax cuts. Some DOGE austerity targets are discussed. How $200B/yr will cover just half of Trump’s $400B/yr tax cuts. How Tariffs & assumed GDP growth is supposed to cover the rest. That still leaves $1-$1.5 trillion budget

55:49

Alternative Visions- Biden’s Legacies

Alternative Visions ·

2025/01/21

As Joe Biden prepares to leave office on Jan. 20, what area the legacies he leaves behind. Today’s show reviews those legacies—economic and political, domestic and global. For the US economy, a review of the inflation legacy, Covid relief program and results, the Biden jobs record, subsidies to corporate investment, actual US GDP, budget and trade deficits, and national debt. In domestic politics his contributions to the decline of democracy, identity politics, immigration and the failed election

59:00

Alternative Visions- Political Predictions 2025 &...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/01/13

this show continues the beginning of 2025 predictions for US domestic and global politics (see last week’s show for economic predictions). Predictions include Ukraine army will collapse by the summer and real negotiations then begin. Before talks commence with no solution. Europe: Germany’s Afd right wing party will win big in the February elections. Instability in Europe will grow. EU will begin to steal Russia’s frozen assets in its bank. Russia will conclude mutual defense treaty with Iran and

55:19

Alternative Visions- Predictions 2025: US & Global...

Alternative Visions ·

2025/01/06

Predictions were made for this coming year for the US and global economies. They include likelihood of recession in 1H25 beyond goods sector, inflation likely to drift up again, Fed rate policy, DOGE/Congress austerity measures cutting social programs, Trump tax cuts, deficits and national debt, Tariffs and their consequences, AI technology trends, financial asset markets (stocks and bonds). For the global economy the direction of the US $ short term v. long, a new Plaza Accord 2.0 for US allies,

56:37

Alternative Visions- 2024 Year in Review Show

Alternative Visions ·

2024/12/30

Today’s show is the annual year end summary of the more important events and developments for 2024 for the economy and politic: A review of the US economy inflation trends, Fed rate policies, US goods sector recession, USA’s runaway budget deficit and national debt, Longshore union negotiations, Artificial Intelligence & Tech trends, pending 2025 Austerity social program cuts & Musk’s DOGE, Biden sanctions on Russia and China, BRICS expansion, the state of Europe & China economies, and

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