Setting a deadline for countries to reply, with an “or else” threat of tariff imposition: The US bullying is a method Trump is using to scare countries into submission. But not all countries are buying it. Sooner or later, they will retaliate, though not like the warp speed that Trump has used to apply his unjust tariffs, under "America First."

It started during his first term as US President, the US President has now continued that during his second time in office. Seven months after his inauguration, the US President has gone ahead and imposed tariffs on almost all countries that do trade with the US. Short term gains, yes, but long term fallout: has the US President and his economic team scrutinized that period fully?

War is a racket, everybody knows that. And no one has lived up to that slogan more than a superpower which is in decline, and that is the US. Clinging on to power is the US goal, and doing that militarily is the only way that the US knows in coercing countries into following its foreign policy directives.

The total economic losses to Israel following the 12-day war with Iran are estimated at around $6 billion, with infrastructure hit particularly hard.

This edition of the program is about the Russian and Iranian presidents signing a partnership treaty in Moscow.

Never has there been a point in time when the world economic order has been sliced and diced into pieces and thrown into the garbage disposal. A tariff war with the aim of balancing revenue with deficits is not as straightforward as that, especially when it comes to the fight that Trump has created when it comes to China, a match which could very well be unmatched.

The notion of war should be an outdated one, since civilization should've reached the level of maturity to be able to work out things diplomatically. Not the case with the US, who is still stuck in a war mentality. From weaponizing the dollar, to its foreign policy, the "no to war" president Donald Trump has threatened war with Iran.

An economic super power which has a large influence in the money markets around the world can bully other countries when it comes to things like deficits and import and export. It can also break free from organizations like the WTO since it does not believe in those trade rules. But bullying nations through tariffs to meet its shortcomings like manufacturing can lead to economic disaster.

In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. It is based on the principles of inclusivity, equality, and cooperation, and aims to foster a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. However, this is not the case with the US, which displays unilateralism and supports one-sided trade action in disregard for other parties. Such is the case of the US and Trump's tariffs.

The United States claims to champion free speech and expression as pillars of democracy, yet the proposed TikTok ban raises questions about selective restrictions. The United States says the hallmarks of a democracy include free speech and free expression. That is enshrined in the country's constitution. But if that is now up for restrictions and exemptions based on whom it impacts, then its notion of democracy is flawed. And if it undermines not only democracy but Americans themselves: then that should be stopped. But not in the case where the Israeli regime is involved. That is the story of the TikTok ban in the US.

Technology has been at the forefront of man's evolution, and it has come a long way. Artificial intelligence is the latest to have opened the door for human advancement. That is a welcome story. But there are countries which try to prevent that advancement, so they can be on top of the race. Such is the story between China and the US, especially when it comes to China's latest breakthrough in AI search platform, DeepSeek.

Supremacy over the world comes with a cost, like the financial support of groups, figures, and media. Sovereignty and independence are not in the interest of Western powers like the US. These include regime change plans and creating instability under the guise of humanitarian assistance, like USAID.

Battlefield is where wars are fought, but the reasons behind a war is not always clear. One thing remains constant, and that is that every war has an economic interest behind it. Syria may be the battlefield for control of energy corridors, involving many foreign players. This episode of Economic Divide looks at how Syria may play a key role in energy corridors.

A series of events culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi regime in 1979. That would be a very simple and premature description of the birth of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for it was much more than that. Removing a puppet regime of the US in West Asia, which had been installed to do Washington and the West's bidding. The Islamic Republic is elevating people's status economically and educationally, creating and producing while under the harshest sanctions ever on a country and while becoming a military and nuclear power at the same time... This is the evolution of an independent country.

Current events indicate that the world system has changed from unipolar to multipolar. In this new system, Iran and Russia have signed a partnership agreement to be allies in a new world order, help defeat US and Western hegemony, and repel sanctions. This edition of Economic Divide looks at the significance and future of this agreement.

Record oil sales, like those of its neighbor, the US. At the same time, record immigration, expanded government spending, and green ambitions should be factors for economic growth. Yet, increased federal debt, govt. Spending and deteriorating living standards, which included significant levels of poverty, inflation, violent crime rates, and high cost of living, plague Canada. On top of that, the threat leveled by its top trading partner of it becoming another US state sounds like a perfect storm brewing. What was PM Trudeau's outgoing economic legacy, and what is its future?

Throughout the decades, many nations' industrial output has given way to China's manufacturing output. US manufacturers continue to go bankrupt, yet fail to cede to outside bidders due to national security, even if it hurt them financially. Meanwhile, outdated technology will claim more manufacturers in the US as the US scrambles to increase manufacturers' productivity and bottom line. This episode of Economic Divide examines the above in the context of Nippon Steel's takeover of US Steel and the Biden administration's rejection of it.

Threatening to take the sovereignty of another nation is one of the mainstays of the US. It can attempt to do that since it's backed by the power of the world's largest military. However, exerting power and making enemies will come with consequences at a cost to the US and even its allies.

Terrorists known as Daesh had carved a home for themselves in Syria. This is while the other Syrian occupation was by the Americans. The US, along with the terrorists, had failed in defeating Assad. Instead, they used sanctions to starve Syrians and the economy. Then they struck, in a plan hatched inside a control center manned by the US and the Israeli regime, along with a regional country. Like their other failures, what did they think of the day after?

In the quest for regional dominance, a military approach can attempt to crush a country. This is done with the intention of economic goals, such as trade corridors. This is the story of the Israeli regime, which, backed by the US and its military equipment, has tried to crush the Gaza Strip, Hamas, then Lebanon, and Hezbollah, but in vain. The old but not discarded New Middle East, or West Asia, may be an aspiration not discarded but is still being pursued. Yet, the US and the Israeli regime fail to learn from their defeats in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

It is hard to believe that a country that was an economic leader in Europe and the world in some respects is now fighting for its economic life. Germany is not only dealing with an economic crisis, but its fragile coalition government has fallen apart. It is also dealing with an ageing population crisis and a shortage of labor.

The US Presidential Election 2024 had a winner, the now President-elect Donald Trump. Record amounts of money were poured into this election cycle, including the presidential election, billions of dollars, not by ordinary people, but by billionaires, shell companies, Super PACS, and dark money. And what about the return? Is this free and fair? What about the 40% or so of the Americans who did not vote? These are just a few of the angles we'll look at in this episode of Economic Divide.

Israel's economic decline, after more than a year of war, continues. Many analysts believe that Israel might not even survive economically without US support and assistance from other allied countries. Meanwhile, the deterioration of economic activity, marked by increasing deficits, capital outflows, and a lack of investment, continues to plague the regime. And why are so many Israelis buying property in Cyprus?

The BRICS summit has taken place in Russia, and it was a success by any means. BRICS countries united behind BRICS pay trade in national currencies, ending the reliance on the dollar, and other BRICS-related issues like multilateralism. But what keeps them united under the BRICS umbrella is one thing. When it comes to other issues of a political nature, like the Israeli regime and doing trade with it, that's another issue altogether.

Occupy Wall Street was a movement that did not yield the intended results. Yet it shook the foundations of American society, especially the banks and the rich: the 99% and the 1% one of their slogans. Even though OWS was born in the US, turning 13 in 2024, the goals and the warnings that it issued at that time still plague everyone's financial well-being from the US and across the world.

As the economy in Israel crumbles, the momentum downward was given a boost when Iran executed Operation True Promise II. With a 90% accuracy rate, the Israeli regime suffered not only a substantial military setback but now faced more jitters and withdrawals from investment, including increasing migration out of the occupied Palestine. In this edition of Economic Divide, we will look at how Iran's operation impacted the Israeli economy, and where this economy is headed to.

Imagine waking up everyday knowing that the day before you have murdered tens if not hundreds of people, and that your mission for the day is to do the same. Now imagine if you have been doing that everyday for one year. That is what Israeli officials and regime forces have been doing for a whole year. Economic Divide's look at this genocide, from an economic perspective, is our focus in today's program

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian chose Iraq as his first foreign trip. But why would he choose Iraq? They signed more than a dozen agreements during Pezeshkian's visit. Is it just about neutralizing sanctions? In this edition of the program, we will examine how Pezeshkian has vowed to prioritize relations with neighboring states, including Iraq.

By now, the whole world is aware of the BRICS, unlike years ago, when the grouping was all but dismissed. Now, things have changed, so much so, that the grouping is set to announce the launch of its new payment system called BRICS Pay. What that is, and whether it will be operational, with one goal being de-dollarization is the subject of today's program.

Protests in Israeli-occupied territories against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies have been raging for more than a year. But the most recent protests took things to another level. Not only were they the biggest since October 7, but Israel's major union was able to shut businesses in Tel Aviv and other towns in a message to Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet, which took a toll on Israel's economy.

Just when the Israeli regime's economic crisis is written off that it can't get any worse, it does. The regime has conducted a large-scale onslaught in the West Bank, erasing any hopes for businesses to survive. This is while Israelis continue to leave the occupied Palestinian territories. Meanwhile, the war costs keep increasing due to Israel's multiple war scenarios.

The Venezuelan Presidential Elections have come and gone, and the people of Venezuela have voted: they want President Maduro to stay in power. That should be enough for any country to move to the next phase of its democracy. But not for the US, who is pushing again for regime change in resource-rich Venezuela, creating a source of instability in that country and for its economy.

The economic crisis in Israel is getting worse by the day. A major credit rating agency has downgraded Israel's credit rating. No matter how you look at it, Israel's economy can only get worse as long as the genocidal war continues. Now it is a matter of whether Israel's economy can withstand the genocidal war. And with the possibilities of Hezbollah and Iran hitting targets inside of the Occupied Territories, that can only spell doomsday for Israel.

Student protests, which rocked Bangladesh since July 1, led to the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. This has battered the domestic economy, with losses estimated at billions of dollars. Given that no democratically elected government has been formed, what is Bangladesh's economic future? And what about the claims made by former PM Sheikh Hasina that the Bangladesh coup was the US revenge for military base refusal?

The US sanctions regime has had its successes, but the failures to reach its intended goals far outweigh those successes. Just look at Iran's case: max. Pressure, including sanctions, has failed. But if the sanctions regime were to apply to 60% of countries worldwide, wouldn't that be a perfect recipe for creating enemies?

The Israeli economy has suffered tremendously under the weight of the US-Israeli genocidal war. With it, the Occupied West Bank’s economy also suffered. The Israeli regime may like for Palestinians to suffer, but the West Bank is not Gaza. What if the Palestinians, under financial pressure, decide to rise up? Can Israel handle another crisis, like in the Gaza Strip?

The Israeli economy has been in freefall for nine months. The impact of the genocidal war on the economy is not reported as much. One reason is that Israel does not want the world to know how badly its economy is doing. However, just one look at the major sectors shows how badly manufacturing is suffering. When it comes to consumer spending, that is not as bad as it should be since one sector of Israeli society is being subsidized in spending money.

Israel’s barbarous campaign in Gaza claims innocent Palestinian lives, but it is also costing the regime its economy: there is no denying that.

The Gaza onslaught has chewed away Israel's economy to the point that there is a countdown to when it is actually going to stop functioning.

The Israeli regime has continued its genocidal onslaught into the 9th month. This is while it disregards its economic existence, given how much it is suffering in many areas. Now, some companies prefer to stay away from the regime and not do business with it. How much of a hit will that incur on its economy on top of the other negative economic factors?

There is no denying that the Israeli regime has been controlling the lives of Palestinians, especially economically, through different apartheid practices. One of them is controlling and not paying PA, the Palestinian Authority its tax revenues, something it has done recently. Will this lead to an uprising in the occupied West Bank, worse than what it is experiencing right now?

It is reported that Turkey has halted all trade with Israel. It took Turkey long enough to do that, after almost 35,000 Palestinians were killed.

There have been protests by Google employees for a project that Amazon and Google have with Israel. These protests have now gained momentum since the Gaza onslaught. Are Google and Amazon complicit in helping the Israeli regime in its apartheid practices against Palestinians? In today's program, we have special guests Paul Biggar, software engineer and founder of Tech for Palestine, and Dimitri Lascaris, geopolitical commentator, journalist, and lawyer, who will explain that to us.

Iran’s economy under the late President Ebrahim Raeisi and the 13th administration he headed made great strides, from the increase in the GDP to lowering things like inflation and unemployment. In this edition of Economic Divide, we will look at the performance of the late president and how, in his short term in office, he improved the state of Iran’s economy, including its oil production revenues.

The US-Israel genocidal aggression has entered its 8th month, and Israel continues to grind on, ignoring all calls for the onslaught to stop. Even Israel's economy which is drowning in debt and increased costs are not stopping PM Netanyahu from calling it quits and moving towards a solution. But why is he sacrificing the very existence of Israel by continuing this aggression?