Mark Burton
"In the past, whenever there was a financial crisis or a major political conflict, investors would pile into dollar assets, driving the dollar up – as happened during the 2008 financial crisis. That hasn’t happened under Trump; the dollar index has fallen 10% against other currencies in 2025. ...
"The dollar, as the world’s major currency for central bank reserves and in transactions in international trade and finance, has been in gradual decline for decades."
https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2026/02/05/the-debasement-trade-and-the-future-of-the-dollar/
The debasement trade and the future of the dollar

The gold price against the US dollar is back above $5000 per oz after its recent short sharp contraction last week.  The unprecedented rise in the gold price, particularly since the beginning of th…

Michael Roberts Blog
Feb 5 at 2:39pmWeb
Show threadCollective Truth4d ago

@markhburton I feel like we could all talk about #money and #banks more often ?

Banks are not neutral and money is root of all #evil / pays for it / enables others to take the good money (all money passing through #rich people's hands) and use it for very #unhelpful things in life...

Banks = #Negative #Equations #Maths / #Immoral #Math

#AltText

Show threadCollective Truth4d ago

@markhburton
Many think #banks are #neutral (for it's #speculation? investment into #war? #paying for what #profits most devastating in a short time?) and it isn't #moral actually passing through those hands full of #bad actors (#immoral #investments) and growing what #fucks people best and #sucks most out of them.

#Banks = #Negative #Equations #Maths / #Immoral #Math #People #Extraction

Show threadMark Burton4d ago
@collective_truth
Banks are part of the capitalist system. They behave as you'd expect!
Show threadCollective Truth4d ago

@markhburton
So more than that expectation, I meant people think banks are ok and don't actually think every day "shit I have to find another way, their #cheating everyone etc. So at least eventually "we have to solving it" ?

OR for the meantime just using them less (?) - I think maybe we / you honestly think banks are ok or just forget about them as the major underlying factor for contaminating / corrupting every single transaction and person.

Any thoughts on that personally ?

Show threadCollective Truth4d ago

@markhburton Your reply kinda sounded like you're accepting them in expecting them... slightly downplaying the power of the #banks destruction of all finite matter using infinite numbers.

So it seems to be a bit of downplaying the importance to replace them somewhat eventually.

Show threadCollective Truth4d ago

@markhburton
Why mention that short reply?

Sure they are part of the capitalistist system "as you'd expect" but then is that's it in the reply?

(p.s - the "you'd" part in the sentence was in the plural form of "you" or personal form of "you" I guess - perhaps you meant both here?)

Overall I was looking for more or wasn't quite clear what you meant / how you would try and solve it or just sympathise in not knowing..

So not judging you but asking to clarify and add more here... Thanks

Show threadMark Burton3d ago
@collective_truth
Briefly, because this needs more than a short post here:
Banking is a support system for capitalism, which relies on the exploitation of labour, on which the accumulation of value rests.
Banking provides the credit for capitalist investment to realise yet more profit (realised surplus value).
However, there is also speculative investment within the financial system itself, and there are workers in that system to exploit.
The danger is that a focus on banking and money /cont'd.
Show threadMark Burton3d ago
@collective_truth
Cont'd./
problematises the wrong thing.
Capitalism is the problem and the banks merely part of that system.
Reform of money, of banking, etc. would not change the underlying reality of ecocidal expansion based on labour exploitation worldwide, that treats the earth as a store of 'resources' to be extracted and infinitum.
Show threadCollective Truth3d ago

@markhburton I like what you said, a lot.

I am a bit confused about solving things (while we still use them) so while I see the difference or mentality of Capitalism, I see a small solution or small effort to use banks etc less + educate others... ?

And then maybe (hopefully) other people see that "Capitalism" as same parts and put all these things together to reject / amend it all or something?

(because I think it's hard to say / reject / change things without understanding the parts also?)

Show threadMark Burton3d ago
@collective_truth
I agree, and try to use more ethical banks etc, e.g. those that don't invest in fossil fuels, those with a cooperative or mutual constitution.
In UK, Triodos (also in continental Europe), Ecology Building Society, other still mutual building societies like Nationwide...
We wrote this some years ago,
https://steadystatemanchester.net/2018/05/01/the-viable-economy-and-viable-finance/
The Viable Economy … and Viable Finance

The Viable Economy – and Viable Finance Mark H Burton and Mike Riddell. pdf version (not updated) updated, 10 May, 13 December, 2018. It is all too clear that our economy is precarious, economicall…

Steady State Manchester
Show threadCollective Truth4d ago

@markhburton

So while people see money and #banks as " #food and #shelter " it's actually shafting them really badly - especially the next generation - as debt / desperation mounts and existed riches devalued / displaced / extract in other ways... as we're seeing over and over again in different kinds of #wars (#hard / #soft #economic #war)