Kurdish Policy Analysis

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     Is it true that Banks don't lend to the poor. They lend to the RICH? The end of the gold standard transformed the global financial system, reshaping debt, inflation, asset ownership, and wealth creation. But the story is more nuanced than many viral claims suggest. How the end of the gold standard in 1971 reshaped the global financial system, inflation, debt, investing, and wealth creation—and what it means for today's economy. For decades, millions of people have been told to follow a simple financial formula: study hard, get a stable job, save your money, avoid debt, and retire comfortably. For much of the twentieth century, that advice worked remarkably well. But the global economic environment that produced those outcomes changed dramatically after 1971 , when the United States ended the convertibility of the U.S. dollar into gold under President Richard Nixon . The decision effectively marked the end of the Bretton ...

  Grocery Prices Are A Hidden Cost Of The Middle East Conflict Energy shocks are immediate, but food inflation moves slowly through fertilizer, freight and farm supply chains Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj , Sulaimani, Iraq, April 25, 2026 ,  April — — American consumers may already be paying more at the pump because of the war with Iran, but the biggest impact on supermarket prices could take months to fully materialize. Economists and agricultural analysts say food inflation typically lags energy shocks, as higher oil, fertilizer and transportation costs gradually work their way through global supply chains before appearing on grocery store shelves. "The transmission mechanism is slow," said an agricultural commodities analyst at a major U.S. bank. "Farmers buy fertilizer months before harvest, distributors negotiate contracts in advance, and retailers often absorb initial cost increases before passing them on." That delay means consumers are unlikely to see the full infl...

From Egypt to Iraq, hidden austerity, currency defenses, and capital controls reveal a widening gap between public calm and behind-the-scenes economic panic SULAIMANIYAH, March 30, Kurdish Policy Analysis — A series of rapid and largely uncoordinated economic measures across multiple countries over the past 72 hours is raising questions among analysts about whether governments are bracing for a broader financial shock, even as officials publicly insist stability remains intact. From the Middle East to Asia, policymakers have enacted emergency-style decisions — ranging from currency controls to austerity measures — signaling heightened concern over capital flight, inflation pressures, and geopolitical uncertainty. In Egypt , authorities imposed early shop closures at 9 p.m. and expanded remote work policies, according to local reports, in what officials internally described as a shift toward a “war economy mode.” The moves come just days after the International Monetary Fund approv...