The IOTA publication library
Articles and reports by Rick Alonzo, published through Institution of the Americas and Rickynomics.
12 publications
Rejecting a technology is a decision with costs of its own. Privacy concerns deserve examination, but so do the hours, opportunities, and capabilities surrendered through blanket refusal. The practical question is whether a specific…
Read article →The United States remains a powerful wealth-generating economy, but economic growth and household economic independence are not the same outcome. For households dependent primarily on wages, the price of acquiring housing, financing…
Read article →Privacy fails when a person confuses concealment with control. VPNs, privacy phones, encrypted apps, limited social media, and compartmented communication can reduce exposure when the user applies them for a defined purpose. They…
Read article →Competence does not move in a straight line from knowledge to good decisions. A person can know facts, use technical language, manage tools, and still fail when the situation requires judgment. The difference between being stupid,…
Read article →The analyst and decision-maker disconnect begins when institutions ask analysts to assess reality while decision-makers operate inside constraints that remain unstated. The analyst usually optimizes for accuracy, defensibility,…
Read article →Dating apps and productivity tools increasingly converge on the same operating model: keep the user in the system by sustaining discomfort, then sell relief through tiers, boosts, quotas, and “premium” access. Dating apps monetize…
Read article →Venezuela's dual economic strategies of joining the BRICS alliance and embracing dollarization aim to stabilize the economy and diversify international alliances. Joining BRICS seeks to reduce dependency on Western economies and…
Read article →Mexican cartels are no longer just criminal organizations; they are global enterprises entrenched in both legal and illegal systems. Their ability to exploit financial networks, judicial reforms, and public health vulnerabilities…
Read article →Economic Warfare, Energy Shock, and Regional Spillover — A Multidisciplinary Assessment for…
Read article →The removal of Venezuela’s senior political leadership disrupted coordination within the coercive apparatus without eliminating its capacity. The armed forces and police remain deployed and functional at the local level, but they do…
Read article →Tariff-based secondary sanctions are unlikely to become automatic or universal, but they are increasingly available as a situational tool. Recent cases involving Greenland and Mexico show tariffs being used as signaling mechanisms to…
Read article →After Operation Absolute Resolve, Cuba lost most direct support from Venezuela. Venezuela stopped sending oil and related resources in December 2025. That loss affects fuel, electricity, financing, barter programs, and security…
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