Post Tagged with: "protest"
Greek protests turn very anti-Germany
This is how it’s going down in Greece right now. The sentiment is very Anti-German on the eve of the austerity/bailout decision. The debt haircut and writedowns coming of upwards of 50% is a default in everything but name. Technical default is a real possibility as well
Stop Censorship, Stop SOPA
Enemies of freedom will always tell you that there is some trade-off between freedom and civil liberties to get you to give up your freedom. This is a false dichotomy and always will be
Protest and Nationalism in Eastern Europe
Since the possibility of further social tensions leading to nationalism is something on my radar screen, I thought I would post these videos from Euronews. In a good economy, these issues are nothing to get concerned about. But in a bad economy, especially one wracked by austerity and unemployment, tensions will have political consequences
The Job Guarantee, Kleptocracy and Blogging
A post about the job guarantee idea in the context of a historic economic crisis
Europe’s Transition From Social Democracy to Oligarchy
This appropriation of the economic surplus to pay bankers is turning the traditional values of most Europeans upside down. Imposition of economic austerity, dismantling social spending, sell-offs of public assets, de-unionization of labor, falling wage levels, scaled-back pension plans and health care in countries subject to democratic rules requires convincing voters that there is no alternative. It is claimed that without a profitable banking sector (no matter how predatory) the economy will break down as bank losses on bad loans and gambles pull down the payments system. No regulatory agencies can help, no better tax policy, nothing except to turn over control to lobbyists to save banks from losing the financial claims they have built up.
What banks want is for the economic surplus to be paid out as interest, not used for rising living standards, public social spending or even for new capital investment. Research and development takes too long. Finance lives in the short run. This short-termism is self-defeating, yet it is presented as science. The alternative, voters are told, is the road to serfdom: interfering with the “free market” by financial regulation and even progressive taxation.
There is an alternative, of course
News Links: Corzine Rebuffed Internal Warnings on Risks at MF Global
Financial news links for 6 December 2011 featuring stories on MF Global, Facebook, class divides and retail sales
Europe is headed to a blood in the streets outcome
My takeaway from two days in DC is that Europe is headed to a blood in the streets outcome. While ECB funding remains ongoing even as it’s uncertain, in any case, the underlying theme remains austerity. There is no plan
Managing the 99 Percent
The McCourtny Consulting Group: We are witnessing a simmering backlash in the face of the widening class distinction. It is wise to address the fundamental issues behind the backlash and consider approaches to deal with the problem, especially given that these conditions may be persistent and structural. Therefore, we have prepared a brief overview of approaches to the problem
Video: Mockumentary Presents: Politics in America
An in-depth (and cynical) look at the current political environment in America, from the Occupy Wall Street protesters to the President’s reaction to the Republican Primary via Omid Malekan, creator of the Quantitative Easing Explained and European Crisis Explained videos
Don’t change the change!
Steve Keen on HARDtalk on the financial crisis and the economy
This time it’s Steve Keen on the hotseat on HARDtalk. Now, Steve is one of the few economists who actually predicted the global financial crisis. But what about the possibility of another Great Depression? That possibility and how to avoid it were the topics of conversation in this 25-minute interview. Great stuff
Foreign news: Is Amazon employing unemployed in Germany without compensation?
Foreign news links for 27 November 2011. We have a variety of links here today with most focused on the European sovereign debt crisis. Protest and terrorism are two other topics of great interest