Category Archives: Current Affairs
Meanwhile, in Athens…
You don’t expect to see so many hungry people in a major European city. They line up each day looking for a handout in the soup kitchens and bread lines run by the municipality. But the 40 workers under contract … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Economics
Tagged austerity measures, debt, economic collapse, greek crisis
Leave a comment
Climate Change Deniers ‘Orchestrate intentional and malicious campaign’
He is one of the most vilified men in the highly vilified field of climate science, yet Professor Michael Mann is surprisingly jolly. Despite being the focus of a brutal campaign orchestrated by the fossil-fuel industry and senior politicians within … Continue reading
Just About Everything That is Wrong on Wall Street
The stunning reality is that five years into the financial meltdown, it’s business as usual on Wall Street – outlandish rewards for insiders with downside for almost everyone else. Occupy Wall Street protesters are right – something is wrong – … Continue reading
Trends for 2012
1. Economic Martial Law: Given the current economic and geopolitical conditions, the central banks and world governments already have plans in place to declare economic martial law … with the possibility of military martial law to follow. 2. Battlefield America: … Continue reading
Russia oil spills wreak devastation
Environmentalists estimate at least 1 percent of Russia’s annual oil production, or 5 million tons, is spilled every year. That is equivalent to one Deepwater Horizon-scale leak about every two months. Crumbling infrastructure and a harsh climate combine to spell … Continue reading
More Radioactive Leaks From Fukushima
TOKYO — At least 45 tons of highly radioactive water have leaked from a purification facility at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, and some of it may have reached the Pacific Ocean, the plant’s operator said Sunday. Nearly nine … Continue reading
Bank funding crisis deepens
In other words European workers must now be forced to compete toe to toe with Chinese labor costs even though the cost of living in Europe is vastly higher than living in China. Of course the obvious solution to that … Continue reading
Debt or Taxes – the battle of our time
The key is this: by bailing out the banks and the private financial system we are diverting tax and the power it confers from the Nation State and its system of democratic accountability, and instead empowering a system where debt … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Economics
Leave a comment
Credit Crunch 2.0?
So now we have almost every aspect of the original sub-prime credit crunch reproduced by the same people who did it the first time and were never punished or even rebuked but instead were allowed to reward themselves with millions … Continue reading
The World Is Drowning in Debt, and Europe Laces On Concrete Boots
Three metaphors describe Europe: drowning in debt, circular firing squad and trying to fool the money gods with an inept game of 3-card monte. The world’s major economies are drowning in debt–Europe, the U.S., Japan, China. We all know the … Continue reading
It doesn’t get any more immoral than this
Citigroup had to pay a $285 million fine to settle a case in which, with one hand, Citibank sold a package of toxic mortgage-backed securities to unsuspecting customers — securities that it knew were likely to go bust — and, … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Economics
Leave a comment
The Corporation of London undermines all attempts to curb the excesses of finance
It’s the dark heart of Britain, the place where democracy goes to die, immensely powerful, equally unaccountable. But I doubt that one in 10 British people has any idea of what the Corporation of the City of London is and … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Economics
Leave a comment
There Is No Way To Stop Europe’s First Domino From Falling
Simply put, there is no way the EU authorities can stop the first domino — Greek default or equivalent writedown of its impossible debt load — from toppling the over-leveraged banks which will be rendered insolvent when forced to recognize … Continue reading
Matt Taibbi: My Advice to the Occupy Wall Street Protesters
No matter what, I’ll be supporting Occupy Wall Street. And I think the movement’s basic strategy – to build numbers and stay in the fight, rather than tying itself to any particular set of principles – makes a lot of … Continue reading
Reasons the Wall Street Protesters are Protesting
They came by the thousands, and then the tens of thousands. As the crowd swelled in Foley Square massing for a march to Wall Street, I was most struck by its diversity. They were young, old and middle-aged; black, white, … Continue reading
Slavoj Zizek at Liberty Plaza
Extracts of Slavoj Zizek’s speech 9 October at Occupy Wall Street: They tell you we are dreamers. The true dreamers are those who think things can go on indefinitely the way they are. We are not dreamers. We are awakening … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Economics, Wake Up Call
Leave a comment
Nerdcore Rap by Dan Bull re #occupywallstreet
Featuring Radiohead sample. ‘Coincidentally’ JP Morgan have just made the largest (multi-million) donation in history direct to the NYPD. It’s not about Protesters vs Police but for sure the movement can’t pay off the police. This is now the third … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Music, Video
Leave a comment
The monstrous fact. From bail-outs to debt peonage.
There is one monstrous fact stalking Europe and no amount of debating will make it go away – there isn’t enough money to make the bank bail-out’s work. There isn’t enough money in Europe’s bail out fund, the EFSF, despite … Continue reading
World Wide Credulity Crunch
Does anyone anywhere believe anything they are told, on any subject, by any government official, financial expert or banker? Beneath all the outright lies, hopeless spin and half truths there is a more fundamental and corrosive problem. WE DON’T BELIEVE … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Economics
Leave a comment
Texas drought worsens from ‘abysmal’
Nearly 97 percent of Texas is in either exceptional or extreme drought. From June through August, Texas suffered the hottest three months ever recorded in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. And the 12 … Continue reading
Posted in Current Affairs, Earth
Leave a comment
