It is obviously silly to push for austerity in the midst of a recession, not just silly but cruel, since it prolongs the pain of unemployment. The recession is caused by a deficiency of aggregate demand. To overcome it what is necessary is an increase in demand which requires larger expenditure. Since private expenditure on […]
Geography Archives: United States
The Selection of Voting Members to Serve on the Federal Open Market Committee
I have long been troubled by the anomaly of having officials — selected with absolutely no public scrutiny or confirmation — voting on some of the most important decisions the federal government makes. Therefore, I introduced H.R. 1512, which eliminates the role of the Federal Reserve’s regional presidents as voting members of the Federal […]
I Am Troy Davis (T.R.O.Y.)
Does the court system employ racists? Then why are so many black boys in cages? Why shouldn’t I be paranoid of hatred? Just look at the curious case of Troy Davis Let’s travel on down to Savannah In the state of Georgia just south of Atlanta Where they wave the rebel flag like a […]
Bolivia: US Worked to Divide Social Movements, WikiLeaks Shows
WikiLeaks’ release of cables from the United States embassy in La Paz has shed light on its attempts to create divisions in the social and indigenous movements that make up the support base of Bolivia’s first indigenous-led government. The cables prove the embassy sought to use the US government aid agency, USAID, to promote US […]
The New Scramble for Africa
Is current U.S. foreign policy in Africa following a blueprint drawn up almost eight years ago by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, one of the most conservative think tanks in the world? Although it seems odd that a Democratic administration would have anything in common with the extremists at Heritage, the convergence in policy and […]
Brazil’s “Independent” Central Bank: Independent from Whom?
In recent days the press has reported that President Dilma Rouseff has denied having tried to influence the Brazilian central bank to lower short-term interest rates, as the bank did on August 31 from 12.5 to 12.0 percent. The fact that she would feel obligated to make such a statement shows that there is a […]
Afterword on a Movement
“Combating corruption”, like “promoting peace”, can mean anything to anyone; and precisely because of this “fuzziness” it appeals to everyone. Some join the anti-corruption movement because they are against “corporate loot”; others join because they are against the Nehru-Gandhi “dynasty”; and still others join because they oppose the “corrupt practice of job reservation”. The movement […]
NATO’s Democracy
Kritikal Point, a collective of artists, may be contacted at <kritikalpoint@yahoo.com>. En español. Cf. “How dare Egyptian rebels attack Israeli embassy instead of asking for foreign troops to destroy their museums and libraries? #Egypt #Jan25” (Mazen Shaer, 9 September 2011); “Egyptian revos storm #IsraeliEmbassy while Syrian self-proclaimed so-called revolution icons are promising Israel an […]
Work Sharing Should Be Part of the President’s Job Program
It is encouraging that President Obama recognizes his obligation to take steps to restore the economy to full employment. The government alone has the power to lift the economy out of this downturn. Eventually, the private sector will be able to absorb the unemployed, but there are no remotely plausible projections that show private sector […]
Syria: Testing Time
Syria remains relatively calm as efforts to destabilise its government through orchestrated attacks by rebels fail. Life in the Syrian capital, Damascus, seems to be continuing as normal. The streets and the mosques are crowded after the devout break their Ramazan fast in the evening. The security presence is minimal. In fact, there are […]
Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa
Excerpt: As envisioned by the Department of Defense (DOD), AFRICOM aims to promote U.S. strategic objectives and protect U.S. interests in the region by working with African states and regional organizations to help strengthen their defense capabilities so that they are better able to contribute to regional stability and security. AFRICOM also has a […]
US Postal Service Crisis? Two Postal Workers Speak Out
An interview with postal workers Jim Kaufman and Jeff Levitt from Albany, New York, about the alleged financial crisis of the Postal Service Jeff Levitt: It is an artificially created crisis. It’s created by the Congress. . . . In 2006, the Postal Service became an institution that is required to pre-fund future retiree health […]
UN Troops in Haiti Accused of Sexual Assault
The video is profoundly disturbing. It shows four men, identified as Uruguayan troops from the UN mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), apparently raping an 18-year old Haitian youth. Two of them have the victim pinned down on a mattress, with his hands twisted high up his back so that he cannot move. Perhaps the most unnerving […]
George Monbiot and the Guardian on “Genocide Denial” and “Revisionism”
On Tuesday, June 14, the Guardian of London published “Left and Libertarian Right Cohabit in the Weird World of the Genocide Belittlers.”1 In this nearly 1,100-word commentary, the British writer George Monbiot attacked the two of us (among others) as “genocide deniers” and “revisionists” for our writings on the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Monbiot also […]
The Canadian Oil Pipeline: Good for 2 Days’ Worth of Jobs
Robert Samuelson urged President Obama to support the building of an oil pipeline to Canada which would facilitate the import of oil from Canadian oil sands. One of his arguments is that: “TransCanada, the pipeline’s sponsor, says the project should result in 20,000 construction and manufacturing jobs. Most would be American, because 80 percent of […]
Help Boulder Create Public Power for Greener Future
On November 1st, the citizens of Boulder, Colorado will vote on whether to create a city-owned electric utility to pilot leadership in renewables and the elimination of greenhouse gases in Colorado and the U.S. as a whole. Preliminary polling indicates Boulder voters have done their homework and generally favor this 2-part ballot initiative by […]
Anna Hazare in the Light of Gandhian Ideals
In the past two weeks, the world was captivated by the bitter confrontation between the Indian government and a short, bespectacled, seventy-four-year-old man called Anna Hazare, a self-styled anti-corruption crusader. On August 16th, Hazare’s arrest and internment in Tihar jail, South Asia’s largest complex of high-security prisons, sparked candlelit marches across the country, leading a […]
Brazil’s “Wall Street” Problem
Brazil’s economy is slowing, but the government is increasing its primary surplus by cutting spending, which could slow the economy more. In June, industrial production fell by 1.6 percent, and economic activity fell for the first time since 2008. Although monthly figures are erratic and don’t necessarily indicate any trend, the overall picture raises questions […]
Fred Magdoff on What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism
What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know about Capitalism is a short, accessible introduction to the ecological crisis that is intended for a wide audience — why did you decide to write a book like this, and why now? In the fall of 2008 I attended a conference where discussion of the environment was prominent, although […]
Libya News Roundup
Richard Seymour (20 August 2011): “I think we would see a recomposition of the old regime, without Qadhafi but with the basic state structures intact. The former regime elements would become regime elements, within a pro-US, neoliberal state with some limited political democracy. In addition, those calling for intervention in Syria would be strengthened, as […]
