• | Planet C This photo of Earth was taken a few frames after the famous Apollo 17 Blue Marble image but is my favorite in the sequence shot by Harrison Schmitt | MR Online

    Rich nations doubly responsible for greenhouse gas emissions

    Natural flows do not respect national boundaries. The atmosphere and oceans cross international borders with little difficulty, as greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other fluids, including pollutants, easily traverse frontiers.

  • | The legacies of clonialism persist with white people still controlling a large chunk of the South African economy ReutersSiphiwe Sibeko | MR Online

    Open veins of Africa bleeding heavily

    The ongoing plunder of Africa’s natural resources drained by capital flight is holding it back yet again. More African nations face protracted recessions amid mounting debt distress, rubbing salt into deep wounds from the past.

  • | IAEA at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh Egypt 9 November 2022 | MR Online

    COP27 fiddling as world warms

    The latest annual climate conference has begun in the face of a worsening climate crisis and further retreats by rich nations following the energy crisis induced by NATO sanctions after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

  • | A general view of the opening meeting of the UN Conference at the Folkets Hus in Stockholm | MR Online

    Limits to growth: Inconvenient truth of our times

    Ahead of the first United Nations environmental summit in Stockholm in 1972, a group of scientists prepared The Limits to Growth report for the Club of Rome. It showed planet Earth’s finite natural resources cannot support ever-growing human consumption.

  • | Can Universal Basic Income End Poverty in Developing Countries | MR Online

    Developing countries need monetary financing

    Developing countries have long been told to avoid borrowing from central banks (CBs) to finance government spending. Many have even legislated against CB financing of fiscal expenditure.

  • | Federal Reserve System Headquarters Washington DC | MR Online

    Stop worshiping central banks

    Preoccupied with enhancing their own ‘credibility’ and reputations, central banks (CBs) are again driving the world economy into recession, financial turmoil and debt crises.

  • | The SP 500 has fallen by a fifth since the start of the year Image Public Domain | MR Online

    Central bank myths drag down world economy

    The dogmatic obsession with and focus on fighting inflation in rich countries are pushing the world economy into recession, with many dire consequences, especially for poorer countries. This phobia is due to myths shared by most central bankers.

  • | Going for broke | MR Online

    Ideology and dogma ensure policy disaster

    Central banks (CBs) around the world–led by the U.S. Fed, European Central Bank and Bank of England–are raising interest rates, ostensibly to check inflation. The ensuing race to the bottom is hastening world economic recession.

  • | Declining productivity growth 1990 2021 | MR Online

    Inflation targeting farce: High costs, moot benefits

    Sep 20, 2022 (IPS). Policymakers have become obsessed with achieving low inflation. Many central banks adopt inflation targeting (IT) monetary policy (MP) frameworks in various ways. Some have mandates to keep inflation at 2% over the medium term. Many believe this ensures sustained long-term prosperity. 

  • | Elizabeth II dancing with Nkrumah 1961 | MR Online

    Africa struggles with neo-colonialism

    After a quarter century of economic stagnation, African economic recovery early in the 21st century was under great pressure even before the pandemic, due to new trade arrangements, falling commodity prices and severe environmental stress.

  • | Americas real debt dilemma Philosophers for Change | MR Online

    1980s’ redux? New context, old threats

    As rich countries raise interest rates in double-edged efforts to address inflation, developing countries are struggling to cope with slowdowns, inflation, higher interest rates and other costs, plus growing debt distress.

  • | Ghanas President Says Africa Must Quit Its Mindset of Dependency on Western Aid Global Voices | MR Online

    How France underdevelops Africa

    SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 2022 (IPS) – Most sub-Saharan African French colonies got formal independence in the 1960s. But their economies have progressed little, leaving most people in poverty, and generally worse off than in other post-colonial African economies. 

  • | Stealing Resources enPermaCultureScienceorg | MR Online

    How NOT to win friends and influence people

    After four years of Trump’s ‘America first’ isolationism, U.S. President Joe Biden announced “America is back”. His White House has since tried to find allies against China and Russia.

  • | Stagflation Fears Are Excessive If Break Even Curve is Right | MR Online

    Stagflation: From tragedy to farce

    SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR. Half a century after the 1970s’ stagflation, economies are slowing, even contracting, as prices rise again. Thus, the World Bank warns, “Surging energy and food prices heighten the risk of a prolonged period of global stagflation reminiscent of the 1970s.” 

  • | A hunter offering a French gentleman three hottentot steatopygous women | MR Online

    Neo-colonial currency enables French exploitation

    SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR. Colonial-style currency board arrangements have enabled continuing imperialist exploitation decades after the end of formal colonial rule. Such neo-colonial monetary systems persist despite modest reforms.

  • | Neocolonialism in Africa Youth Voices | MR Online

    Africa taken for ‘neo-colonial’ ride

    SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR. Like so many others, Africans have long been misled. Alleged progress under imperialism has long been used to legitimize exploitation. Meanwhile, Western colonial powers have been replaced by neo-colonial governments and international institutions serving their interests.

  • | FTA = Death Photo citizennewsorg | MR Online

    Weaponizing Free Trade Agreements

    Long seen as means to seek advantage on the pretext of providing mutual benefit, free trade agreements may increasingly become economic weapons in the new Cold War, disrupting earlier globalization.

  • | SWIFT strengthened dollar | MR Online

    SWIFT dollar decline

    SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR: U.S.-led sanctions are inadvertently undermining the dollar’s post-Second World War dominance. The growing number of countries threatened by U.S. and allied actions is forcing victims and potential targets to respond pro-actively.

  • | Not War but Class War graffiti in Turin | MR Online

    Fighting inflation excuse for class warfare

    SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR. A class war is being waged in the name of fighting inflation. All too many central bankers are raising interest rates at the expense of working people’s families, supposedly to check price increases.

  • | USA Federal Reserve System | MR Online

    When saviours are the problem

    SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR: Central bank policies have often worsened economic crises instead of resolving them. By raising interest rates in response to inflation, they often exacerbate, rather than mitigate business cycles and inflation.