I came across this gem while reading Hayek’s discussion of private monopoly and competition in Law, Legislation and Liberty. Hayek is discussing the relationship between competition and economic rationality, disputing those who argue that economic rationality or the ‘commercial spirit’ needs to exist for competition to work. In contrast, Hayek
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Parchment in the Fire: David Cronin’s book, ‘Corporate Europe’ reviewed in the Irish Examiner
Reblogged from Pluto Press – Independent Progressive Publishing: Ann Cahill, European Correspondent for the Irish Examiner, reviewed David Cronin’s new book, Corporate Europe: How Big Business Sets Policies on Food, Climate and War (Pluto, 2013) this week. In the article she examines the themes and arguments of the book. Cahill’s introduction
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Social Democracy, the Radical Left and the spectre of populism
Reblogged from Greek Left Review: originally posted at Chronos Mag Political scientist Giorgos Katsambekis talks with distinguished professor at UCL, Philippe Marlière, who specializes in European and French politics Giorgos Katsambekis: You have devoted a large part of your research and writing to the European Social Democracy. How would you assess today the
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Orthodox economists have failed their own market test | Seumas Milne | Comment is free | The Guardian
Orthodox economists have failed their own market test | Seumas Milne | Comment is free | The Guardian. From any rational point of view, orthodox economics is in serious trouble. Its champions not only failed to foresee the greatest crash for 80 years, but insisted such crises were a thing
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Academics back students in protests against economics teaching | Education | The Guardian
Academics back students in protests against economics teaching | Education | The Guardian. A prominent group of academic economists have backed student protests against neo-classical economics teaching, increasing the pressure on top universities to reform courses that critics argue are dominated by free market theories that ignore the impact of financial
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Ponzi Austerity: A Definition And An Example – Social Europe Journal
Ponzi Austerity: A Definition And An Example – Social Europe Journal. For a while now I have been arguing that Europe’s policies for reducing the public debts of fiscally stressed member-states can be described as a Ponzi austerity scheme. In this post I attempt precisely to define ‘Ponzi austerity’. Ponzi
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: The Grand Old Tea Party | The Nation
The Grand Old Tea Party | The Nation. A Democratic president begins a new term in the White House. Two years later, America votes a cadre of aggressive conservatives into Congress, loaded for bear. At first the Republican establishment, thrilled to have the Democrats on the run, puts its
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Crash! A brief history of modern global capitalism – audio slideshow | Comment is free | theguardian.com
Crash! A brief history of modern global capitalism – audio slideshow | Comment is free | theguardian.com. An amazing slideshow of a century of capitalist development and economic crisis narrated by one of my former professors, Leo Panitch, author of The Making of Global Capitalism. Filed under: Capitalism Tagged: Austerity, Capitalism,
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Debt and Deficit as Shock Therapy » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Debt and Deficit as Shock Therapy » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names. When Naomi Klein published her ground-breaking book The Shock Doctrine (2007), which compellingly demonstrated how neoliberal policy makers take advantage of overwhelming crisis times to privatize public property and carry out austerity programs, most economists and media pundits
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Belgium: Class Trade Unionism Seeks Political Expression | The Bullet No. 893
Belgium: Class Trade Unionism Seeks Political Expression | The Bullet No. 893. In the social and political history of Belgium, May 1, 2012, could mark a milestone. On that day the leaders of the Charleroi regional branch of the socialist trade union General Federation of Belgian Labour (Fédération Générale du
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Democracy at Putney Church, continued
This post continues from my previous post about on the Putney Debates; a debate that took place between Cromwell and the Army Grandees on the one hand, and the representatives of the Leveller movement on the other. The debate signifies a milestone in the development of democratic ideas in England.
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Democracy at Putney Church
On October 28, 1647, an extraordinary debate occurred at Putney Church in London. Representatives of the New Model Army rank and file – Agitators – met with members of the Council of War – the grandees – in order to debate the terms of settlement laid out in the Heads
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: The grip of privatisation on our vital services has to be broken | Seumas Milne | Comment is free | The Guardian
The grip of privatisation on our vital services has to be broken | Seumas Milne | Comment is free | The Guardian. Any doubts about who really controls Britain should have now been dispelled. Any thought that the financial crisis might have broken the neoliberal spell, rebalanced the economy or
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Adjunct Professors Join National Fight for Better Pay and Benefits
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10912 Academia is not usually considered a low-wage field, but adjunct professors around the country are organizing for higher pay and better working conditions like retail and fast food workers have been doing for the past year. The debate about the role of adjuncts has received increased attention since the
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Mainstream economics is in denial: the world has changed | Aditya Chakrabortty | Comment is free | The Guardian
Mainstream economics is in denial: the world has changed | Aditya Chakrabortty | Comment is free | The Guardian. Rebellions aren’t meant to kick off in lecture theatres – but I saw one last Thursday night. It was small and well-read and it minded its Ps & Qs, and I
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Campus Equity Week, Contingent Faculty’s First Try at a National Strategic Action
Reblogged from Academe Blog: By Joe Berry This is the first in a series of Academe Blog guest posts arranged by the AAUP Committee on Contingency and the Profession in celebration of Campus Equity Week. For information on and resources for CEW, see the national website at http://www.campusequityweek.org/2013/. The year was
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Plutarch on Democratic Class War
From Plutarch’s Moralia: When the Megarians had expelled Theagenes their tyrant, for a short time they were sober and sensible in their government (politeia). But later when the popular leaders (demagogoi) poured out untempered freedom for them, as Plato says, they were completely corrupted, and, among their shocking acts of
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Why Spain’s teachers and students are on strike today
Reblogged from Revolting Europe: Javier López* The crisis is having a devastating impact on essential public services such as education. Until 2009 the public expenditure on education was approaching the European average, reaching 5.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Since then central and regional government have been brutally cutting
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Economics students aim to tear up free-market syllabus | Business | The Guardian
Economics students aim to tear up free-market syllabus | Business | The Guardian. Undergraduates at Manchester University propose overhaul of orthodox teachings to embrace alternative theories Phillip Inman, economics correspondent The Guardian, Thursday 24 October 2013 19.17 BST The Post-Crash Economics Society at Manchester University. Photograph: Jon Super for the
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Let’s Get This Class War Started – Chris Hedges – Truthdig
Chris Hedges: Let’s Get This Class War Started – Chris Hedges – Truthdig. By Chris Hedges “The rich are different from us,” F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have remarked to Ernest Hemingway, to which Hemingway allegedly replied, “Yes, they have more money.” The exchange, although it never actually took
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