Austerity protests draw tens of thousands in Italy, Portugal | News | DW.DE | 19.10.2013. Police detained several people during the protest in Rome after about 100 people threw rocks, bottles and eggs at officers guarding the finance ministry (pictured). The police then charged and chased the demonstrators into side
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Parchment in the Fire: A bit of wisdom from Adam Smith
In light of yesterday’s post, particularly regarding the bleak outlook for the children of the middle class (which takes for granted the bleak present of the children of the working class), I thought I’d share some of the wisdom of Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations) that seems to have
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Preparing for the Perfect Storm: Neoliberal Authoritarianism in an Age of Austerity
Two noteworthy news items for this week: First, the Guardian ran an article last week regarding the soon to be published Social Mobility and Child Poverty report on, well, social moblity and child poverty in the UK. According to the paper, leaked findings of the report indicate a gloomy future
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Discovered manuscript shows Marcuse’s evolution | BrandeisNOW
http://www.brandeis.edu/now/2013/october/marcuse.html Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Critical Theory, Marcuse
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Rather than savage cuts, Switzerland considers “Star Trek” economics – Salon.com
Rather than savage cuts, Switzerland considers “Star Trek” economics – Salon.com. By gathering over 100,000 signatures – which they delivered last Friday along with 8 million 5-cent coins representing the country’s population – activists have secured a vote by Switzerland’s parliament on an audacious proposal: providing a basic monthly income
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Austerity pushing Europe into social and economic decline, says Red Cross | World news | The Guardian
Austerity pushing Europe into social and economic decline, says Red Cross | World news | The Guardian. Europe is sinking into a protracted period of deepening poverty, mass unemployment, social exclusion, greater inequality, and collective despair as a result of austerity policies adopted in response to the debt and currency
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: The left in Greece must rise up against Golden Dawn | Costas Lapavitsas | Comment is free | theguardian.com
The left in Greece must rise up against Golden Dawn | Costas Lapavitsas | Comment is free | theguardian.com. Greece – and the rise of Golden Dawn – is an extreme parable of what has happened to many developed countries since the global crisis broke out in 2007. The policies
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Econ 101 is killing America – Salon.com
Econ 101 is killing America – Salon.com. Salon.com In the Middle Ages, people looked to the Church for certainty. In today’s complex, market-based economies, they look to the field of economics, at least for answers to questions concerning the economy. And unlike some disciplines, which acknowledge that there’s a huge
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Class Struggle in County Durham
Dispatches from the class struggle in County Durham: What the colliers’ dependence on the exploiters for their homes means in practice can be seen in any strike. For example, the strike in Durham in November 1863. The people were evicted, wives and children included, in the harshest weather; and their
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: “A Corporate Trojan Horse”: Obama Pushes Secretive TPP Trade Pact, Would Rewrite Swath of U.S. Laws | Democracy Now!
“A Corporate Trojan Horse”: Obama Pushes Secretive TPP Trade Pact, Would Rewrite Swath of U.S. Laws | Democracy Now!. Crucial information on the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership — Looks like a strengthened version of the failed FTAA from 2001. Filed under: Capitalism, Democracy, Neoliberalism Tagged: Democracy, neoliberalism
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Conservatism and the Crisis of the Republic
This is an extract from Cicero’s legal defense of Sestius, delivered in 56 BCE. Cicero is often considered to be the founding father of ‘republicanism’ but has influenced the likes of Edmund Burke and Friedrich von Hayek. In the speech, he articulates the conservative program for defending the republic against
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Government Crackdown on Golden Dawn Won’t Defeat Greek Fascism
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10812 Costas Lapavitsas on why the state crackdown on Golden Dawn fails to address the basis of their popular support. Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Extreme Right, Fascism, Greece
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Debt and Democracy
While this was written by Cicero in 44 BCE, after the assassination of Caesar and a year before Antony had Cicero murdered, the sentiment can be heard in today republicans–particularly those associated with the Tea Party. Any attempt at redistribution, according to Cicero, threatens the very foundation of the republic,
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Why democracy is still in danger in Greece
Reblogged from Greek Left Review: by VASSILIS K. FOUSKAS 30 September 2013 Ten days after the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, the ND-PASOK pro-austerity government arrested most of the Golden Dawn leadership on the grounds of being a criminal organization. Yet, for a combination of economic and political reasons, democracy in Greece
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: The meaning of Merkel’s victory
Reblogged from thecurrentmoment: Originally published in the October issue of Le Monde Diplomatique Angela Merkel and her Christian Democrat party (CDU/CSU) have won a resounding victory in Germany’s general election. Merkel has broken what had become an established rule of European politics since the beginning of the crisis: incumbents don’t
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Ralph Miliband: democrat and anti-fascist
Reblogged from Poumista: The Daily Mail has been in the news for its attacks on Ralph Miliband as “the man who hated Britain“. This continues a long tradition of smearing “Red” Ed Miliband by association with his father’s politics (here, for instance, in 2010, they make a big deal of
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Norway’s disturbing lurch to the right | Alf Gunvald Nilsen | Comment is free | theguardian.com
Norway’s disturbing lurch to the right | Alf Gunvald Nilsen | Comment is free | theguardian.com. The results from today’s Norwegian elections are more or less clear: with some 26.8% of the vote, the Conservative party (Høyre) is poised to head Norway’s next coalition government. The first thing to note
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Our favourite Miliband | Red Pepper
Our favourite Miliband | Red Pepper. Our favourite Miliband Hilary Wainwright reveals which Miliband caught her fancy August 2010 I’d better come clean. For some time now I’ve been a closet Milibandite. No, not the renegade Westminster branch of the tendency. It was the late Ralph Miliband, father of current
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Crackdown on the Golden Dawn
Reblogged from Greek Left Review: With the arrest of several party leaders the Greek government has begun a crackdown on the far-right Golden Dawn in the wake of the murder of Pavlos Fyssas. A crackdown on the far-right Golden Dawn(GD) is under way in Greece. Party leader, Nikolaos Michaloliakos, and
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Tea Party Support Dwindles to Near-Record Low
http://www.gallup.com/poll/164648/tea-party-support-dwindles-near-record-low.aspx Filed under: conservatism Tagged: Conservatism, far-right, US Politics
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