On April 8, I had the honour of delivering the Harry Kitchen Lecture in Public Policy at the invitation of the Department of Economics at Trent University. I took the opportunity to offer a broad reflection on economic inequality, arguing that while inequality is inherent in capitalism, too much inequality
Continue readingTag: capitalism
Sketchy Thoughts: Gender and Capitalism in China Today, a Discussion in Montreal
On May 7th, join us for a discussion of the role gender plays in workers’ exploitation and resistance in contemporary China, looking specifically at changes in the appearance of the oppression of female workers between the socialist period and the capitalist restoration, as well as issues facing migrant female workers under
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Reflections on David Harvey: Neoliberalism and The State
For three decades, neoliberalism has dominated the political and economic landscape. Following David Harvey, I contend that neoliberalism depends on the manufacturing of consent to a neoliberal agenda and the use of coercion to enforce that agenda. I further argue that neoliberalism is a corrupted form of democracy which easily
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Reflections on David Harvey: Neoliberalism and The State
For three decades, neoliberalism has dominated the political and economic landscape. Following David Harvey, I contend that neoliberalism depends on the manufacturing of consent to a neoliberal agenda and the use of coercion to enforce that agenda. I further argue that neoliberalism is a corrupted form of democracy which easily
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: THE EURO, THE DRACHMA AND GREECE: limited options in an impossible situation
Jean-Francois Ponsot Associate Professor of Economics, Université de Grenoble (France) and Louis-Philippe Rochon Associate Professor of Economics, Laurentian University (Canada) Co-Editor, Review of Keynesian Economics ___________________ The final agreement between Greece and the Eurogroup is a disappointment for anyone who held high hopes that Greece would have taken away more
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Grocery Wars: Lessons from Canada’s Changing Retail Landscape
As Target Canada tumbled into bankruptcy, Loblaw announced that its fourth-quarter profits more than doubled. What can be learned from this tale of two retailers? The main reason for Loblaw’s surge was its acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart last March, which turned it into Canada’s largest grocer and pharmacy chain.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Germans Get It. When Will We?
Sixty per cent of Germans believe that capitalism is the cause of poverty and hunger and that real democracy can’t be realized under that economic system. It seems they’re not fond of market fundamentalism and neoliberalism. In fact, they see straight through it. You might have thought that Germans who
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Iceland’s Supreme Court Upholds Jail Sentences of Four Banking Executives
Filed under: Capitalism, Crisis, Europe Tagged: Financial crisis, Iceland
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Seccareccia on Greece, Austerity and the Eurozone
Over at the blog of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, Ottawa U professor Mario Seccareccia has given an interview titled “Greece Shows the Limits of Austerity in the Eurozone. What Now?” The interview can be read here.
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Responsibility for Housing
On Monday I gave a guest presentation to Craig Jones‘ graduate seminar class in Carleton University’s School of Social Work. My presentation sought to answer two questions: 1. Why should government play a role in creating affordable housing? 2. Which level of government is responsible? With those questions as a
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Capitalism – Laying the Foundations for our Extinction.
I’m at the point in life where I’m not really all about saving the planet anymore. Oh sure, I recycle, carpool when I can all of those little personal things one can do to be more “earth friendly” but until we reform our current ‘limitless growth paradigm’, we are well
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Chris Hedges: Predatory capitalism’s perversion of Christmas charity
Chris Hedges and Detroit’s Rev. David Bullock discuss predatory capitalism’s perversion of Christmas charity, justice and revolution on The Real News Network. The post Chris Hedges: Predatory capitalism’s perversion of Christmas charity appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Collective Bargaining and the Eurozone Crisis
Since the beginning of the Eurozone crisis in 2008, most attention has been focused on the recurring and persistent struggles against ‘austerity’. Austerity, in this sense, refers to the politics of cutting public spending – primarily in the areas of social programs like unemployment benefits, disability benefits, ‘public goods’ such
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Oil Price: Has Saudi Arabia gambled and lost?
Is it better to have gambled and lost? Saudi Arabia is calling the shots in the steep price decline of oil in recent weeks, by refusing to cut its output so as to remove production from the market and increase prices. Why is it doing this? One possible reason is
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Revealed: how the wealth gap holds back economic growth | Business | The Guardian
Revealed: how the wealth gap holds back economic growth | Business | The Guardian. The west’s leading economic thinktank on Tuesday dismissed the concept of trickle-down economics as it found that the UK economy would have been more than 20% bigger had the gap between rich and poor not widened
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Why Are Capitalists So Lazy?
Entrepreneurialism, innovation, competition, insight, optimization, excellence? These are the self-satisfying hallmarks of our jackboot triumphal capitalism. But what’s with the laziest of the lazy capitalists? You know, the ones who run the fossil fuel sector. The science is in. They’re causing much of the climate change we’re seeing, except of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: If You Watch This Video
… you will realize very quickly that Ursula K. LeGuin is talking about much more than the writing of books: Recommend this Post
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Dealing with Climate Change and Inequality
Two of the defining problems of our times are wealth inequality (both globally and within the first world) and climate change. With any socioeconomic order – our mixture of capitalism and government being just one – there are going to be consequences both good and bad. There are going to
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Dealing with Climate Change and Inequality
Two of the defining problems of our times are wealth inequality (both globally and within the first world) and climate change. With any socioeconomic order – our mixture of capitalism and government being just one – there are going to be consequences b…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Dealing with Climate Change and Inequality
Two of the defining problems of our times are wealth inequality (both globally and within the first world) and climate change. With any socioeconomic order – our mixture of capitalism and government being just one – there are going to be consequences both good and bad. There are going to
Continue reading