Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Stephen Hawking discusses the urgent need to address inequality and environmental destruction as people are both more fearful for their futures, and more aware of what’s being taken away from them: (T)he lives of the richest people in the most prosperous parts of
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Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne comments on the importance of the labour movement in ensuring that economic growth translates into benefits for workers: The findings of a study released this month by the Canadian Centre for Study of Living Standards, an Ottawa-based think-tank, reinforces why there
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Calling The Kettle Black
We live in the Age of Misplaced Faith. A stunning example of what this means for ordinary people is CETA — the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Murray Dobbin writes: The federal government makes its own “reality” by crafting “facts” to fit its policy objectives — no matter how outrageous
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – John McDonnell outlines a progressive alternative to neoliberal economic policy: The increasing automation of jobs, reduced dependence on carbon fuels, artificial intelligence and the so-called gig economy have provoked understandable anger among many workers whose jobs are under threat. More generally, concerns about the effect
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Branko Milanovic highlights the futility of pretending that market mechanisms will produce anything other than profit-oriented outcomes – and the observation represents an obvious reason not to put public services in corporate hands. And David Sloan Wilson (in introducing an interview with Sigrun
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Larry Beinhart argues that aside from the gross unfairness and economic harm from growing inequality, there’s a basic problem trusting the uber-rich to make reasonable decisions with massive amounts of wealth. And George Monbiot makes the case that even as he pretends
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Star Readers Speak Out On CETA
Recently, my newspaper of record, The Toronto Star, wrote what I felt was an uncritical endorsement of CETA. The part that especially disturbed me was this: In the case of CETA, the demonization focuses on one part of the agreement, involving a process for resolving disputes between investors and governments.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Thomas Walkom on CETA
While it is disappointing to see that Wallonia has dropped its opposition to the CETA deal, thus paving the way for signing and ultimate ratification, all may not be lost, at least for the Europeans, according to Thomas Walkom. Morever, this imbroglio has brought forth some interesting facts, facts that
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: CETA: The Real Deal
While it looks, unfortunately, like the Belgian opposition to CETA is dissolving, it is perhaps instructive to understand the core of Wallonia’s concerns about it. While some of it revolves around the hit that some of its domestic industries will take if it is ratified, of much greater concern is
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Dani Rodrik discusses the growing public opposition to new corporate-dominated trade deals based on the lessons we’ve learned from previous ones: Instead of decrying people’s stupidity and ignorance in rejecting trade deals, we should try to understand why such deals lost legitimacy
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: CETA just imploded, future of the deal uncertain
The Council of Canadians calls the European Union’s failure to reach consensus on signing the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) an epic failure that makes the deal impossible. The post CETA just imploded, future of the deal uncertain appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Art Of The Deal: A Guest Post By John B.
In response to yesterday’s post about free trade, John B. provided a detailed commentary that derves a separate posting. Below is what he wrote: Are any Canadians asking? I find the current tap dance we are witnessing reminiscent of the public displays of angst and pretense of desperation by Mulroney
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Free Trade Is Never Free
While it is beginning to look like International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland’s departure from CETA negotiations was more of a ploy than the end of talks, the hiatus at least gives Canadians the opportunity to once more reflect on its dangers, the same dangers that afflict other so-called free trade
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Canadian academics’ open letter to Wallonia on CETA deal
Read Canadian academics’ letter to the Parliament of Wallonia and the people of Belgian. The academics expressed their support for Wallonia’s continuing rejection of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement or CETA. The post Canadian academics’ open letter to Wallonia on CETA deal appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Scott Sinclair and Stuart Trew applaud Wallonia’s principled stance against the CETA. And Joseph Stiglitz discusses the need to set up social and economic systems which actually serve the public good, rather than favouring corporate interests: Where the trade agreements failed, it was
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: This Is Good News
I’ll have more to say about this in the future, but for now, some good news for those who oppose free trade deals that sacrifice national sovereignty and jobs so corporations can be further enriched: Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has walked out of negotiations to salvage a major trade
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Mainly Macro offers a useful definition of neoliberalism, while highlighting its relationship to austerity. And Ed Finn writes that we shouldn’t be too quick to presume neoliberalism is going to disappear just because it’s proven to be harmful in practice – and that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Peter Rossman explains why the CETA falls far short of the mark in accounting for anybody’s interests other than those of big business. And Dani Rodrik discusses the dangers of laissez-faire fundamentalism, particularly to the extent it threatens to undermine the foundation
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Ellen Gould comments on how the CETA and other trade deals constrain democratic governance – and the fact that corporate bigwigs are threatening any government which considers giving effect to popular opposition doesn’t exactly provide any comfort. Meanwhile, Scott Sinclair points out
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – George Monbiot discusses the importance of recognizing our social connections in making our political choices, rather than treating the world as merely a collection of unconnected individuals: It is not hard to see what the evolutionary reasons for social pain might be. Survival
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