Yesterday morning, I read a piece by Martin Regg Cohn on the impending sale of Ontario’s Hydro One. When it is completed, 60% of our publically-owned asset will have been sold off. During a brief walk in the afternoon, I decided to write a letter to my local MPP with
Continue readingTag: neoliberalism
Writings of J. Todd Ring: Free Trade, CETA, TPP, and the US and Canadian Federal Elections: Some Critical Perspective
The following is critical to understand – for the people of Canada, the US, Europe and the world: “free trade” deals such those already signed (NAFTA), and those being pushed through with great secrecy now (CETA, TTIP and TPP), are agreements which grant supra-national powers to transnational corporations, powers over
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Where Is the Exit Door?
How long will Canada remain under the boot of market fundamentalism? This is the laissez faire face of modern neoliberalism that has taken hold throughout the developed world, Canada included. It manifests itself most directly in free trade agreements and associated institutions such as the IMF, the World Trade Organization, and
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: The Most Powerful Symbol You Will See This Election
I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for
Continue readingPolitical Eh-conomy: “Can ‘people over profits’ become a reality in Greece?”
This is the full transcript of my podcast interview with John Milios; it appeared earlier this week in Jacobin. John is a prominent figure within Syriza; he was the party’s chief economic advisor until earlier this year and is also a member of the party’s central committee, one of the 109 who
Continue readingMichal Rozworski » Political Eh-conomy: “Can ‘people over profits’ become a reality in Greece?”
This is the full transcript of my podcast interview with John Milios; it appeared earlier this week in Jacobin. John is a prominent figure within Syriza; he was the party’s chief economic advisor until earlier this year and is also a member of the party’s central committee, one of the 109 who
Continue readingPolitical Eh-conomy: Podcast: Syriza’s John Milios, “I will continue to fight against austerity”
https://politicalehconomy.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/podcast150720-greece-milios.mp3 Greece continues to be in flux. Two weeks ago, the Greek people voted over 60% No in a referendum on further austerity. One week ago, the Greek government agreed to a new Memorandum in principle after an all-night negotiation, described at times as “mental water-boarding”. Finally, last Wednesday, the
Continue readingMichal Rozworski » Political Eh-conomy: Podcast: Syriza’s John Milios, “I will continue to fight against austerity”
http://rozworski.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/podcast150720-greece-milios.mp3 Greece continues to be in flux. Two weeks ago, the Greek people voted over 60% No in a referendum on further austerity. One week ago, the Greek government agreed to a new Memorandum in principle after an all-night negotiation, described at times as “mental water-boarding”. Finally, last Wednesday, the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Can the Great Wall of Saskatchewan resist Rachel Notley’s wish to put democracy back into energy politics?
PHOTOS: Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers in Newfoundland, with St. John’s Harbor visible in the background (CBC Photo). One hopes they didn’t have to walk up that hill! Below: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall (CP Photo). The acerbic public disagreement between Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Growth, what growth? Thatcherism fails to produce the goods | Business | The Guardian
Growth, what growth? Thatcherism fails to produce the goods | Business | The Guardian. Katie Allen Margaret Thatcher’s policies of privatisation, light-touch regulation and low income tax failed to boost growth, according to a new study that casts doubt on the merits of free market economies. In a wide-ranging analysis
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Ontario’s Common Sense Revolution at 20: A Look Back
Today marks 20 years since the Progressive Conservative Party foisted its so-called “Common Sense Revolution” on Ontario. Former PC Ontario leader Tim Hudak took to Twitter this morning to extol the virtues of this full-throated neoliberal experiment, declaring it “the most effective, courageous gov[ernment]” in his lifetime. Some remember those days
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Ontario’s Common Sense Revolution at 20: A Look Back
Today marks 20 years since the Progressive Conservative Party foisted its so-called “Common Sense Revolution” on Ontario. Former PC Ontario leader Tim Hudak took to Twitter this morning to extol the virtues of this full-throated neoliberal experiment, declaring it “the most effective, courageous gov[ernment]” in his lifetime. Some remember those days
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: … Your Young Men Will See Visions, Your Old Men Will Dream Dreams.
Although far from a biblical scholar, I find the above line, taken from the Book of Acts, to be an apt title. Even though I am taking it out of context, it encapsulates for me a capacity that the world in general, and Canada in particular, has lost: the capacity
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Temporary and part-time jobs surge promotes inequality, says OECD | Business | The Guardian
Temporary and part-time jobs surge promotes inequality, says OECD | Business | The Guardian. Heather Stewart A surge in self-employment and temporary or part-time jobs over the past two decades has been a key factor behind the rise in inequality in the world’s industrialised countries, according to a major new
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: It Couldn’t Be Clearer but Nobody in Ottawa is Listening – Running Out the Clock
Okay, I agree – the science isn’t in. Not all of it anyway. There’s more coming in almost daily – research, studies, experiments, observations and analyses, projections – there’s a continually growing mountain of information and knowledge. The thing is – while there’s more to come, it would be beyond
Continue readingThings Are Good: Rethinking Environmental Education Under Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is the current way of thinking about the economic state of the world. It’s the thinking that has led to the financialization of nearly everything in the world – think about how we justify our thinking in economic terms and not other terms. The critiques of the mind-numbing neoliberal
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Struggle Ahead for a Decent Future for our Youth
It’s sometimes hard to read a Henry Giroux essay without coming away feeling like you’ve been dragged into a dark alley and bludgeoned. In his latest essay, this American intellectual explores what we’ve allowed ourselves to become, how we’ve been complicit in our own orchestrated economic, social and political degradation.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: On Our Diversions
This is one of those days when I haven’t felt like writing anything. And George Orwell said just about everything better, anyway. H/t Mint Press News Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Amanda Lang Interviews Ed Broadbent
If you have as low an opinion of the CBC’s disgraced chief business correspondent, Amanda Lang, as I do, watch the following video. I think you will find that, with her absolutist questions typical of the extreme right and the intellectually deficient, she does not exceed expectations. For Broadbent’s thoughts
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: New IMF research: No evidence that labour market deregulation increases growth
New IMF research: No evidence that labour market deregulation increases growth. Filed under: Austerity Tagged: Labor Market reform, neoliberalism
Continue reading