The Default Option
Here is an important op ed from the Irish Times by a former senior IMF official, arguing that the most heavily indebted euro countries will have to default on some…
europe
N14 anti-austerity ‘day of protest’ across Europe: pictures and video links
Millions across Europe turned out November 14 in an anti-austerity 'day of protest and solidarity.' The coordinated protests are happening at a time when Europe is headed back into recession…
November 14 ‘day of action’ against austerity: protests in Greece
Over the past months there have been protests in Spain, Portugal and Greece against government-imposed austerity measures. This week an austerity bill was passed by the governing coalition in Greece…
$12 bil CETA GDP Claim from SimCity, not Real World
This week’s edition of Embassy newspaper contained a very interesting briefing insert on the Canada-EU CETA talks. Below is a commentary from me critiquing the ubiquitous but unbelievable claim that…
We’re Helping the NotFound Project
Sadly, even in these modern times, children go missing and finding them can be difficult. The NotFound Project hopes to help find missing children by making use of 404 pages…
In Spain, An Anti-Austerity Revolutionary Uprising (VIDEO)
This must-see video delves into the heart of Spain’s recent violent anti-austerity protests, and reveals the deep divide between the government and the people. “The government is trying to scare…
Stephen Harper trumpeted his lust for Brit colonialism in 2006 speech
At the heart of our relationship is the golden circle of the Crown which links us all together with the majestic past that takes us back to the Tudors, the…
Stephen Harper jubilait son admiration pour la colonisation britannique dans un discours de 2006
Au cœur de notre relation se trouve le cercle de la Couronne, qui nous relie tous avec son passé majestueux qui nous ramène à l’époque des Tudors, des Plantagenets, de…
Just How Stupid is Niall Ferguson? Very Stupid.
“But the real point of me isn’t that I’m good looking. It’s that I’m clever. I’ve got a brain! I would rather be called a highly intelligent historian than a…
Another push for jobs by shifting the tax burden on workers…
… in Portugal. Portugal’s Prime Minister announced on Friday that the government would raise workers’ social security contribution rates from 11% to 18% (about one month’s salary)… and decrease companies’…
The ECB and the Euro Crisis
Here is an excellent commentary by Andrew Watt on the new ECB commitment to buy bonds without limit to reduce interest rates on the government debt of troubled members of…
Blu mural tackles Italy’s Chernobyl
Italian street artist Blu has created a towering critique of the militarization of Sardinia. His latest mural depicts the devastating impact that industrialization and military bases have had on the…
Rock stars demand Pussy Riot release – Feminist punk rockers jailed in Russia for performing "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin
As Russian president Vladimir Putin visits London to engage in both Olympic and diplomatic shenanigans, several major British musicians, including Pete Townshend, Jarvis Cocker and Corinne Bailey Rae are calling…
Europe’s Export of Political Integration
From democracy to banking, Europe has launched institutions that have shaped the world; with its recent financial crisis, Europe might be about to do it again. The European financial crisis…
Mulcair on the euro crisis
This is audio from an interview Mulcair did with Michael Enright on CBC radio this weekend where the eurozone financial crisis came up: That is a brief excerpt but I…
You go, Paul Martin
Yeah they did: “Tories made a ‘major mistake’ in their approach to the euro crisis, Paul Martin says.” “The major mistake that the government has made is the way that…
More Europe bashing from the Harper crew
From the “Today’s Must Reads” on the Globe’s Politics page, an op-ed from Conservative Senator and former Harper campaign chair Doug Finley with a familiar refrain: “Europe needs to take…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Dan Gardner draws some parallels between the Cons’ attacks on Europe and the well-worn (and entirely false) Reagan-era “welfare queen” line of spin.…
The world ponies up to the IMF
The IMF released this table at the end of the G20 yesterday showing pledges received over the past few months by countries around the world to increase IMF resources: That’s…