Colonial Propaganda - 1955 Video

Teleview Productions Presents: Report on Puerto Rico USA (1955):

Capitalist Crisis, Radical Renewal? An Interview with Leo Panitch, Sam Gindin, and Greg Albo

by Sasha Lilley
Originally published in The Bullet.
Part 3 of 3

Sasha Lilley: Sam, what have been the impediments to organizing a robust labour movement and left under neoliberalism that are obstacles in renewing the left now?

Capitalist Crisis, Radical Renewal? An Interview with Leo Panitch, Sam Gindin, and Greg Albo

by Sasha Lilley
Originally published in The Bullet.
Part 2 of 3

Sasha Lilley: Various Marxist critics have argued that the financialization of the economy is capital’s means of addressing the underlying stagnation of the “real economy,” of industry in decline. The argument goes that the current crisis is part of a long downturn starting in the 1970s and capitalism’s ill-health has been masked by a shift into profit-making through all sorts of incomprehensible derivatives and forms of speculation. You three see things quite differently. How so?

Capitalist Crisis, Radical Renewal? An Interview with Leo Panitch, Sam Gindin, and Greg Albo

by Sasha Lilley
Originally published in The Bullet.
Part 1 of 3

Sasha Lilley: Liberals and leftists alike argue that the economic crisis was caused by a lack of state regulation over the banks and financial markets. Consequently, they conclude that we just need new regulation to keep the financial sector in line. Why don't you think that's the case?

Interview with Richard D. Wolff: Part 2

Ian Seda (IS): What has led to the various austerity measures that have been proposed and implemented in various European countries during the last months?

Interview with Richard D. Wolff: Part 1

Note: Article originally published in Claridad (July 29- August 4, 2010)

Ian Seda (IS): Many economists are claiming that the “Great Recession” is finally over given a rebound in GDP growth in the US. What is your take on these types of analyzes?

Cops Assault Students and Workers

Puerto Rico: Second National Strike in Less than a Year

By Firuzeh Shokooh Valle (MRZINE) 
 

The student movement and the strike it has sustained for almost a month at the main campus of the state-run University of Puerto Rico (UPR), which has spread to 10 of the 11 UPR campuses, catalyzed a massive social movement convening a national strike today, May 18, 2010.

Student strike reignites a fire

Note: Héctor Tarrido-Picart explains the background to the struggle that is gripping the campuses of the University of Puerto Rico--and how it is affecting the wider struggle. (Taken from http://socialistworker.org/2010/05/11/student-strike-reignites-a-fire)

The Manufacture of Consent

In a previous post we recommended the documentary "Golden Rule: The Investment Theory of Politics" based on the work of political scientist and economist, Tom Ferguson. In the film the relationship of banks, financial firms and multinationals to the policies implemented by U.S. governments is examined via the contributions these institutions make to political campaigns. This particlar approach helps in understanding why President Obama is far off from being the agent of "change" that his campaign announced.

The Investment Theory of Politics

During the current historical conjuncture many are asking themselves what has happened with the much celebrated and anticipated "change" that the Barrack Obama administration was supposed to bring, especially in relation to the previous administration of George W. Bush. Some, like Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, are surprised at the amount of money that the government has given to banks and corporations, entities that are largely responsible for the current crisis, instead to those whose mortgages have defaulted. Others are not so surprised at the economic policies implemented.

Rethinking Jeffrey Sachs and the "Big Five": New Proposals for the End of Poverty

Note: Originally published in Monthly Review Online Magazine (http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/)

Jeffrey Sachs has become something of a force in international development circles over the past decade. As special advisor to the UN's Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, former director of the UN's Millennium Development Project, and a decorated economist at Columbia University, Sachs certainly has much to brag about. The publication of his runaway bestseller, The End of Poverty, even bagged him his second showing on Time's list of the world's top 100 most influential people.

Howard Zinn: Socialism without Jails

Socialism without Jails
by Howard Zinn

Q. What is your philosophy?

I believe, I suppose, in the one that could be called democratic socialism because I believe that we need a society where the motive for the economic system is not corporate profit but the motive is the welfare of people -- healthcare, jobs, childcare, and so on -- where that is dominant, where there is greater equalization of wealth; and a society which is peaceful and which devotes its resources to helping people in the country and elsewhere. And I believe in a world where war is no longer the recourse for the settling of grievances and problems. I believe in the wiping out of national boundaries. I don't believe in visas and passports and immigration quotas. I think we need to move towards a global society. They use the word globalization, but they use it in a very narrow sense to me -- the freedom of corporations to move across boundaries -- but what we need is the freedom of people and things to move across boundaries. When I talk about socialism without jails, I mean, yes, a greater societal intervention into the economy but without deprivation of civil liberties. Don't trouble the Hollywood writer. Put it very simply: yes, he said "socialism without jails."