Austerity
George Monbiot – How to really take back control
A wide ranging lecture by George Monbiot that ticks almost all boxes.
The Commons
EU politics
New Weather Institute – Crapitalism: & the alternatives to ‘big’ outsourcing
Taking back power means taking back control of the ecnomic system. Privatisation has stolen public wealth and is now leaving behind a bill as well, such as for unpaid pension contributions and taxes. Lindsay Mackie […]
Economics
Aditya Chakrabortty: Britain is being stalked by a zombie elite – time to take them on
Democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people. As gpvernments fail miserably, it is time to take back power. Aditya Chakrabortty is beginning a series of how this is being […]
Deregulation
Bill Mitchell: Renationalisation – when self-promoted genius becomes plain lame
Privatisation has been one of the greatest wealth re-distributions in history – to the benefit of the wealthy. Now that most Europeans have understood this, the same perpetrators are coming up with people friendly privatisation. […]
Finance
Will Hutton: We can undo privatisation. And it won’t cost us a penny
End privitisation. A vast majority of Britons want their utilities and railways renationalised. Will Hutton suggests an alternative: The Public Benefit Company. Read here
EU politics
Corporate Europe Observatory – Is the European Commission preparing a new privatisation push?
Concerns have been aroused that a new wave of privatisation could be prepared after the European Commission asked KPMG to study the “operational and fiscal challenges” which state-owned enterprises place on the public purse. The […]
Economics
The Divide – A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions by Jason Hickel
Book review by Mathew D. Rose The subtitle of Jason Hickel’s book “The Divide” is something of an understatement. The book is neither brief, nor is it a guide. Instead Hickel has written a brilliant […]
Austerity
The Corruption of Capitalism – Why Rentiers Thrive and Work Does Not Pay by Guy Standing
Book review by Mathew D. Rose In 2011 Guy Standing wrote a book titled “The Precariat – The New Dangerous Class”, which showed great prescience. By the second paragraph he had already predicted what would […]
EU politics
Guy Standing – Let us celebrate the 800th Anniversary of The Charter of the Forest
BRAVE NEW EUROPE continues its series of articles concerning the Commons with this contribution by Guy Standing. Guy Standing is an economist and professorial research associate at SOAS University of London. His most recent books […]
EU politics
George Monbiot: Don’t let the rich get even richer on the assets we all share
From The Guardian There are four major economic sectors: the market, the state, the household and the commons. The neglect of the last two by both neoliberals and social democrats has created many of the […]