Economic Violence

DAVID WHYTE 6 July 2018 for OpenDemocracy Profit-before-safety, warnings ignored, 239 people dead. Britain’s oil bonanza and London’s gentrification have much in common. Thirty years ago today the Piper Alpha oil platform exploded and was engulfed in flames killing 167 people. Only 61 survived in… »

“Cuts leave scars” The UK NHS (National Health Service) is 70 years old. In spite of the onslaught it is suffering in the form of austerity and privatisation it continues to provide one of the best services in the world in spite of spending less than similar economies, although some… »

“This Sunday, Switzerland will hold an historical referendum on how money should be created. Watch this short video to understand what the vote is about – and share with your friends!” (Facebook posting by Positive Money Europe prior to the referendum). See Pressenza and Pressenza… »

Recent events have clearly demonstrated the great role and power of the so-called markets. The words of the European Budget Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, “The markets will teach the Italians how to vote correctly” are unequivocal. In fact, this is a good step forward, finally the enemy begins to show its… »

Wil Chivers, Cardiff University; Helen Blakely, Cardiff University, and Steve Davies for The Conversation Strikes have taken place at McDonald’s and TGI Friday’s restaurants across the UK in recent months. These strikes are the first of their kind in the UK, instigated… »

Tomaso Ferrando, University of Bristol  for The Conversation Hurricane Irma passed directly over the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda in September 2017. Irma was the fifth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, and it reached peak intensity just before landfall, when 180mph winds damaged almost every… »

By George Monbiot for The Guardian Here’s how to tame corporate power, and prevent ruthless executives from enriching themselves by harming us Once more, they walk away. Like those at RBS, Northern Rock and a… »

The Prime Minister Theresa May and the austerity crowd keep telling us there is no money to support the NHS and other essential services, but the Rich List shows the increasing concentration of money at the top. The poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer is true… »

By JAMES GALBRAITH 27 April 2018 for openDemocracy European austerity is a politics of power. It’s a banker protection racket. And the fact is, the strategy has now failed. Protestors outside trade negotiators meeting between 11 of the original 12… »

A document uncovered by Greenpeace’s investigative unit (published accidentally by the Initiative for Free Trade) has revealed “a drive to lobby ministers to ditch strict EU safety standards in order to secure a US trade deal is being drawn up by a transatlantic group of conservative thinktanks”. The report according to the… »