Ghost Dog
Ghost Dog's JournalCapitalist world is facing systemic crisis
In fact, the financial crisis in 2008 declared the failure of neoliberalism, and also provided a historic opportunity for Western countries to adjust their policies accordingly. However, financial capital pulled itself out of the crisis in the name of pumping up the market with public funds. As a result, financial capital not only hasn't suffered setback but has grown stronger since the crisis.
In this process, in order to save financial capital, the level of national debt in Western countries rose sharply, which led to the proportion of national debt in GDP of these countries increasing by an average of 30 percentage points. After that, the US and other countries took further tax cuts to stimulate the economy, which aggravated the fiscal crisis. Meanwhile, Western countries generally adopt extremely loose monetary policies. On the one hand, interest rates are rapidly reduced to a very low level. On the other, a huge amount of capital is injected into the market through multiple rounds of monetary easing. The aim of this policy is to make it easier for businesses and households to borrow at a very low cost, and then investment and consumption can be boosted. However, due to the economic downturn and pessimistic expectation for the future, many enterprises and families try to de-leverage and cut debt. And the slow growth of investment and consumption results in a long-term stagnation of the economy...
... What makes matters worse is that the new wealth of many countries flows to the rich on a large scale, and the gap between the rich and poor widens. Whats more, its hard to accept that many reform measures urgently needed by Western society that aim to curb financial speculation and fraud and alleviate contradictions of new liberalism cannot be carried out because of resistance from monopoly capital. The financial and economic crisis in Western countries is gradually turning into a serious social and political crisis. What's more, Western mainstream ideology, including neoliberalism, can neither explain nor solve the current systematic and institutional contradictions of capitalism, and the cultural crisis is becoming more and more intense.
The author is associate dean at the School of Marxism, Tsinghua University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1177928.shtml
I see there's a change.org petition to the EU Comission asking for Brits to retain EU citizenship
if they so want it: https://www.change.org/p/european-commission-continued-eu-citizenship-for-brits
A comment:
And there's a group or poll here with the same aim with over 136000 signatures: https://www.eucitizenship.org.uk/
Brexit:What changes after the 31st?
WHAT CHANGES ON JAN 31?
Effectively, nothing. There will be a business-as-usual transition period until the end of 2020, meaning that investors in Britain and the EU will see no change in services on Monday, Feb. 3.
All EU financial rules will still be applicable in Britain until the end of December...
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-finance-factbox/the-city-and-brexit-what-changes-and-when-idUKKBN1ZR1ES?il=0
... Britain and France, the EUs two nuclear armed U.N. Security Council permanent members, have long been by far the blocs leading military powers. Britain was also the blocs only member of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group, giving it privileged access to the output of U.S. spies. To contain the damage from Britains exit, the bloc is keen to keep London in a tight security and defence relationship in the future.
The departure of a traditional proponent of trans-Atlantic ties will leave more say to Paris, which has greater ambitions for the integration of European defence...
... With Germany seen leaning more towards a traditional French model of a strong state role, Britain will be an absence in discussions about industrial policy, vetting foreign investment, state aid to industry and creating national champions...
... Britain was by far the largest EU state outside the euro zone, meaning the other eight countries that have kept national currencies lose their most important ally when their interests diverge from those of states that use the euro...
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-dynamics-explainer/missing-you-already-how-brexit-tilts-eu-political-alliances-idUKKBN1ZR1BE
Trump's reckless rampage quickens Rapture
... The impeachment-fearing president - a permanent foreign policy novice - proudly understands nothing about the region, its politics, or its religions.
That means that like Bush before him, Trump remains susceptible to manipulation from top advisers who have larger plans. Just as Bush got steered down the road of Iraqi ruin by Dick Cheney, who kept one eye on his Halliburton stock, as well as a flock of neoconservatives who remained committed to their decades-long plot of Iraqi regime change, Trump's advisers on Iran include key players like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence.
Both believe there is a battle between good and evil that will end with the "Rapture" - following an apocalyptic war in the Middle East, Jesus Christ will return to Israel, bestowing eternal redemption to Christians, who will be "raptured" or ascended, into heaven...
If extremists like Pompeo and Pence want Trump to create chaos in the Middle East in order to quicken the Rapture, they ought to just say so and let swing state voters this year decide if that's America's best path forward.
https://news.sky.com/story/trumps-reckless-middle-east-rampage-makes-mad-bushs-rush-to-war-look-thoughtful-11906088
Australia: Indigenous peoples' rightful role as guardians and caretakers
These contradictory lies have necessitated a phenomenal amount of cognitive dissonance within the population in order for them to feel that patriotic pride that usually comes out so strongly in the form of flags, flag capes, flag thongs and alcoholism...
... Australia is home to the oldest living cultures on Earth cultures that understood the health of the land, the water, the animals and the people are one and the same. We cannot take Australia back to its pre-invasion state, but we can move forward into the future embracing these same principles, and returning Indigenous people to our rightful role as guardians and caretakers...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/10/australia-is-built-on-lies-so-why-would-we-be-surprised-about-lies-about-climate-change
Pedro Snchez voted back in as Spanish prime minister by Congress
... As expected, the leader of the Socialist Party (PSOE) won a simple majority of just two more yes than no votes. In the end, 167 deputies voted in favor (PSOE, Unidas Podemos, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Más País, Compromís, Nueva Canarias, Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) and Teruel Existe); 165 against (Popular Party (PP), Vox, Ciudadanos (Citizens), Together for Catalonia, Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), Navarra Suma, Coalición Canaria, Foro Asturias and the Regionalist Party of Catalonia (PRC)); and there were 18 abstentions: (Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and EH Bildu).
Sánchez will now head the first coalition government since the days of the Second Republic (1931-1939). Sources at La Moncloa, the seat of the Spanish government, said that he could be sworn in and appoint his Cabinet as early as Wednesday.
The new PSOE-Unidas Podemos administration is planning to introduce tax hikes for higher earners and large corporations, and to increase the minimum wage. But the coalition government falls short of an absolute majority in Congress, and will require bill-by-bill support in order to get legislation passed...
https://elpais.com/elpais/2020/01/07/inenglish/1578391109_970993.html
Hubo un lugar (Diego el Cigala)
Brucia La Terra - LUPA
People Get Ready (Joss Stone)
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Gender: Do not displayHometown: Canary Islands Archipelago
Home country: Spain
Member since: Wed Apr 19, 2006, 01:59 PM
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