More than a referee? Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar prying on House committees

The actions of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha could impede the independent functioning of the parliamentary committees Bharat Bhushan Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Vice President (VP) of India Jagdeep Dhankar has done something unusual. In an unprecedented move, he has appointed eight officers from his personal office to 12 parliamentary standing committees… Read More More than a referee? Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar prying on House committees

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Food corporations paid shareholders $53.5bn while millions went hungry

Without food sovereignty, private businesses will continue profiteering at the expense of the planet Davi Martins Imagine being able to provide food, shelter, medicine and clean drinking water for the 230 million most vulnerable people on Earth, and still having a cool $2bn in spare change. That’s the equivalent of the entire economic output of… Read More Food corporations paid shareholders $53.5bn while millions went hungry

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The trouble with patriotism

Can patriotism be virtuous? Although philosophy has increasingly struggled to justify it on moral grounds in recent decades, patriotism remains a powerful source of self-identification and political participation. Simon Keller and Mitja Sardoč Mitja Sardoč: Despite its centrality in the pantheon of political ideals, patriotism remains a contested concept that continues to divide its advocates and… Read More The trouble with patriotism

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The Dollar and Empire

How the US dollar shapes geopolitical power Herman Mark Schwartz What does the US dollar’s continued dominance in the global monetary and financial systems mean for geo-economic and geo-political power? In a recent article, Yakov Feygin and Dominik Leusder question whether the United States actually enjoys an “exorbitant privilege” from the global use of the USD… Read More The Dollar and Empire

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Myanmar is a failing state, led by a junta fuelled by Russian arms, says UN rights envoy

Myanmar is a “failing state” and the crisis is getting exponentially worse, a UN special rapporteur for the country has warned, urging countries to adopt the same unified resolve that followed the invasion of Ukraine. “The same types of weapons that are killing Ukrainians are killing people in Myanmar,” Tom Andrews, special rapporteur on the… Read More Myanmar is a failing state, led by a junta fuelled by Russian arms, says UN rights envoy

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More than £75bn wiped off FTSE 100 amid Credit Suisse crisis

More than £75bn was wiped off the FTSE 100 on Wednesday, as Swiss authorities stepped in to reassure panicked markets over the health of the embattled European banking giant Credit Suisse. The Swiss central bank and its financial markets regulator issued a joint statement on Wednesday evening, pledging to provide emergency funding if necessary. They… Read More More than £75bn wiped off FTSE 100 amid Credit Suisse crisis

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Money as Empire?

Money and Empire: Charles P. Kindleberger and the Dollar SystemBy Perry Mehrling. Reviewed by Herman Mark Schwartz Money makes the world go round, or as Karl Marx put it, Geldgespräche, Quatsch-Spaziergänge. How does this work at the global or international level? Perry Mehrling’s elegantly written biography of the MIT economist Charles Poor Kindleberger illuminates the relationship between… Read More Money as Empire?

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Mika: Any other world

Mika sings Any other world In any other world you could tell the differenceAnd let it all unfurl into broken remnants Smile like you mean it and let yourself let go ‘Cause it’s all in the hands of a bitter, bitter manSay goodbye to the world you thought you lived inTake a bow, play the… Read More Mika: Any other world

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