Norman Solomon: How the Warfare State Paved the Way for a Trumpist Autocracy

Costs of War Project at Brown University indicated that the “war on terror” persisted on several continents. “The war continues in over 80 countries,” said Catherine Lutz, the project’s co-director. The war’s cost to taxpayers, the project estimated, was already at least $8 trillion…. Supplementing the automatic $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel, special new… Read More Norman Solomon: How the Warfare State Paved the Way for a Trumpist Autocracy

India’s appeasement of Donald Trump comes to nought

Anticipatory obedience did not then take India very far. The promises of purchasing defence goods, underwater technology co-operation, etc. that were given away for free, should have been used as bargaining chips during the trade and tariffs discussions Bharat Bhushan Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington DC to meet United States President Donald Trump — the fourth world… Read More India’s appeasement of Donald Trump comes to nought

Retotalising Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction to its History

Jairus Banaji I’ve divided this presentation into four distinct parts.[1] A shorthand description of these might be Imagine these themes as chapters to a book called Introduction to a History of Capitalism. So, what this talk sets out to do is simply construct a framework where we can think about capitalism historically. To start with the conventional narratives,… Read More Retotalising Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction to its History

“Frenzy of Warmongering”: Critics of Munich Security Summit Warn of Musk, Rising Fascism in Europe

Yanis Varoufakis As the annual high-level Munich Security Conference gets underway, the Russia-Ukraine war is dominating the agenda, and we speak to two guests protesting the conference. Economist, progressive leader and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis says the European project started with a noble goal of promoting peace but finds itself today “cornered” between… Read More “Frenzy of Warmongering”: Critics of Munich Security Summit Warn of Musk, Rising Fascism in Europe

‘Here lives the monster’s brain’: the man who exposed Switzerland’s dirty secrets

Inspired by Che Guevara, Jean Ziegler has spent the past 60 years exposing how Switzerland enabled global wrongdoing. His enemies accuse him of treason Ziegler would use the term “secondary imperialism” to define his country’s modus operandi. This was not the first-order French, British or, later, American imperialism… It was a more discreet kind of… Read More ‘Here lives the monster’s brain’: the man who exposed Switzerland’s dirty secrets

The Great Transformation by Karl Polanyi is a classic critique of capitalism – but it wasn’t an overnight success

Gareth Dale Hungarian social theorist Karl Polanyi is best known for his exploration of the collapse of liberal institutions that occurred between 1914 and 1945. His book, The Great Transformation, traces the catastrophes of those decades to the globalisation of market liberalism. In his view, the attempt by liberal social engineers to establish a “self-regulated” market… Read More The Great Transformation by Karl Polanyi is a classic critique of capitalism – but it wasn’t an overnight success

From Anti-War Progressive to Pro-Drone Militarist: Tulsi Gabbard’s Odd Political Trajectory (2021)

Gabbard has switched from championing the oppressed to championing the oppressors. It’s tough to say whether she ever truly believes anything she says or merely points her trajectory towards the greatest number of clicks and attention Originally published on November 24, 2021, this investigation delves into Tulsi Gabbard’s political metamorphosis—from self-proclaimed anti-war progressive to champion… Read More From Anti-War Progressive to Pro-Drone Militarist: Tulsi Gabbard’s Odd Political Trajectory (2021)