Tag: economics

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

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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

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The Idea of Development: A Conversation in Chandigarh

Whether in electoral rhetoric or in the most high profile Supreme Court cases or in public policy, the word on everyone’s lips is Development. Punjab’s labour laws have been proposed to be reformed for– Development. Schools are being set up and strengthened for– Development. Building regulations are being changed so that rural areas and urban… Read More The Idea of Development: A Conversation in Chandigarh

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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

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After the Diamond Rush

South Africa and the internationalization of mineral extraction Duncan Money At the 2025 African Mining Indaba, leaders from across the Continent met representatives from multilateral lending institutions, energy companies, and US national security agencies to discuss how to “position mining as the continent’s foremost industry, driving sustainable investment and fostering economic growth.” The conference location, in… Read More After the Diamond Rush

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Yanis Varoufakis on Cloud Capital vs AI: DeepSeek, Technofeudalism, Capitalism and the New Cold War

In this video, Yanis Varoufakis delves into the seismic developments of January 2025, spotlighting the transformative impact of DeepSeek—a groundbreaking Chinese AI company that has sent shockwaves through the global tech and financial landscapes. By releasing free, open-source AI models, DeepSeek has not only disrupted the American stock markets but has also outperformed proprietary giants… Read More Yanis Varoufakis on Cloud Capital vs AI: DeepSeek, Technofeudalism, Capitalism and the New Cold War

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‘Fields were solitary’: Migration raids send chill across rural California

Brian Osgood Recent raids carried out by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a rural California county have struck fear into immigrant communities as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House. CBP says that the operation in Kern County, which took place over three days in early January, resulted… Read More ‘Fields were solitary’: Migration raids send chill across rural California

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CEOs want us to work weekends without overtime. Don’t we ask the same of our cooks, cleaners?

Karanjeet Kaur We are back to that time of the year when a man who earns Rs 51 crore tells the rest of us that we need to work harder. At least once a quarter, India’s business leaders poke their heads out of their luxurious offices, and scold us into believing that a 40-hour work… Read More CEOs want us to work weekends without overtime. Don’t we ask the same of our cooks, cleaners?

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