105 people killed; national curfew imposed in Bangladesh after student protesters storm prison

Army to be deployed to keep order after demonstrators free hundreds of prisoners and country is hit by serious unrest Hannah Ellis-Petersen The Bangladeshi government has declared a national curfew and announced plans to deploy the army to tackle the country’s worst unrest in a decade, after student protesters stormed a prison and freed hundreds… Read More 105 people killed; national curfew imposed in Bangladesh after student protesters storm prison

Two die and thousands hurt in crackdown on Bangladesh student protests

The situation was further inflamed by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who referred to the students protesting using the derogatory slur “Razakars”, meaning those who betrayed the nation by collaborating with the enemy, Pakistan, during the war of independence in 1971. “If the grandchildren of freedom fighters don’t receive quota benefits, should the grandchildren of… Read More Two die and thousands hurt in crackdown on Bangladesh student protests

Things are not going to get better as long as oligarchs rule the roost in our democracies

The history of many centuries, including our own, shows that the default state of politics is not redistribution and general welfare, but a spiral of accumulation by the very rich, the extreme exploitation of labour, the seizure of common resources and exaction of rent for their use, extortion, coercion and violence. Normal is a society in which… Read More Things are not going to get better as long as oligarchs rule the roost in our democracies

Elizabeth Humphrys: Anti-politics and the illusions of neoliberalism

First posted March 10, 2015 The latest issue of Oxford Left Review has a number of engaging articles on the nature and consequences of neoliberalism. Neil Davidson from the University of Glasgow examines the changing social base of neoliberalism, where he explores the shift from vanguard to ‘social’ neoliberalism and the relationship of the latter to the middle… Read More Elizabeth Humphrys: Anti-politics and the illusions of neoliberalism

MONEY TO BURN: Over 300 banks and investors back 6 of the world’s most harmful agribusinesses to the tune of $44bn

First posted December 15, 2019 Barclays, HSBC and Santander among names behind companies implicated in rainforest destruction Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley also among key financiers. The burning of the Brazilian Amazon this summer illustrated in the most graphic way possible humanity’s war on the planet. But such scenes play out… Read More MONEY TO BURN: Over 300 banks and investors back 6 of the world’s most harmful agribusinesses to the tune of $44bn

Arun Kumar: Articles, talks & discussions on aspects of the economy

1.      Interview on Economic situation and policy changes required. Jan Chowk June 19. It is at: https://www.youtube.com/live/p8_PXswKwlo?si=KrNqNc2yYNeAfXbQ 2.     Article on Policy Change needed post election results to avoid instability. The Wire, June 15. It is at: https://thewire.in/politics/narendra-modi-policy-change-election-results-2024 3.      Article on what is a mandate and what is it in 2024?. The Leaflet June 11. It is at: https://theleaflet.in/general-elections-2024-what-is-the-mandate/ 4.     Federalism article: Centre is… Read More Arun Kumar: Articles, talks & discussions on aspects of the economy

New World Order?

Kate Mackenzie, Tim Sahay We live in a dysfunctional system in which money flows out of the countries that need it most and into the coffers of the wealthiest. In 2023, the private sector collected $68 billion more in interest and principal repayments than it lent to the developing world. International financial institutions and assistance agencies… Read More New World Order?

‘The big story of the 21st century.’ Is this the most shocking documentary of the year?

Six years in the making, jaw-dropping new film The Grab shows a secret scramble by governments and private firms to buy up global resources…‘There’s no doctrine for what we’re going through right now. It’s just capitalism’. : what oil was to the 20th century, food and water will be to the 21st – precious, geopolitically… Read More ‘The big story of the 21st century.’ Is this the most shocking documentary of the year?

Underdevelopment and War

Dependency, neocolonialism, and the agrarian problem in Colombia Sandra Jaramillo Restrepo In the 1960s and ‘70s, the Colombian national government embarked on an ambitious agrarian reform program to address poverty in the increasingly violent countryside. Under the bipartisan project of the National Front, which alternated power between the Conservative and Liberal parties, these efforts sparked… Read More Underdevelopment and War