French anger spreads after Macron forces pension age rise

Strikes escalate and MPs call for protection as interior minister warns protesters against wreaking havoc Angelique Chrisafis in Paris Refinery strikes have escalated in France as the interior minister spoke of protesters wreaking havoc across the country and some MPs called for police protection, amid anger at the government pushing through a rise in the pension age without… Read More French anger spreads after Macron forces pension age rise

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

Covid reshaped the global labour market – these strikes are just the start

Between ageing populations, shifting attitudes and challenges to capitalist beliefs, workers have unprecedented power James Meadway As strikes and labour disputes surge around the world, we appear to be at the beginning of a period in which the balance of power in workplaces and labour markets swings in favour of workers, having long been skewed… Read More Covid reshaped the global labour market – these strikes are just the start

Matt Sheehan: Silent documentary on China’s unspooling environmental disasters

First posted January 26, 2016 The 2015 film “Behemoth” opens with an mining explosion and closes with a ghost city. The 84 minutes in between are a wordless exploration of what connects the two — the environmental tragedy that has mirrored China’s economic miracle. Shot over several years in the Chinese provinces of Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi,… Read More Matt Sheehan: Silent documentary on China’s unspooling environmental disasters

Bernie Sanders: ‘Oligarchs run Russia. But guess what? They run the US as well’

Read an extract from It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism by Tim Adams fter the State of the Union address at the beginning of this month, the Wall Street Journal ran an opinion piece that argued: “Joe Biden is Bernie Sanders.” By this it meant that, somehow, by stealth, under the cover of darkness, a “democratic socialist” – both words apparently… Read More Bernie Sanders: ‘Oligarchs run Russia. But guess what? They run the US as well’

INDIAN INEQUALITY

Oxfam India’s latest report revealed that 84 percent of the country suffered a decline in wealth in 2022, even as the number of billionaires grew from 102 to 142. The report notes reduced state investment in public education and healthcare, along with an increased reliance on indirect rather than corporate taxes to raise revenue.  In their 2013 book, JEAN DRÈZE and AMARTYA SEN analyze… Read More INDIAN INEQUALITY