Catégorie : Politics

hallo … geht es noch

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WEST COAST SWING and more

Would an unconditional basic income save democracy or breed laziness?

Published on The Irish Times, by Joe Humphreys, June 6, 2015: The idea of a living wage has been around since the 1700s, but Switzerland is set to put it to a vote next year … //

  • … Progressive thinkers such as Thomas Paine and Bertrand Russell were fans but, in every age, predictable objections kicked in: it would be too expensive; it would be open to abuse; it would make people lazy … //

Laziness: Continuer la lecture de « Would an unconditional basic income save democracy or breed laziness? »

Renewed shelling hits residential areas in eastern Ukraine (PHOTOS, 3 VIDEOS)

Published on Russia Today RT, June 7, 2015.

Artillery shells have hit a local market in the north-western district of Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine. At least one person has been wounded, according to the head of the district’s administration aligned with Donbass rebels.   Continuer la lecture de « Renewed shelling hits residential areas in eastern Ukraine (PHOTOS, 3 VIDEOS) »

actual concerns

some of today's concerns

Saudi-led naval blockade worsens Yemen humanitarian disaster, on The Guardian, by Julian Borger, June 5, 2015: Aid agencies say embargo imposed by US and UK-backed Arab coalition has had dramatic effect, with nearly 80% of population in urgent need;

Hackers swipe confidential files on 4 million federal workers, on Consumer Affairs, by James R. Hood, June 5, 2015: Second major breach in a year of federal personnel records. Hackers have gained access to confidential personnel records of more than 4 million current and retired federal employees, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management OPM said late Thursday. It’s the second major breach of federal personnel records in a year …;     Continuer la lecture de « some of today's concerns »

Greece misses IMF payment in warning shot as showdown with Europe escalates

Published on The Telegraph.co.uk, by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, June 5, 2015.: No developed country has ever skipped a payment to the IMF – but Greek sources say they were provoked [incl. picture: Syriza had the money at hand. It chose not to pay as a conscious political choice; Video: How big is Greece’s dept, 1.12 min; Graphs].

Greece is to take the drastic step of skipping a €300m payment to the International Monetary Fund on Friday, invoking an obscure mechanism in abeyance since the 1970s to bundle all debts due in June and pay them at the end of the month.   Continuer la lecture de « Greece misses IMF payment in warning shot as showdown with Europe escalates »

Wikileaks releases ‘largest’ trove of docs exposing secret TiSA trade deal

Published on Russia Today RT, June 3, 2015.

WikiLeaks has published 17 secret documents related to a controversial trade agreement currently being negotiated behind closed doors between the US, EU and 23 WTO members. NGO Global Justice Now called the leak “a dark day for democracy” … (including Chapters and Annexes of the TiSA text under negotiation, with it’s Docs dates and wikileaks publishing dates) …;   Continuer la lecture de « Wikileaks releases ‘largest’ trove of docs exposing secret TiSA trade deal »

Early Middle Ages Music

Early Middle Ages Music, 61.18 min, uploaded by Gramila888, Sept 17, 2013: the Middle Ages saw the emergence of great changes. After fall of the (Roman Empire) the violent times of the Dark Ages had led to a primitive society lacking in engineering skills or refinement. The traditions of Western music can be traced back to the social and religious developments that took place in Europe during the Middle Ages, the years roughly spanning from about 500 to 1400 A.D. Because of the domination of the early Catholic Church during this period, sacred music was the most prevalent. Beginning with Gregorian Chant, sacred music slowly developed into a polyphonic music called organum performed at Notre Dame in Paris by the twelfth century. Secular music flourished, too, in the hands of the French trouvères and troubadours, until the period culminated with the sacred and secular compositions of the first true genius of Western music, Guillaume de Machaut.
On en.wikipedia: Medieval music; /External Links.

Egypt: more of the same

Interview with Cairo University professor Mustafa Kamel Al-Sayed – published on Al-Ahram weekly online, by Khaled Dawoud, May 28, 2015 … (he) has spent years battling for a modern, democratic state. Under Hosni Mubarak he was a leading member of Kifaya and of the National Association for Change, groups in the vanguard of protests that eventually led to the end of Mubarak’s 30-year rule … (about) his hopes and fears … //

… Does Al-Sisi act in such a way because he believes the country is in a state of war against terrorism?   Continuer la lecture de « Egypt: more of the same »

The Class Logic behind Austerity Policies in the Euro-Area

… Can SYRIZA Put Forward a Progressive Alternative? – Published on The Bullet, Socialist Project’s E-Bulletin No. 1124, by John Milios, June 1, 2015.

1. The Nexus of Economic Crisis and Austerity

1.1. Austerity as a cost saving capitalist strategy:

  • After the outbreak of the 2008 global economic crisis, extreme austerity policies prevailed in many parts of the developed capitalist world, especially in the European Union (EU) and the Euro-area (EA). Austerity has been criticized as an irrational policy, which further deteriorates the economic crisis by creating a vicious cycle of falling effective demand, recession and over-indebtedness. However, these criticisms can hardly explain why this ‘irrational’ or ‘wrong’ policy persists, despite its ‘failures’.[1] Continuer la lecture de « The Class Logic behind Austerity Policies in the Euro-Area »

Index May 2015

2015-05-01: A Hole in the System;
2015-05-02: Reefs etc;
2015-05-03: BRICS from below: counterpower movements in Brazil, India and South Africa;
2015-05-04: The Message of Anzac: Put Out More Flags, or Shut Up;
2015-05-05: Alexandre Jardin;
2015-05-06: Anugama;
2015-05-08: Money Argent Geld;
2015-05-09: The looming Iraq (economic) disaster;
2015-05-10: Clear-Cutting (in the Valcea region of the Carpathian Mountains) in Romania;
2015-05-11: Driven mad: inside a Libyan detention centre for female migrants;
2015-05-12: Cafe de Mar – YouTube-Mix;
2015-05-13: The White Hats Report – (en & de);
2015-05-14: KITARO;
2015-05-15: The Arab Boat;
2015-05-15: Bemerkungen, Meinungen, Streitereien;
2015-05-16: Five Major Banks to Plead Guilty to Rigging Currency Markets;
2015-05-17: my YouTube Mix …;
2015-05-18: If Too-Big-to-Fail means Too-Big-to-Jail it should mean Too-Big-to-Be;
2015-05-19: Over Reach of the Financial-Military Complex and the New Multi-Polar World Order;
2015-05-20: Winning a Nuclear War?
2015-05-21: The Dysfunctionality of Slavery and Neoliberalism – Michael Perelman;
2015-05-22: The Complete History of Monsanto;
2015-05-23: How UNITE Took on the Fast Food Companies Over Zero Hour Contracts and Won;
2015-05-24: Roger Waters & Pink Floyd and others;
2015-05-25: Deuter and more;
2015-05-26: Battle of humanity, Muslim scholars make desperate call to save Syria’s Palmyra;
2015-05-27: EU dropped pesticide laws due to US pressure over TTIP, documents reveal;
2015-05-28: Polarizing Development, Introducing Alternatives to Neoliberalism and the Crisis;
2015-05-29: Washington’s “Two Track Policy” to Latin America;
2015-05-30: Join the global call for sharing;
2015-05-31: Benefit cap could drop 40,000 children into poverty, leaked memo warns;
2015-05-31: Basic Income BIG – Revenu de Base – Bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen BGE, MAY 1-31, 2015.