We’re a bit late with this, but the Al Jazeera documentary is still worth watching. Jerome Roos, who appears in the program, explains why this is a must see: “Al Jazeera is without a doubt the best source of news we have on the ongoing economic and political crisis in Europe. With its overwhelming experience… Continue reading
Amy Goodman, Slavoj Zizek, and Julian Assange: the great Wikileaks debate
It is a great blessing that digital media have again diversified our media diet, bringing us gems such as this. Spend a well worth two hours watching the following video:
#15M Spanish protest movement – 47 evictions stopped
European Revolution reports on the #viviendadigna movement: The outraged movement in Spain has already prevented almost 47 evictions, according to the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH in Spanish http://afectadosporlahipoteca.wordpress.com/), which aims to defend the “right to housing”. From their website they are constantly making to ensure that families with financial problems avoid becoming… Continue reading
Five variables that are creating a social movement ‘with no name’
Excerpted from Aaron Peters in OpenDemocracy: “The Variables that Make the Movement: To my mind the movement is being catalysed by a number of identifiable variables. Firstly, the failure of neo-liberalism. Economic conditions in most OECD economies are worsening and are set to continue that way for the best part of a decade. The inertia… Continue reading
Openwatch – turn the tables on surveillance
We are all subject to scrutiny and surveillance – on the part of governments and corporations. It’s time to balance that very one-sided state of affairs and put surveillance at the service of the public. It can be done now with OpenWatch, a software that allows your mobile phone to do the recording, and to… Continue reading
Reasoned Localization and Selective Deglobalization
Excerpted from Christian Arnsperger: “Most authors I draw my inspiration from are keenly aware that domestic or very small-scale self-sufficiency is a thing of the past, linked to poverty and destitution and lack of access to basic capabilities — and they argue, at best, for a deliberate and reasoned selectivity in trade to replace today’s… Continue reading
Saving Fukushima’s Children from Radiation
A moving message from Japan, via the Fukushima Network for Saving Children from Radiation:
The emergence of a movement against corporate personhood in the U.S.
Via CommonDreams.org: Move to Amend is a movement fighting (in the U.S.) against the damaging legal fiction of Corporate Personhood. Excerpted from Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap: “Throughout the country … (are) … organizing against “corporate personhood,” a court-created precedent that illegitimately gives corporations rights that were intended for human beings. The movement is flowering not in the… Continue reading
Michael Hudson explains the rationale for high taxes on unearned income
Watch this very well explained video featuring Michael Hudson, a must watch: (amazing find: all high growth periods were marked by high taxes) This second video goes deeper into the theory of economic rent:
Bernard Lietaer and Christian Arnsperger on reinventing the financial system
Via: What is the structural cause of the financial crisis and what is its structural solution? 1. Watch the video from monetary transformer Bernard Lietaer, from TedX Berlin: 2. Listen to the audio podcast interview here. ” Dawna Jones talks to Bernard Lietaer, author of “The Future of Money” and the forthcoming “New Currencies for… Continue reading
A critique of home schooling by Stephen Downes
Stephen Downes writes: “In this 15 minute video I outline my criticisms of home schooling and describe success factors for an alternative, community schooling.” Watch the video here:
The economic benefits of shorter working hours in a new ‘non-economic’ conception of time
Protecting bankers’ and creditors’ interests above all else is foolish economic policy. It enriches one group of people at the expense of nearly everyone else. Excerpted from Juliet Schor, commons-oriented economist, author of the book Plenitude: (Juliet’s proposals are rooted in her different conception of time, which we feature just below) “Protecting bankers’ and creditors’… Continue reading
The Bitcoin Epoch: It is Akin to the Printing Press Revolution
News has been filtering in about the problems that are besetting a virtual currently called Bitcoin. The day to day rumblings of its story are fascinating enough but it is the evolution of the underlying idea that I think is important. This is one of those events that we often miss at the time and… Continue reading
Energy efficiency beyond the market: the Nordic way of citizen and municipal co-ownership
Excerpted from Prashant Vaze: ” Europe’s large integrated energy companies fall short of the hyped-up benefits of turbo-capitalism. No assessment of their performance would give them high scores. What is the point of choosing your supplier if every company’s off-shore call-centre offers the same amnesiac service, and their pushy sales teams harangue you with overly… Continue reading
From an Economics of Power and Greed to an Economics of Compassion and the Common Good
* Book: Economics Unmasked: From power and greed to compassion and the common good. By Philip B. Smith & Manfred Max Neef, Green Books, 2011 Excerpted, via Ethical Markets TV, from a review, by Nic Marks, founder of the Centre for Well-being: “This is a radical book – in fact it is a book to… Continue reading
The four phases of a Post-Peak Oil future, and how to prepare for the ecotechnic future
Those who have a place in the country or can get one won’t have any need to depend on a faltering corporate food system for their daily meals; those who focus instead on the small-city approach will be able to supplement sacks of bulk grains and legumes from the farm belt with produce from a… Continue reading