A political sign in Dublin depicting German leader Angela Merkel and calling for a “no” vote to Eu-driven austerity policies. (Photo: Crispin Rodwell) ‘All Pain, No Gain’: The Irish Backlash to Europe’s Austerity Plans And In One Small Irish Town, Loophole Allows for Return to Pre-Euro Currency – Common Dreams staff In the small town [...]
Geert Wilders‘ rejection of Dutch austerity measures caused the government of the Netherlands to fall [AP] The triumph of nationalism How extremist and nationalist forces are growing across Europe in the face of financial crisis and growing xenophobia. London, United Kingdom - “The battle for France has just started”, declared a triumphant Marine Le Pen after her impressive [...]
Laying the Foundations for Preemptive Nuclear War Against Iran By Nile Bowie As prospects for a preemptive strike on Iran remain ever present, the recent round of talks between the P5+1 and Iran in Baghdad on May 23rd, 2012 have resulted in a familiar stalemate. As a precondition for any deal to [...]
Greek Leftist Leader Alexis Tsipras: ‘It’s a War Between People and Capitalism’ Greece‘s eurozone fate may now be in the hands of the 37-year-old political firebrand and his Syriza party By Helena Smith in Athens May 22, 2012 “The Guardian‘ – – “I don’t believe in heroes or saviours,” says [...]
For obvious reasons, Israel’s image is deteriorating worldwide. (Activestills) By Jamal Kanj In response to questions rating which country ‘… is having a mainly positive or mainly negative influence in the world?’ Israel was tie with N Korea for third place with highest negative influence on the global stage. The 2012 BBC Country Ratings [...]
War and cheeseburgers By Pepe Escobar A specter haunts Europe. No, it’s not communism; it’s US rating agencies. Greece is bankrupt; the eurozone is about to crack; JP Morgan makes billion-dollar “mistakes”; there’s no (jobs) future for the new generations. And yet the weaponized arm of the Western 0.1% elites occupies [...]
Alexis Tsipras tells reporters in Paris that the future of Europe and the euro depended on the outcome of the Greece debt crisis. Photograph: Remy De La Mauviniere/AP Alexis Tsipras warns Greek crisis is also Europe’s Greece’s leftwing leader tells Paris audience that other EU countries will be next if they fail to oppose radical [...]
Greece heading out of euro, say UK voters ICM poll reveals 74% believe Greece will leave single currency while David Cameron‘s personal rating hits all-time low Voters are convinced the euro is heading for the rocks, but divided on whom they will blame if the double-dip recession deepens, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll. By a crushing [...]
A recent series of visits by US officials to Myanmar signaled the renewal of relations[GALLO/GETTY] Obama unveils ‘new chapter’ in Myanmar ties Rewards for reforms include first US ambassador to South Asian nation in 22 years and easing of investment sanctions. The ‘new chapter’ is finding another country to influence. Closed government means ‘not open [...]
breakthrough.‘Hugo Chávez and his co-religionaries have called for 21st-century socialism, not a return to Soviet-style economics.’ (Photograph: Handout/Reuters) Chávez’s Economics Lesson for Europe Hugo Chávez’s rejection of the neoliberal policies dragging Europe down sets a hopeful example to Greece and beyond by Richard Gott Some years ago, travelling on the presidential plane of Hugo Chávez [...]
Greek Voters to Face Month of Eurozone ‘Fear-Mongering’ to Swallow Austerity Markets rattled by possible Greek exit from Euro; June elections may spell end of single currency – Common Dreams staff Greek voters are in for several tumultuous weeks ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections as the country’s “troika” of creditors – the European [...]
Bashing Japan and Germany Over Nuclear Exit An Audacious Nuclear Hypocrisy by LINDA PENTZ GUNTER With audacious hypocrisy, American pro-nuclear pundits have been indulging in the familiar sport of losers – the relentless bashing of the more successful. With nuclear energy rapidly losing favor around the globe, the [...]
German chancellor Angela Merkel is to have face-to-face talks with François Hollande in Berlin. Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP link http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/may/13/eu-leaders-showdown-eurozone-crisis Europe is braced for a crucial 48 hours of high-stakes summitry likely to decide whether Germany and France can strike a grand bargain aimed at dispelling growing pessimism over the chances of the single currency surviving in its current form. [...]
Most Greeks say they want their country to remain in the eurozone [EPA] Will Greeceleave the euro – and if so, what would happen next?The question has been bandied about for a few years now, but has gained more attention after Greek elections gave big boosts to parties opposed to the terms of the country’s [...]
Capitalism in the Second Decade of the 21st Century: From the “Golden” to the Dark Ages of Capitalism By James Petras May 09, 2012 “Information Clearing House” — The economic, political and social outlook for the second decade of the 21st century is profoundly negative. The almost universal consensus, even [...]
Greek, French Elections Sound Death Knell for Austerity by Julio Godoy BERLIN – The voting out of conservative governments in France and Greece this weekend heralds the end of harsh European austerity programs and ushers in an era of new economic, investment, and social policies aimed at restoring growth and employment across the continent. In [...]
Change Europe can believe in? By Pepe Escobar Europe may just be living a remix of the late 2008 moment when Barack Obama won the presidency in the United States. But this time, will it be real? The election on Sunday of socialist Francois Hollande as president of France comes at [...]
Waiting for Copernicus By John Feffer It’s happening in Buenos Aires. It’s happening in Paris and in Athens. It’s even happening at the World Bank headquarters. The global economy is finally shifting away from the model that prevailed for the last three decades. Europeans are rejecting austerity. Latin Americans are nationalizing [...]
Since Austerity raised its head this page has constantly warned about what is suggested is an attack on working people, to further the cause of the elites and their lackeys. As far as ‘belt tightening’ in concerned, just whose belt is being tightened?. Remember that what we are supposed to [...]
Washington, D.C. – Economic austerity is a dangerous, self-defeating intellectual fad. Perhaps I should say that’s what it was, given Sunday’s election results in Europe. Perhaps I should also say good riddance. Voters in France, Greece and even Germany — a hotbed of the austerity cult — told their political [...]
Alexis Tsipras, the leader of a group of radical leftists, warned that Greece could walk away from its rescue deal with the eurozone. Photograph: Kostas Tsironis/AP The European executive has responded to the electoral earthquakes in France and Greece by calling for a shift towards growth across the EU as the new firebrand leftist leader in Athens [...]
Israeli flags fly over Ulpana. Photograph: Sebastian Scheiner/AP Ulpana illegal outpost must be gone by July, Israeli government is warned Judges reject coalition’s plea for delay and set new deadline for demolition of unauthorised buildings on Palestinian land The Israeli government has been given a fresh deadline for the controversial demolition of a Jewish outpost [...]
German chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted Athens must comply with the stringent terms of its €130bn (£100bn) bailout. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters Eurozone crisis: Merkel tells Athens and Paris to stick to spending limits Efforts to save the euro under threat after EU leaders’ strategies collide with the wishes of voters in Greece and France Europe‘s [...]
French presidential candidates Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy The End of Austerity in Europe? by Jeanne Kay link to article http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/05/06-2 A few months ago, when Occupy movements bloomed across Europe, the absence of any similar uprising in France appeared to be an anomaly in a country infamous for its people’s propensity to take the streets. One explanation was [...]
Greek elections: exit polls point to drubbing for major parties New Democracy and Pasok see support drop dramatically, as voters turn to parties who had opposed austerity measures Greeks vote in parliamentary elections. Link to this videoGoverning parties backing EU-mandated austerity in Greece are on course for a major drubbing as hard-hit voters, [...]
Loverdos is a minister for so-called Social Solidarity – hardly what one would expect from his issuing of compulsory health certificates for all migrants, says the author [AP] London, United Kingdom - On April 1, 2012 two ministers of the Greek coalition government held a joint press conference: Michalis Chrisochoidis, minister for Citizen Protection (administering the [...]
Many Spaniards are angry over austerity measures and widespread unemployment [Reuters] Spain’s economic recession has double-dipped in the first fiscal quarter, as the country faces intense pressure from the European Unionto solve its financial problems and growing public unrest against austerity measures, new data shows.The official data was released on Monday amid new quarterly unemployment figures showing nearly 25 [...]
Protest flames: demonstrators in Rome take part in a candlelit vigil held for victims of the economic crisis and to highlight the lack of jobs. Partial local elections take place next month. Photograph: Giuseppe Ciccia/Demotix/Corbis Anti-austerity movements gaining momentum across Europe As economies falter, established political parties feel the heat from leftwing and far right [...]
The New(er) World Order? Neoliberal Dragons, Eurasian Wet Dreams, and Robocop Fantasies A History of the World, BRIC by BRIC by Pepe Escobar Goldman Sachs — via economist Jim O’Neill — invented the concept of a rising new bloc on the planet: BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). Some cynics couldn’t help [...]
AFP Border sign posts in Strasbourg, France. With the EU’s eastward expansion, its external borders have become more porous. Germany and France’s joint proposal to allow Schengen-zone countries to temporarily reintroduce border controls as a means of last resort might sound harmless. But doing so would damage one of the strongest symbols of European unity [...]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in this April 8, 2008 file photo. (Reuters/Presidential official website/HO) By Rachelle Younglai and Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Iran‘s trading partners are looking for ways to avoid being hit by US sanctions on Iranian oil transactions that take effect mid-year, with Turkey looking for [...]
Irainian Ship Photo by: Glenn Klasner Amid nuclear talks, Iran warns of cutting oil to more EU states Recent Iranian measures against Britain, France, Greece and Spain, meant as pre-emptive retaliation ahead of an EU oil embargo that is due to go into effect in July. By The Associated PressTags: Iran nuclear Iran threat link http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/amid-nuclear-talks-iran-warns-of-cutting-oil-to-more-eu-states-1.425548 Iran’s oil minister [...]
Hungary: Revoke Law Criminalizing Homeless Fines, Imprisonment are Abusive and Counterproductive APRIL 16, 2012 RELATED MATERIALS: Hungary: Revoke Denial of Pride March Route Hungary’s Downward Slide on Rights Requires Stronger EU Action It defies logic to punish the poorest people in society just because they live on the streets. [...]
Debt Crisis Plotted to Deliver the Euro to the IMF? April 13, 2012The DestructionistLeave a commentGo to comments The Daily Bell Friday, April 13, 2012 Spanish bailout ‘impossible’ for eurozone, says prime minister Mariano Rajoy … The eurozone is not equipped to bail out Spain, the country’s prime minister Mariano Rajoy has admitted, as global traders [...]
Getty Images Emerging Nations Vie for Power at IMF By Marc Hujer and Christian Reiermann The European Union would like to see the International Monetary Fund provide billions in additional funds to help relieve the debt crisis. However, a number of emerging economies are resisting the plans, accusing the West of abusing its power within [...]
“Other countries have gone through similar experiences. Latin American countries suffered a lost decade after 1982, and Japan has been stagnating for a quarter of a century; both have survived. But the European Union is not a country and it is unlikely to survive. The deflationary debt trap threatens to destroy a still-incomplete political union.” [...]
Bibi’s Dilemma — and Barack’s By Patrick J. Buchanan April 17, 2012 “Information Clearing House” — “Bibi” Netanyahu was disgusted. “My initial reaction is that Iran has gotten a freebie. It has got five weeks to continue enrichment without any limitation.” The Israeli prime minister was referring to Saturday’s meeting in [...]
Australia removed Thein Sein from the sanctions list, but military officers remained [Reuters] Australia’s government has announced an easing of sanctions and moves to normalise trade ties with Myanmar following recent reforms by the country’s civilian government. But Bob Carr, Australia’s foreign minister, said on Monday that sanctions would remain in place against about 130 military [...]
Electoral posters in Seville, Andalucia, March 2012. Brussels and international bond markets are becoming increasingly worried about Spain’s indebted regions. Photograph: Marcelo Del Pozo/REUTERS Further proof that austerity is just a word. What is really happening is that the so called global economy is just the same as any domestic economy. That is it is [...]
Iran‘s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili has told Russian and Chinese diplomats he has come prepared for substantive negotiation. Photograph: Osman Orsal/Reuters The first international negotiations on Iran‘s nuclear programme for 15 months will get under way on Saturday in Istanbul amid increasing signs that Tehran is prepared to trade limits on its enrichment of uranium [...]
Members of the so-called Quartet of Middle East peacemakers meets in Amman, Jordan in January (Reuters/Jordan News Agency, File) By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Middle East peace mediators on Wednesday criticized Israeli settlement building and called on donors to meet aid pledges to the Palestinians as they sought to revive moribund peace talks. The [...]
The Best of Pepe Escobar Apr 11, 2012 Surrender now or we’ll bomb you later Welcome to the “roll over and die” school of diplomacy over Iran – as perfected by the Barack Obama administration, with vital input from the Israel lobby in Washington. The United States president’s ultimatum before international [...]
Heard the One About the Peace Activist on the Titanic? By David Swanson http://warisacrime.org/content/heard-one-about-peace-activist-titanic As we mark the 100-year anniversary of the unsinkable Titanic sinking, we should recall both the good and bad of that long-forgotten world of 1912. Were an unbelievably expensive means of luxury travel between the United [...]
After Greece, there are signs of rising protests across EU societies [EPA] London, United Kingdom - German sociologist and influential European thinker Ulrich Beck recently highlightedthat one of the most (problematic) prevailing contemporary tendencies is to elevate Germany‘s “culture of stability” to “Europe’s guiding idea”. While it is necessary that some states take a more conscious and [...]
French president Nicolas Sarkozy has aligned himself with German chancellor, Angela Merkel, during the eurozone crisis, but François Hollande has positioned himself as a challenger to her. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images Whoever wakes up on 7 May as French president will have to deal with aEurope turned upside down by two years of currency crisis and [...]
. Protesters in Madrid during yesterday’s general strike (photo: Jesús Pérez Pacheco) Spain’s New Budget: ‘As Austere As It Gets’ Budget is most austere in Spain’s democratic history – Common Dreams staff Spain has unveiled its most austere budget in democratic history today in the wake of massive protests. The government’s budget calls for cuts [...]
CCOO and UGT union officials protest in Madrid on 22 March against labor market changes introduced by the conservatives. (Photograph: Biniam Ghezai/Demotix/Corbis) Spain’s General Strike Is Also a Day of Action for the 99% Polls say only 30% of the employed will take part on Friday, but it will also be what the Occupy movement [...]
By Richard Clark (about the author) Become a Fan (95 fans) — Page 1 of 2 page(s) opednews.com What follows here is a synopsis of an email sent out by Graham Summers, Chief Market Strategist at Phoenix Capital Research. Summers and other analysts say the coming collapse has been delayed by heavy intervention from the European Central Bank. [...]
Asma al-Assad‘s shoes 24 March 2012 We don’t know what might affect Asma al-Assad, the Syrian president‘s wife, if banned from entering the EU. Neither do we know the same of her mother-in-law Anisa who we have never heard of since she supposedly left Damascus perhaps over forty years ago. Some [...]
A fuel tanker arrives at a power plant in the central Gaza Strip, March 23, 2012. Gaza’s sole power station shut down on Sunday morning after two days of electricity production. (REUTERS/ Ibraheem Abu Mustafa) GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s sole power station shut down on Sunday morning after two days of electricity production, as [...]
