Bill Gates: How to avoid a climate disaster : Review for the Times Literary Supplement, published on 12 March, 2021.When I first began to use computers in the 1980s, my Techie pals in the opensource community were dismissive of Microsoft’s ‘clunky’ and vulnerable software and advised me against using its products. But I disagreed. In the eyes of geeks, the software may have been badly coded but it was accessible for me, a non-geeky beginner. For each glitch I just hit ‘update’ and Microsoft...
Read More »The 2021 alberta budget
On 25 February 2021, Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party government tabled its third budget, announcing very few major changes to either spending or taxation, while also projecting a deficit of $18.2 billion for the 2021-22 fiscal year. I’ve written an 900-word overview of the budget here. Nick Falvo is a Calgary-based research consultant with a PhD in Public Policy. He has academic affiliation at both Carleton University and Case Western Reserve University, and...
Read More »Billionaires & the pandemic: in happy alignment
There are two global forces positively thriving – despite today’s crises. They are the lethal coronavirus and the world’s billionaires – engaged in a form of ‘co-production’. Why are they thriving? And why do their interests align so happily?The ‘interests’ of a lethal virus are clear. The microbe’s supreme ambition is to spread as fast as possible, infect millions of humans, accelerate the process of transmission and evolve into a global pandemic.Never mind the consequences.How can this...
Read More »Billionaires & the pandemic: in happy alignment
There are two global forces positively thriving – despite today’s crises. They are the lethal coronavirus and the world’s billionaires – engaged in a form of ‘co-production’. Why are they thriving? And why do their interests align so happily?The ‘interests’ of a lethal virus are clear. The microbe’s supreme ambition is to spread as fast as possible, infect millions of humans, accelerate the process of transmission and evolve into a global pandemic.Never mind the consequences.How can this...
Read More »Billionaires & the pandemic: in happy alignment
There are two global forces positively thriving – despite today’s crises. They are the lethal coronavirus and the world’s billionaires – engaged in a form of ‘co-production’. Why are they thriving? And why do their interests align so happily? The ‘interests’ of a lethal virus are clear. The microbe’s supreme ambition is to spread as fast as possible, infect millions of humans, accelerate the process of transmission and evolve into a global pandemic. Never mind the consequences. How can this...
Read More »The Next EU Degeneration
Pubblicato da Brave New Europe, a breve la versione italiana. Sergio Cesaratto – The Next EU Degeneration February 2, 2021 Austerity, Economics, EU politics, EU-Institutions, Finance, Inequality, National Politics, Neo-Liberalism in the EU, Regulation, Solutions The Next Generation EU programme is full of pitfalls for many EU nations, as here in Italy. Sergio Cesaratto is Professor of Growth and Development Economics and of Monetary and Fiscal...
Read More »How does Labour rebuild trust on the economy? Listen to the public
This article was cross-posted from Labour List where it was published on the 14th January, 2021.Labour has a steep hill to climb to regain the public’s confidence that it can be trusted to manage the economy. I get that. And Labour has to recover from a catastrophic electoral defeat – a defeat that took place under the leadership of the left.So, given past failures, how does Labour rebuild confidence? The first requirement, in my view, is for Labour to listen to, and trust the public. Their...
Read More »How does Labour rebuild trust on the economy? Listen to the public
This article was cross-posted from Labour List where it was published on the 14th January, 2021.Labour has a steep hill to climb to regain the public’s confidence that it can be trusted to manage the economy. I get that. And Labour has to recover from a catastrophic electoral defeat – a defeat that took place under the leadership of the left.So, given past failures, how does Labour rebuild confidence? The first requirement, in my view, is for Labour to listen to, and trust the public. Their...
Read More »How does Labour rebuild trust on the economy? Listen to the public
This article was cross-posted from Labour List where it was published on the 14th January, 2021. Labour has a steep hill to climb to regain the public’s confidence that it can be trusted to manage the economy. I get that. And Labour has to recover from a catastrophic electoral defeat – a defeat that took place under the leadership of the left. So, given past failures, how does Labour rebuild confidence? The first requirement, in my view, is for Labour to listen to, and trust the public....
Read More »Review: Trade Wars are Class Wars
The following review appeared in the Times Literary Supplement on 6th January, 2021. Trade Wars are Class Wars presents an eagle-eyed perspective on the global economy, underpinned by close analysis and a remarkable clarity of exposition. The book is a terrific survey of the forces behind today’s global trade tensions and imbalances – even if the authors ultimately fall short of defining an alternative system.Matthew C. Klein and Michael Pettis contend that trade wars – such as currently...
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