Mark Patinkin, a veteran journalist and columnist for the Providence Journal, is known for portraying difficult conflicts and human suffering. He has previously reported on famine in Africa, religious conflicts in Beirut and the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. In his latest book, The Holy Land at War, he tackles the conflict between Israel and Palestine,…
Category: War and plunder as business
The worst consequences of neoliberalism - from economic to social disaster
The consequences of neoliberalism are profound and devastating. From greedflation and right-wing extremism to the risk of global war and climate catastrophe, this ideology undermines society's stability, health and future. Economic inequality and reduced democratic rights threaten future social cohesion and global peace. Greedflation after 2020 Companies raise prices well above their cost increases to maximize profits. This phenomenon,…
Third World War rather than green and global equality
The world leaders are likely trapped in a corrupt and controlled structure that forces them to push the world towards a third world war. The alternative would be a Green Keynesian egalitarian world where the only downside is that the richest percent would not be allowed to remain as much richer than the rest of us as they are now. In the article…
Private property a social construct
Property and the Origin of Wealth At the outset, it is important to understand that property, as we know it today, has not always existed. In early human history, land, resources and property were common assets, without fixed boundaries or personal ownership. The concept of private property has developed over time and is not a given; it is rather a social…
Visitation zones instead of competitiveness
In visitation zones, the police must be able to stop and search people without having a specific suspicion of crime. The idea is that it will make the streets safer, but many are against it. Critics believe that it can lead to abuse and violations of people's rights. This is especially true if it is used against certain groups based on skin color…
Biden's fiscal policy strengthens the economy and reduces the gaps
In an age where news headlines often dominate with negative news, it is important to also highlight the positive events. Biden's expansive fiscal policy is yielding results. The latest report from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department shows a gratifying trend break in the US economy. It is a development that must not be overlooked. Increased prosperity for all Between…
Towards a more peaceful world despite Ukraine
Hans Blix believes in a more peaceful world despite ongoing conflicts such as the Ukraine war. Blix is a well-known lawyer, formerly internationally responsible for disarmament and a former UN official. Blix argues that the threat of nuclear weapons deters large-scale war. But nuclear weapons are inherently too dangerous. The Second World War raised many people's opposition to war as a solution and has contributed to demands for…
Iraq was tricked into becoming a belligerent aggressor
Iraq was tricked in the late 1970s into going from eco-friendly welfare state to corrupt, belligerent dictatorship. In this way, the West could invade the country and buy its oil resources cheaply from the West. Iraq has paid for America's war with millions dead. 20 years after the launch of George W Bush the younger's attack on Iraq, there is no doubt…
No government deficits – society's unnecessary straitjacket
Vote for bigger government deficits! Deficits are part of how the state regulates the market and protects citizens and nature. Neoliberalism attacks this. How is money created? Can we afford to work? Sweden's Riksbank's prize in economic science in memory of Alfred Nobel in 2022 suggested that banks have an important role for the social economy even if this can…
Financial capitalism and feudalism in the West versus industrial capitalism in the East
Financial capitalism in the United States today is reminiscent of the former feudalism or l'ancien régime in Europe at the end of the 1700th century. In the last years of feudal rule, the money within the elite went mostly to passive, interest-bearing and cike-productive incomes. Industrial capitalism out competed the aristocracy during the 1800th century by delivering goods, albeit brutally. There was also over time in industrial capitalism a…