Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
mother earth
mother earth's Journal
mother earth's Journal
November 13, 2015
Global Capitalism: Monthly Economic Update
Richard D. Wolff
Wednesday, November 11th at 7:30pm
Immigration, Unaffordable Cities, and Bernie's 'Democratic Socialism'
_____
Where: Judson Memorial Church
Assembly Hall
239 Thompson Street at
Washington Square, Manhattan
_____
These programs begin with 30 minutes of short updates on important economic events of the last month. Then Wolff analyzes several major economic issues. For November 11th, these will include:
1. Why Corporations want Immigration in US and Europe now
2. Housing Economics: "Gentrification" = Unaffordable Cities
3. Bernie Sanders' "Democratic Socialism" : an Analysis
Bio: Richard D. Wolff is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. He is the author of many books, including Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, and Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA.
Wolff hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on WBAI, 99.5 FM, New York City (Pacifica Radio).
More: http://rdwolff.com/content/about
http://www.rdwolff.com
For more info or donations: http://www.democracyatwork.info/
Note: Used by permission of Prof. R.D. Wolff (with much appreciation & thanks to him, donations to DAW are tax deductible).
Prof. R.D. Wolff's Global Capitalism: November 2015 Monthly Update
Published on Nov 12, 2015
Global Capitalism: Monthly Economic Update
Richard D. Wolff
Wednesday, November 11th at 7:30pm
Immigration, Unaffordable Cities, and Bernie's 'Democratic Socialism'
_____
Where: Judson Memorial Church
Assembly Hall
239 Thompson Street at
Washington Square, Manhattan
_____
These programs begin with 30 minutes of short updates on important economic events of the last month. Then Wolff analyzes several major economic issues. For November 11th, these will include:
1. Why Corporations want Immigration in US and Europe now
2. Housing Economics: "Gentrification" = Unaffordable Cities
3. Bernie Sanders' "Democratic Socialism" : an Analysis
Bio: Richard D. Wolff is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. He is the author of many books, including Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, and Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA.
Wolff hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on WBAI, 99.5 FM, New York City (Pacifica Radio).
More: http://rdwolff.com/content/about
http://www.rdwolff.com
For more info or donations: http://www.democracyatwork.info/
Note: Used by permission of Prof. R.D. Wolff (with much appreciation & thanks to him, donations to DAW are tax deductible).
November 11, 2015
Disclaimer: The opinions and views in the video being posted do not necessarily represent the view of the poster.
Have You Asked Your Doctor About Voting?
Disclaimer: The opinions and views in the video being posted do not necessarily represent the view of the poster.
November 7, 2015
Published on Nov 6, 2015
Secretary Hillary Clinton recently went on the offensive, and tried to imply that Bernie Sanders's statements on 'rural vs urban gun legislation' was somehow racist.
Oddly enough, Secretary Clinton said the very same thing in 2008, when discussing gun control policies in New York City and in the rural parts of New York State.
'Urban' vs 'Rural' Gun Control - Debunking Hillary Clinton's Attack on Bernie Sanders
Published on Nov 6, 2015
Secretary Hillary Clinton recently went on the offensive, and tried to imply that Bernie Sanders's statements on 'rural vs urban gun legislation' was somehow racist.
Oddly enough, Secretary Clinton said the very same thing in 2008, when discussing gun control policies in New York City and in the rural parts of New York State.
November 5, 2015
More:
http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html
It's a bit disconcerting to say the least, but I fear, collapse is going to become another "normal" since what we have on way too many levels and in way too many cornerstones of our lives is in dire need of reform. When huge corporations and banks can play the system, knowingly disregard law, knowing all too well, what they will face at worst will be fines, nothing more. I'd have to say I'm very much in agreement that it may be cheaper to build anew. Collapse, a word that we may come to appreciate rather than fear. I don't ever remember a time so volatile. The mere thought that collapse might be the better of two possibilities, with two roads before us, this blog "Of Two Minds" becomes almost prophetic. Read the article and see if you agree. Is real reform impossible?
When Collapse Is Cheaper and More Effective Than Reform, Charles Hugh Smith
When Collapse Is Cheaper and More Effective Than Reform
November 5, 2015
Collapse begins when real reform becomes impossible.
We all know why reforms fail: everyone whose share of the power and money is being crimped by reforms fights back with everything they've got.
Reforms that can't be stopped by the outright purchase of politicos are watered down in committee, and loopholes wide enough for jumbo-jets of cash to fly through are inserted.
The reform quickly becomes "reform"--a simulacrum that maintains the facade of fixing what's broken while maintaining the Status Quo. Another layer of costly bureaucracy is added, along with hundreds or thousands of pages of additional regulations, all of which add cost and friction without actually solving what was broken.
The added friction increases the system's operating costs at multiple levels. Practitioners must stop doing actual work to fill out forms that are filed and forgotten; lobbyists milk the system to eradicate any tiny reductions in the flow of swag; attorneys probe the new regulations for weaknesses with lawsuits, and the enforcing agencies add staff to issue fines.
None of this actually fixes what was broken; all these fake-reforms add costs and reduce whatever efficiencies kept the system afloat. Recent examples include the banking regulations passed in the wake of the 2008 meltdown and the ObamaCare Afforable Care Act (ACA).
November 5, 2015
Collapse begins when real reform becomes impossible.
We all know why reforms fail: everyone whose share of the power and money is being crimped by reforms fights back with everything they've got.
Reforms that can't be stopped by the outright purchase of politicos are watered down in committee, and loopholes wide enough for jumbo-jets of cash to fly through are inserted.
The reform quickly becomes "reform"--a simulacrum that maintains the facade of fixing what's broken while maintaining the Status Quo. Another layer of costly bureaucracy is added, along with hundreds or thousands of pages of additional regulations, all of which add cost and friction without actually solving what was broken.
The added friction increases the system's operating costs at multiple levels. Practitioners must stop doing actual work to fill out forms that are filed and forgotten; lobbyists milk the system to eradicate any tiny reductions in the flow of swag; attorneys probe the new regulations for weaknesses with lawsuits, and the enforcing agencies add staff to issue fines.
None of this actually fixes what was broken; all these fake-reforms add costs and reduce whatever efficiencies kept the system afloat. Recent examples include the banking regulations passed in the wake of the 2008 meltdown and the ObamaCare Afforable Care Act (ACA).
More:
http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html
It's a bit disconcerting to say the least, but I fear, collapse is going to become another "normal" since what we have on way too many levels and in way too many cornerstones of our lives is in dire need of reform. When huge corporations and banks can play the system, knowingly disregard law, knowing all too well, what they will face at worst will be fines, nothing more. I'd have to say I'm very much in agreement that it may be cheaper to build anew. Collapse, a word that we may come to appreciate rather than fear. I don't ever remember a time so volatile. The mere thought that collapse might be the better of two possibilities, with two roads before us, this blog "Of Two Minds" becomes almost prophetic. Read the article and see if you agree. Is real reform impossible?
November 4, 2015
Published on Oct 28, 2015
Talk by Richard D. Wolff on "Economic Justice, Sustainability and Transition Beyond Capitalism" recorded October 27, 2015 at the Communications Building, University of Washington, Seattle.
Bio: Richard D. Wolff is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. He is the author of many books, including Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, and Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA.
Wolff hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on WBAI, 99.5 FM, New York City (Pacifica Radio).
More: http://rdwolff.com/content/about
http://www.rdwolff.com
For more info or donations: http://www.democracyatwork.info/
Note: Used by permission of Prof. R.D. Wolff (with much appreciation & thanks to him, donations to DAW are tax deductible).
Richard Wolff - Economic Justice, Sustainability and Transition Beyond Capitalism (Talking StickTV)
Published on Oct 28, 2015
Talk by Richard D. Wolff on "Economic Justice, Sustainability and Transition Beyond Capitalism" recorded October 27, 2015 at the Communications Building, University of Washington, Seattle.
Bio: Richard D. Wolff is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. He is the author of many books, including Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, and Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA.
Wolff hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on WBAI, 99.5 FM, New York City (Pacifica Radio).
More: http://rdwolff.com/content/about
http://www.rdwolff.com
For more info or donations: http://www.democracyatwork.info/
Note: Used by permission of Prof. R.D. Wolff (with much appreciation & thanks to him, donations to DAW are tax deductible).
November 3, 2015
Excerpt:
Why Bernie Sanders Should Invoke Eugene Debs
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/11/02/why-bernie-sanders-should-invoke-eugene-debs/Excerpt:
Eugene V. Debs is to Bernie Sanders what Abraham Lincoln is to Barack Obama. It is easy to see why Sanders admires the old Socialist leader. He was a tireless champion of the working class, who went to prison before sacrificing his integrity, and made the capitalist class (or as Sanders calls it, the billionaire class) shudder with fear. Last week, Sanders announced that he is planning a major speech on Democratic Socialism, and while providing examples of modern European countries like Denmark and Norway is no doubt important, it would be remiss to leave out Americas own radical past and one of its foremost leaders. As Eric Foner wrote in The Nation last week, in a letter to the Senator:
I urge you to reconsider how you respond to the inevitable questions about what you mean by democratic socialism and peaceful revolution. The next time, embrace our own American radical tradition. Theres nothing wrong with Denmark; we can learn a few things from them (and vice-versa). But most Americans dont know or care much about Scandinavia. More importantly, your response inadvertently reinforces the idea that socialism is a foreign import. Instead, talk about our radical forebears here in the United States, for the most successful radicals have always spoken the language of American society and appealed to some of its deepest values Each generation of Americans had made its own contribution to an ongoing radical tradition, and you are following in their footsteps. So next time, forget about Denmark and talk about (Thomas) Paine, (Frederick) Douglass, FDR, and Debs as forebears of a movement that can make the United States a fairer, more equal, more just society.
America has a rich history of radicalism, and Sanders is quite simply reviving this long tradition after decades of dormancy. It has been nearly a century since Debs was sentenced to prison for opposing the first World War, and today, opposition and revolt are more important than ever.
I urge you to reconsider how you respond to the inevitable questions about what you mean by democratic socialism and peaceful revolution. The next time, embrace our own American radical tradition. Theres nothing wrong with Denmark; we can learn a few things from them (and vice-versa). But most Americans dont know or care much about Scandinavia. More importantly, your response inadvertently reinforces the idea that socialism is a foreign import. Instead, talk about our radical forebears here in the United States, for the most successful radicals have always spoken the language of American society and appealed to some of its deepest values Each generation of Americans had made its own contribution to an ongoing radical tradition, and you are following in their footsteps. So next time, forget about Denmark and talk about (Thomas) Paine, (Frederick) Douglass, FDR, and Debs as forebears of a movement that can make the United States a fairer, more equal, more just society.
America has a rich history of radicalism, and Sanders is quite simply reviving this long tradition after decades of dormancy. It has been nearly a century since Debs was sentenced to prison for opposing the first World War, and today, opposition and revolt are more important than ever.
Profile Information
Member since: Wed Nov 10, 2004, 06:08 PMNumber of posts: 6,002