World Politics

[movingtarget]

Capitalism at its finest...

Something not discussed was the situation in Cyprus: the small state, which, not much to my surprise, is loaded with cash in its bank accounts deposited by mafioso Russians (to an estimated billions and billions, mostly earned illegally); who, if the tax on accounts actually comes to fruition, will surely result in them pulling out of the Mediterranean fiscal paradise, thus sinking the country and theoretically the Eurozone along with it. What a system...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/13/eurozone-recovery-depends-on-germany

Putin is concerned about his money laundering friends.

 

[movingtarget]

It seems Barnaby Joyce will be running against Tony Windsor in New England this coming election due to Torbay's membership being suspended. That would be a great electoral battle to watch.

Joyce and his wife grew up in that electorate and I think most of the independents have lost popularity including Windsor. Torbay was highly regarded but had dealings with the wrong people. I think Joyce will win.

 

[rhubroma]

Putin is concerned about his money laundering friends.

That's right in the oligarchy. Things haven't changed since the days of the Czar, whereas 12 centuries of Christian orthodoxy have formed a Russian state mindset that simply can't escape a hierarchical concept of society and the sanctification of power. Communism merely de-theologized and secularized the phenomenon.

For this reason it's hardly surprising that Putin has been on such friendly terms with the Russian patriarch.

Now the oligarchs will worry about their continued supplies of caviar.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Simon Crean announces that a leadership ballot needs to happen and backs Rudd. Gillard eventually allows ballot. Tony Abbott owns the **** out of Gillard in Question Time and wins a no confidence motion but does not get an absolute majority. Rudd and Gillard supporters announce who they are supporting and then Rudd pulls out of the leadership ballot and Crean does not run for deputy, contrary to what he said earlier.

Just another day in Australian politics...

The Labor Party is beyond any adjective except a disaster.

Worst government ever...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Capitalism at its finest...

Something not discussed was the situation in Cyprus: the small state, which, not much to my surprise, is loaded with cash in its bank accounts deposited by mafioso Russians (to an estimated billions and billions, mostly earned illegally); who, if the tax on accounts actually comes to fruition, will surely result in them pulling out of the Mediterranean fiscal paradise, thus sinking the country and theoretically the Eurozone along with it. What a system...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/13/eurozone-recovery-depends-on-germany

Yet you live in the greatest capitalist country at all. Have you joined any Marxist groups in America to suit your beliefs. What does money laundering have to do with capitalism. Hugo Chavez was the head of a socialist Government in Venezuela and did some very similar things.

Socialist cronies like yourself are massive hypocrites.

 

[meat puppet]

Yet you live in the greatest capitalist country at all. Have you joined any Marxist groups in America to suit your beliefs. What does money laundering have to do with capitalism. Hugo Chavez was the head of a socialist Government in Venezuela and did some very similar things.

Socialist cronies like yourself are massive hypocrites.

Jebus, what do they put into the water down under? Seriously?

Anyhow, I am a self-admitted Marxist crony. However, what we would need here in Europe is precisely liberal capitalism that would save enterprises and encourage profit making. What we have is some preverted bankruptocracy, wherein the finance capitalists and speculants and their politician backers-up basically hold a whole continent as a hostage. And yes, it will get worse, and a lot worse.

During the first months of 2013 any economist with half a functioning brain has admitted that the neoliberal responses to the crisis have, putting it bluntly, sucked. The Euro is basically built upon an "Austrian"-esque foundation wherein the strict separation of politics and finances and monetary institutions was, is and unfortunately remains a key goal of the Elite. Add in the neoclassical / neoliberal dogma that crises are virtually inexistent (that is: provided that we remain "virtuous"; i.e. play along with the "design for life" that the elites impose).

Turned out really well, did it now? The mess we have at our hands at the moment has nothing, and I repeat: nothing, to do with liberal capitalism.

As of now, the ECB and the Troika are essentially forcing the Cyprus government to commit a bank robbery. The game is on, as it were, and it's getting tougher by the minute. It is my recollection that it was my fellow countrymen, ie. Mrs Urpilainen, who demanded the strictest measures towards Cyprus. The EU commission would have been lesss strict, allowing for a rebalancing programme of say, 2-3 years. But not so with our ambassador of social democracy and welfare.

It should be pretty clear to anyone that if Friedman, Hayek and Mises are indeed the doctors, this is not what they ordered...

Let me quote Yanis Varoufakis, one of the best commentators of the crisis, at length:

"While the politicians are working out the new deal that will be brought to Parliament, it is imperative that the rest of us, whether in Cyprus or the four corners of the world, keep pressing them in two directions: First, to re-commit to the June 2012 EU Summit decision to have the ESM recapitalise banks directly in exchange for shares that would go to the ESM and be sold back to the private sector once the banks have been cleansed (a move that would end immediately the Cyprus crisis, but also the crises in Spain, Italy, Ireland, even Greece). Secondly, if direct re-capitalisation does not proceed (due to Berlin’s stubborn refusal) at the very least our leaders must respect (a) the idea that the Cypriot taxpayers should not be forced to borrow more than 10 billion on behalf of banks, and (b) the deposit insurance scheme that guarantees all deposits below 100 thousand. If this means a 16% haircut for uninsured deposits over 100 thousand, so be it."

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2013/03/20/cyprus-parliaments-gift-to-the-eurozone/

And we're not allowed to spend, as we are told that this is the end.

 

[AndyMMT]

It should be pretty clear to anyone that if Friedman, Hayek and Mises are indeed the doctors, this is not what they ordered...

Quacks and snake oil salesmen you mean

 

[meat puppet]

Quacks and snake oil salesmen you mean

Obviously. The trouble being that they sold the product anyhow.

In this conjecture, I'm all for classical liberalism. What we have couldn't be further away from that.

Also, the way these neolib=neocon quacks bend poor old Smith and Ricardo to suit their purposes casts serious doubts upon general educational policies, literacy, and the integrity of higher education in many countries.

Shameful ***, as a wise man put it in The Wire

 

[Ferminal]

Obviously. The trouble being that they sold the product anyhow.

In this conjecture, I'm all for classical liberalism. What we have couldn't be further away from that.

Also, the way these neolib=neocon quacks bend poor old Smith and Ricardo to suit their purposes casts serious doubts upon general educational policies, literacy, and the integrity of higher education in many countries.

Shameful ***, as a wise man put it in The Wire

Couldn't agree more, I don't really have a problem with any of the classicals.

 

[rhubroma]

Yet you live in the greatest capitalist country at all. Have you joined any Marxist groups in America to suit your beliefs. What does money laundering have to do with capitalism. Hugo Chavez was the head of a socialist Government in Venezuela and did some very similar things.

Socialist cronies like yourself are massive hypocrites.

Nothing could be further from the truth, as a) I don't live in America and b) in my line of work I'm paid a base salary irrespective of enrolment numbers from which all my taxes are deducted that precludes any capitalist gains based on supply and demand. Hence there is nothing "massively hypocritical" about my life (at least not in this regard), nor in my pointing out the obvious perversions that this neoliberal, financial capitalism has wrought, an ideology and economic model that you conservative guys with your ghastly mentality have been gleefully advancing and advocating for decades. All in the myopic name of base consumerism and a material wealth that is literally chocking and suffocating the world we live in to death, with its excessive economic development while millions starve. At the same time the current crisis of capitalism has resulted in almost everyone getting poorer, while entire societies are placed under the threat of insolvency, which is repulisve. And precisely because of this putrefied and rotten world that neoliberalism has bred, one of pure greed and unscrupulousness, rather than one with a more balanced and sensed distribution of wealth, a less bloated and corrupt financial apparatus and more principled, regulated and less predatory market system; there will always be a Hugo Chavez to seduce the disenfranchised masses. It's enough to recal one of the great sores of our era, which is the intollerable inequality between those who have too much and those with pratically nothing. Though this certaintly isn’t a socialist problem, but one of political and economic corruption, arrogance and prepotency, which nothing like the unfettered capitalism championed by America has favored, or has not in any way at least mitigated. The neoliberal model of Reagan and Thatcher that has by now been disseminated globally, has achieved the final victory of capital over human beings. The national responses to the latest crisis have been a pure and deplorable demonstration of this, and all because of one thing: the hegemony of the banks over policy. Hence the great third way social democracies, founded upon more progressive and civil ideals, have over the past decades come under lethal attack by the conservative, neoliberal strong powers and are destined to extinction if something radical isn't done before it's too late.

With the kind of actual legal setup and economic praxis that a deregulated, financial capitalism has fostered, with its various fiscal paradises for the super-rich to evade paying their just contribution to the collective project, hence stealing from it, that is called the democratic state: money laundering and the capitalist regime go hand in hand moron.

Young right-wing conservatism is itself unsupportable, though when gotten from moralistic, naive and hypocritically self-righteous Aussies, especially when accompanied by their stupidity, becomes merely repulsive.

 

[AndyMMT]

Obviously. The trouble being that they sold the product anyhow.

Would say the problem is that People actually bought the product.

In this conjecture, I'm all for classical liberalism. What we have couldn't be further away from that.

Also, the way these neolib=neocon quacks bend poor old Smith and Ricardo to suit their purposes casts serious doubts upon general educational policies, literacy, and the integrity of higher education in many countries.

Shameful ***, as a wise man put it in The Wire

Yes amazing how often they bring up Adam Smith and the "invisible" hand, they could try reading him and find out what he meant in that it was about the Merchants having a bias towards their home market not that a free market is in equilibrium. In the world of global corporations it does not apply. As for Ricardo expect he would be rolling in his grave with what they have done with Ricardian Equivalence (which he had doubts about anyway...not surprised it is a daft proposition) I mean come on save in the expectation of future tax rises!

 

[meat puppet]

Apparently Putin got his way. No surprise there, it was never a question of whether this would happen but rather how.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/25/eurozone-cyprus-muddle-idUSL5N0CG13920130325

Let's see what's the next move. For one, the BRICS countries are forming a developmental bank:

A group of five emerging world economic powers met in Africa for the first time Tuesday, gathering in South Africa for a summit meeting at which they plan to announce the creation of a new development bank, a direct challenge to the dominance of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

A classical GER-RUS rematch could be in the makes in Cyprus. Not very good. Interesting times, I guess.

 

[gooner]

Thinks are really heating up the between North and South Korea. Looks like Kim Jong Un has his nose up over the US sending stealth bombers into South for joint military exercises. The North are now saying he has ordered his generals to have the military on standby to strike at US bases in the South and the Pacific. To add to this South Korean TV are now saying there is increased activity at the North's long range missile sites. And we also see the North cutting off the military hotline with the South and before that the threat of a nuclear strike to the US was even mentioned. The accumulation of all this recently does make you wonder that this is not just some bluster on their part this time.

So much for Dennis Rodman's efforts.

 

[Stingray34]

David Cameron becomes the Iron Ladyman on Monday. Happy Easter.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentis...fit-cuts-monday-defines-government?CMP=twt_gu

 

[Stingray34]

Nothing could be further from the truth, as a) I don't live in America and b) in my line of work I'm paid a base salary irrespective of enrolment numbers from which all my taxes are deducted that precludes any capitalist gains based on supply and demand. Hence there is nothing "massively hypocritical" about my life (at least not in this regard), nor in my pointing out the obvious perversions that this neoliberal, financial capitalism has wrought, an ideology and economic model that you conservative guys with your ghastly mentality have been gleefully advancing and advocating for decades. All in the myopic name of base consumerism and a material wealth that is literally chocking and suffocating the world we live in to death, with its excessive economic development while millions starve. At the same time the current crisis of capitalism has resulted in almost everyone getting poorer, while entire societies are placed under the threat of insolvency, which is repulisve. And precisely because of this putrefied and rotten world that neoliberalism has bred, one of pure greed and unscrupulousness, rather than one with a more balanced and sensed distribution of wealth, a less bloated and corrupt financial apparatus and more principled, regulated and less predatory market system; there will always be a Hugo Chavez to seduce the disenfranchised masses. It's enough to recal one of the great sores of our era, which is the intollerable inequality between those who have too much and those with pratically nothing. Though this certaintly isn’t a socialist problem, but one of political and economic corruption, arrogance and prepotency, which nothing like the unfettered capitalism championed by America has favored, or has not in any way at least mitigated. The neoliberal model of Reagan and Thatcher that has by now been disseminated globally, has achieved the final victory of capital over human beings. The national responses to the latest crisis have been a pure and deplorable demonstration of this, and all because of one thing: the hegemony of the banks over policy. Hence the great third way social democracies, founded upon more progressive and civil ideals, have over the past decades come under lethal attack by the conservative, neoliberal strong powers and are destined to extinction if something radical isn't done before it's too late.

With the kind of actual legal setup and economic praxis that a deregulated, financial capitalism has fostered, with its various fiscal paradises for the super-rich to evade paying their just contribution to the collective project, hence stealing from it, that is called the democratic state: money laundering and the capitalist regime go hand in hand moron.

Young right-wing conservatism is itself unsupportable, though when gotten from moralistic, naive and hypocritically self-righteous Aussies, especially when accompanied by their stupidity, becomes merely repulsive.

Whoosh...that was your post accellerating over the head of ACF94. Not to worry, he's more idiot than troll.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Thinks are really heating up the between North and South Korea. Looks like Kim Jong Un has his nose up over the US sending stealth bombers into South for joint military exercises. The North are now saying he has ordered his generals to have the military on standby to strike at US bases in the South and the Pacific. To add to this South Korean TV are now saying there is increased activity at the North's long range missile sites. And we also see the North cutting off the military hotline with the South and before that the threat of a nuclear strike to the US was even mentioned. The accumulation of all this recently does make you wonder that this is not just some bluster on their part this time.

So much for Dennis Rodman's efforts.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

North Korea

How well do you know North Korea's leaders?

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia...-do-you-know-North-Korea-s-leaders/Question-1

i scored 7

 

[Semper Fidelis]

How well do you know North Korea's leaders?

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia...-do-you-know-North-Korea-s-leaders/Question-1

i scored 7

9 - 75%

The questions are not easy. Not surprised by the average reader results of 47%.

I thought it was funny they asked the film director question. Also I thought they should have asked about the Sushi Chef who cooked for papa bear.

 

[El Pistolero]

8/12

Stupid football question.

 

[meat puppet]

Good thing the BBC has re-opened the debate on class in GB lately: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/21970879

And doubleplus good thing that the sociological conception of class is also put under scrutiny: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/04/class-what-do-you-mean-bbc

Perhaps there is such a thing as society, after all. So, I suggest you take heed and do your homework, ACF!

As Lily Braden says in Slapshot, I underlined the fukc-scenes for you:

For example, consider today's experience of a Tory-led government filled with millionaires, implementing policies designed to enrich the ruling class, and depress the living standards of the working majority. Official conceptions of class, being descriptive, will evolve and chart the effects of these policies: new "classes" will be devised in their wake. But these conceptions cannot explain such policies. But by employing a radical class analysis, "austerity" can be seen as a political class strategy for redistributing the social product and consolidating the wider political and ideological power of the rich. This is not just a matter of interpretation: it is strategic, for it explains the doggedness of their clinging to policies that "don't work", and also calls into question what sort of class capacities and strategies we could activate in opposing "austerity".

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Merged the North Korea thread into this one, but left a re-direct.

 

[Alphabet]

North Korea are having a laugh. Their air force is still using stuff from the Korean War, so I could go over there and sort that out with a small magnifying glass and clear skies .

Have they actually managed to get one of their nuclear warheads anywhere near a target when testing? From memory, they tried a super-long range one which had the capacity to reach Washington last year, only it fell apart about 40 seconds after launch.

 

[Cobblestones]

North Korea are having a laugh. Their air force is still using stuff from the Korean War, so I could go over there and sort that out with a small magnifying glass and clear skies .

Have they actually managed to get one of their nuclear warheads anywhere near a target when testing? From memory, they tried a super-long range one which had the capacity to reach Washington last year, only it fell apart about 40 seconds after launch.

That may be true, but they sure can shell Seoul enough in one day to make this a major headache. Anyway, it would be fine if both sides could turn the noise down a notch or two.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Margaret Thatcher is dead.

(yellow ticker)

 

[Cyivel]

Nobody better than Alan Curbishley to talk about Thatcher.