The Greek economic crisis has moved off the front pages and, once again, there is talk of perhaps an upturn in various economies. But the Greek crisis has not disappeared and Europe remains shaky, especially around the edges in countries such as Ireland, Spain,...
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Seeking a definition of Socialism
Is North Korea socialist? Is the sort of society that exists there the sort of society that we, in South Africa, should wish to emulate? Is it the sort of regime that workers the world over should support? These may seem strange questions to ask in South Africa. Or...
Don’t let Le Pen represent the opposition | by Christine Poupin , François Sabado
Sarkozy has been beaten. This is an inspiring result and we rejoice. We should analyse the relationship of forces that it reflects and the situation that it opens. Throughout Europe the incumbents have been beaten. The Greek, Spanish and Portuguese social democrats...
Job protection leads to shrinking workforce
Brian Kantor, the chief strategist and economist at Investec Wealth and Investment, responds to the debate about wages and productivity between Dick Forslund from AIDC, Simon Eppel from SACTWU and Loane Sharp from Adcorp (published in Business Report, December 13, 14...
Capitalism: A Ghost Story | Arundhati Roy
Is it a house or a home? A temple to the new India, or a warehouse for its ghosts? Ever since Antilla arrived on Altamont Road in Mumbai, exuding mystery and quiet menace, things have not been the same. “Here we are,” the friend who took me there said, “Pay your...
Chile: The student return to politics | by Carlos Torres
2011 will be remembered as the year of the Arab spring, Spain’s indignados and Occupy Wall Street and the thousands of other social mobilisations which coalesced around the dissatisfaction with the multiple crises of capitalism. A social model that incessantly and...
Green Capitalism: One neoliberal response to crisis | by Larry Lohmann
‘Let’s put a value on Britain’s ecosystem services’ – the slogan has a nice ring to it. Perhaps we don’t fully understand the value of the wild plants, animals, and natural cycles around us, and if we did, we could appreciate and protect them better.But what is it...
Another shale gas scandal – Fracking in the Quebec | by Kim Cornelissen
Virtually unknown only a couple of years ago, shale gas has become a very controversial issue. Considered the new oil, thousands of wells have to be drilled and fracked, contaminating millions of litres of water, to extract what is called ‘unconventional gas’. This...
The Green Paper for National Health Insurance: universal healthcare threatened | by Alex Muller
The release of the Green Paper on National Health Insurance (NHI) has rekindled the heated debate around reforming South Africa’s health system. After a decade of denialism and neglect in the public health sector, it is evident that health is in a state of crisis and...



