Wednesday 21 February 2018

Ed Miliband on Universal Basic Income - BBC Newsnight


Kirsty Wark is joined by former Labour leader Ed Miliband to discuss the idea of a universal basic income.

Robert Reich: Morality & the Common Good Must Be at Center of Fighting Trump’s Economic Agenda


As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump made a promise to the American people: There would be no cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Well, the promise has not been kept. Under his new budget, President Trump proposes a massive increase in Pentagon spending while cutting funding for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Trump’s budget would also slash or completely eliminate core anti-poverty programs that form the heart of the U.S. social safety net, from childhood nutrition to care for the elderly and job training. This comes after President Trump and Republican lawmakers pushed through a $1.5 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly favors the richest Americans, including President Trump and his own family. We speak to Robert Reich, who served as labor secretary under President Bill Clinton. He is now a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. His most recent book, out today, is titled “The Common Good.”

Sunday 18 February 2018

BREXIT - UK Prime Minister Theresa May Rules Out Possibility of a Second Brexit Referendum


"There is no question of a second referendum or going back and I think that's important."

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has officially ruled out a second referendum on the country's membership of the European Union, stating there was no going back on the result of the June 2016 vote.

May told the Munich Security Conference: "We are leaving the EU and there is no question of a second referendum or going back and I think that's important."

Upon being asked if Britain would consider the idea of a second vote, the Prime Minister responded: "People in the UK feel very strongly that if we take a decision, then governments should not turn around and say no you got that wrong."

Mrs May was speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday morning, where she also called for a new security treaty with the EU that should be up and running by 2019. The objective for this new treaty is to ensure military, intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation after London leaves the bloc.

"The key aspects of our future partnership in this area will already be effective from 2019," she said.

She added: "The partnership that we need to create is one that offers UK and EU way to combine our efforts to greatest effect where this is in our shared interest."

Mrs May also spoke of the importance of security matters for both the EU and the UK upon the introduction of Brexit, warning the EU of "damaging real-world consequences" if issues arise over the institutional arrangements Britain will have with the EU after it leaves.

"We must do whatever is most practical and pragmatic in ensuring our collective security," she said.


Monday 12 February 2018

Margaret Thatcher - Capitalism and a Free Society


Margaret Thatcher and William F Buckley Jr. touch on a variety of subjects including economic incentives, minimum wage and redistribution of wealth.

The Crash of 1929


The Wall Street Crash


This BBC documentary from 2009 takes a fresh view of the 'Crash of 1929' and the subsequent global Depression, comparing aspects of that event with the most recent turbulence in 2008. Uploaded for educational purposes only. Any advertising that appears is unbidden.

Black Wednesday (BBC 1997)


Saturday 10 February 2018

Monday 5 February 2018

As Paul Ryan Touts a Secretary’s $1.50 Weekly Pay Hike, Koch Bros. Reap $1.4B from GOP Tax Plan


This weekend, House Speaker Paul Ryan touted a story of a woman whose paycheck increased by $1.50 cents a week as a major benefit to middle-class workers. On Saturday, Ryan tweeted a link to an Associated Press report, writing, “A secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said she was pleasantly surprised her pay went up $1.50 a week … she said [that] will more than cover her Costco membership for the year.” After a deluge of ridicule and outrage, Ryan deleted the tweet hours later. For more, we speak with Richard Wolff, emeritus professor of economics at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and visiting professor at The New School. He’s the author of several books, including, most recently, “Capitalism’s Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”

Why Post-Brexit UK Is 'Less Attractive' for China | Counting the Cost


Why So Many Americans in the Middle Class Have No Savings


Could you come up with $2,000 in 30 days if you had to? As many as 40 percent of American families can’t, despite the improving economy. Among them is Neal Gabler, who is frequently broke despite his successful career as a writer. As part of a collaboration between The Atlantic and the PBS NewsHour, Judy Woodruff looks at why Gabler and so many other Americans are struggling with savings.

Thursday 1 February 2018

Brexit: Leaked Government Impact Study – BBC Newsnight


The government said it would not publish a report on the economic impact of Brexit as seen by BuzzFeed news. To discuss the leaks from the document, Evan Davis is joined by BuzzFeed’s Europe Editor Alberto Nardelli and Conservative MPs Peter Bone and Kenneth Clarke.