Democracy is an illusion! It’s become a political system fostered by the élite, for the élite, in order to fool the people that they have a stake in the system. In actual fact, they have virtually none. The whole political system in the modern era, despite having noble beginnings, is now used to benefit the few at the expense of the many. – Mark Alexander, June 29, 2018
During Italy's failed bid to form a government last week, the country's economy minister was vetoed by the president because he had previously discussed leaving the euro. But it is not hard to find Italians who believe adopting the currency has been a mistake. So, why is the currency such a sensitive topic in Italy?
Thom discusses what Ronald Reagan’s economic policies have done to America’s middle class with economist Richard Wolff, author of the book “Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism.”
Economist Joseph Stiglitz and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich reminisce about opposing “corporate welfare” during their days in the Clinton Administration and talk here about problematic trade deals, income inequality and Stiglitz’s new book, “The Great Divide: Unequal Societies and What We Can Do About Them.” Reich and Stiglitz are presented by the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. Recorded on April 29, 2015.
Share prices across Europe have slumped over the latest political crisis in Italy. The country could be facing yet more elections within months.
The populist Five Star and League parties failed to form a governing coalition after the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, rejected a leading eurosceptic as economy minister. The technocrat Carlo Cottarelli has been charged with forming an interim government - but its future already looks doomed before its even been created.
Michel Barnier sits down with Dave Keating at the Euranet Plus summit to talk about the latest developments in Brexit negotiations, and the prospect of the UK joining the European Economic Area with Norway.
The Walton family of Walmart is worth over $160 billion, but low-wage Walmart workers are struggling to get by. Do you think the Waltons have enough money to pay their workers a living wage?
The Guardian is granted exclusive access to some of the latest superyachts in Monaco. But what is life really like for the young people serving billionaires in the sun? We hear from a mother whose son died while he was working onboard a luxury yacht
Audio of the 2017 CAIT Annual International Theory Lecture November 29th, 2017. Yanis Varoufakis is a Greek economist, academic and politician, who served as the Greek Minister of Finance from January to July 2015. In 2016, Varoufakis co-founded DiEM25 – the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025. It now has almost 40,000 members in 56 countries.
In a rare bipartisan effort Tuesday, House lawmakers voted 258 to 159 to exempt banks with less than $250 billion in assets from many of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act regulations, even though banks’ profits are soaring. The Dodd-Frank Act was passed after the 2008 economic crisis, which was provoked by years of risky lending by Wall Street banks. Thirty-three Democrats joined their Republican counterparts in voting for the financial regulation rollback, which, if signed into law, would leave less than 10 banks in the U.S. subject to stricter federal oversight. For more, we speak with Minnesota Democratic Congressmember Keith Ellison. He is the first Muslim member of Congress and the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, or DNC.
John Simpson interviews Castro's former bodyguard, Juan Reinaldo Sanchez.
The public image of Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro is that of the exemplary and frugal leader, but his bodyguard of 17 years claims it was a sham.
In his explosive book, Juan Reinaldo Sanchez contends that the vast majority of Cubans were unaware their leader enjoyed a lifestyle beyond the dreams of many and at odds with the sacrifices he demanded of them.
This BBC Newsnight film was produced by Maria Polachowska.
When it comes to the division of wealth, many Americans believe that the country is split between the 1%, which possesses a significant share of the country’s money, and the 99%, or “the people.” In reality, The Atlantic writer Matthew Stewart argues, 9.9% of the population comprises America’s new aristocracy, which often “takes wealth out of productive activities and invests it in walls.” But this group of people is rich in more than mere money, and its constancy poses an insidious threat to the promise of American democracy.
The European Commission is triggering legislation to protect EU companies doing business with Iran from U.S. sanctions. The legislation would also allow EU firms to recover losses arising from U.S. actions, as it has instructed the European Investment Bank to facilitate EU investment in Iran.
In is address to the Cambridge Forum in Massachusetts, Economist and fierce EU critic Yanis Varoufakis considers the need for a radically new way of thinking about the economy, finance and capitalism.
Recorded May 15th, 2018 : Yanis Varoufakis served as Minister of Finance of Greece in during one of the most dramatic periods in the country’s modern history. He has since gone on to be a leading anti-austerity voice across Europe and the world, supporting a more progressive, left-leaning solution to the economic woes many have faced since the banking crisis.
Subhead: A series of moves by HUD Secretary Ben Carson will raise rents, decrease repairs, and accelerate the process of transferring public housing to private firms
Liberalism has been the dominant political philosophy in the West for more than 200 years. Populists say liberals are too elite and are out of touch with ordinary people. Here's what you need to know about liberalism and its place in modern society.
