Two major developments occurred in the global economy in early December that have drawn much commentary and analysis in the financial media. First, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries failed to agree on a reduction of oil production quotas. Saudi Arabia,...
Federal Reserve seeks return to ‘normalcy’
A “return to normalcy,” a return to the way of life before World War I, was U.S. presidential candidate Warren G. Harding’s campaign promise in the election of 1920. Republican Harding won the election, and for nearly a decade it seemed that capitalist normality had...
The real agenda of the Gates Foundation
Originally posted in Issue 57 of Aspects of India's Economy, published by the Research Unit for Political Economy. Author Jacob Levich, [email protected], has written on imperialist military strategy for Aspects No. 42. He lives in New York City and tweets as...
High education, low pay
Economics behind abandonment of public education In elementary, middle and high school, students are told to study hard so they can get into college and be able to find a good job. While only a certain percentage move into higher education, the sacrifices involved in...
Welcome to ‘average prosperity’
According to the most recent data released by the Federal Reserve, U.S. industrial production as measured by the Fed's manufacturing index (see chart), reached 101.2 in May, finally surpassing the previous peak of 101.0, reached in December 2007. Following that peak,...
Capitalism and Unemployment — Why Are So Many People Jobless
Featuring Richard Becker
Silicon Valley monopolies conspired against high-tech workers
In early 2005, as the most recent boom phase of the capitalist industrial cycle came into sight, Apple’s Steve Jobs arranged a secret and illegal pact with Google’s Eric Schmidt to hold down their workers' wages by agreeing not to recruit each other’s employees,...
Wall Street’s fortunes based on millions of unpaid hours
Time is money for the capitalist class The vast majority of the working class sees the money in their bank accounts, wallets and shoeboxes as hard earned. People endure unsatisfying jobs for years, filled with all sorts of daily inconveniences and abuses in order to...
Is the culprit just ‘crony capitalism’?
Reader Kathy recently sent the following comment to Liberation News on our article "Obama signs 'Monsanto Protection Act' into law": "It is unfortunate that you do not recognize that capitalism is not the culprit but crony capitalism. Please understand the difference...