The presumption of mainstream economists and business journalists (as well as political and economic elites) is that the capitalist machine is the only possible one, and that it will work. Except it’s not: corporate profits have been growing (the red line in the chart above) but investment has been falling.
Lessons from the First New Deal for the Next One (tags)
Voice Actor Rob Paulsen is touring LA to promote his new book "Voice Lessons" (tags)
Voice Actor Rob Paulsen is touring LA to promote his new book "Voice Lessons" By: De Waal & Associates 10/16 @ 7PM PST - Barnes and Noble, The Grove Los Angeles, CA We all grew up watching characters brought to life by Rob Paulsen - Pinky from Pinky and the Brain and Yakko from Animaniacs, Raphael from the original animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... the list goes on. With over 2,000 credits to his name along with an Emmy and a Peabody Award, Rob is a bonafide legend in the voice acting community. In his memoir VOICE LESSONS Rob tells the story of how he went from living in the suburbs of Detroit, to a roving performer, to booking his first gig, to making it big in the voice acting world. In February 2016, Paulsen was diagnosed with Stage III throat cancer, which threatened his livelihood and almost robbed the world of future joy the likes of which he has brought to the small and big screen for decades. Thankfully, his cancer went into remission and the long process of recovery could begin. Humble and ever-thankful for the support and love from his fans (just take a trip over to his Twitter account), Paulsen went right back to doing what he loves, voicing animated characters across television and film. He brings with him a renewed sense of vigor and interest in his craft, plus a constant appreciation for his fans - the people who helped him enjoy a career spanning more than three decades. Chock-full of "voice lessons," Rob's story proves to be an inspiration for anyone battling an illness, striving to make it big in their careers, or anyone who is currently trying to overcome personal battles in their own lives. For cartoon-loving fans, this book is also laden with humorous behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes featuring big names in Hollywood that will delight any devotee to the fandom. ABOUT VOICE LESSONS: Voice Lessons tells the heartwarming and life-affirming story of Rob's experience with an aggressive cancer treatment and recovery regimen, which luckily led to a full recovery. Rob quickly returned to doing what he loves most, but with a much deeper appreciation of what he came so close to losing. His new lease on life inspired him to rededicate himself to his fans, particularly the new friends he made along the way: hundreds of sick children and their families. Rob said it best himself: "I can not only continue to make a living, but make a difference, and I can't wait to use that on the biggest scale that I can.”
Senate Disaster Funding Fails Over Puerto Rico Aid Debate (tags)
On Monday the Senate failed to pass disaster relief funding to benefit Americans impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters. Republicans and Democrats clashed over recovery aid amounts for Puerto Rico and two separate proposals could not muster enough votes for passage.
Government Shutdown Solutions Could Leave Out Disaster Aid for Puerto Rico (tags)
As the Senate and White House struggle to avert a government shutdown, US disaster victims from Puerto Rico to Texas worry a deal on relief and recovery aid will continue to be delayed.
Supreme Court to Review Puerto Rico Bankruptcy (tags)
The Supreme Court announced it will review a lower court decision blocking Puerto Rico from restructuring portions of its debt under the Puerto Rico Recovery Act.
Anti-Climax in Greece: Epitaph for a Failed State (tags)
Greece
Greek Bailouts for Creditors, not Economic Recovery (tags)
Greece
The US Occupy Movement - Since the Eviction from the Squares (tags)
Robert Ogman studied social theory at The New School in New York and was active in the alterglobalisation movement. Following the evictions of the Occupy encampments in late 2011, he met with and interviewed participants. Today he lives in Berlin.
Obama's Fake Economic Recovery (tags)
class war
Chavez
Responding to financial crisis: are austerity and suffering inevitable? (tags)
Austerity in a recession is counter-productive. Lower taxes and lower wages mean lower demand, lower GDP, lower state revenue and higher unemployment.
Venezuelan Leadership Up for Grabs? (tags)
Chavez
Complex Chavez Recovery (tags)
Chavez
class war
Year-end inflation forecast down to 6.2 pct as risk perceptions recover (tags)
Ongoing optimism in Turkish markets, triggered by the latest positive indices, has influenced the risk perceptions regarding foreign investments in the country positively, Turkish Central Bank Governor Erdem Başçı told reporters in Ankara on Thursday.
America's Sham Economic Recovery (tags)
class war
Grim 2012 Economic Outlook (tags)
class war
Productivity is For Chumps: Don't Take a Piss Without Getting Paid (tags)
If you remember just one thing this Labor Day it should be this: Don't take a piss without getting paid for it. Larry Ellison gets paid for every dribble, every excretion, why should you be any different?
Chavez: Alive, Well and Recuperating in Caracas (tags)
health
BTL:Haiti's Path to Earthquake Recovery Requires More Justice and Aid (tags)
BETWEEN THE LINES - A four-time winner of the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcast Award for Best Feature in the non-commercial category, this syndicated, half-hour program provides a platform for individuals and spokespersons from progressive organizations generally ignored or marginalized by the mainstream media. Between the Lines covers a wide range of political, economic and social topics.
Seven Reasons Why the Economy Can't Recover (tags)
As the recession grinds on, politicians in most industrial countries have an incentive to make exaggerated claims about the supposed coming economic recovery. Some say the recession is over. Obama is in the group that claims we're on "the road to recovery,” while other nations can only spot recovery "on the horizon.” Below are seven important social phenomena that point to a more realistic economic and political outlook. 1) Central Banks are Dumbfounded. The usual tricks that U.S. and European central banks use to avoid recessions are long-exhausted. Interest rates cannot get any lower. And because cheap money wasn't working, the printing press was turned up a notch, into what the U.S. federal reserve calls quantitative easing -- injecting hundreds of billions of dollars into the world economy, escalating an emerging trade war.
The Rich Have Gotten Richer (tags)
Since the 1970’s America’s poor and middle-class have seen virtually no growth in terms of income. We have watched the entire American dream hauled out and paraded in front of us with images and a soundtrack telling us while our nation became more powerful, so did we, “and in the meantime purchase this.” We were told when the wealthy became richer this was good for us as this “trickled down to the rest of us.” We were led to believe that if there were ever problems for the rest of us, with the American rich being richer and richer we would not have to worry. They were Americans after all. They had our backs as we always had theirs.
U.S. Socialist Alexander: NBER Offers Christmas Report Regarding U.S. Recession (tags)
Alexander says “Working people have not seen any signs of an economic recovery; as many as 22 million Americans are out of work. U.S. home sales plunged to the lowest level in 15 years, millions of working people are in jeopardy of losing their homes, and jobless claims have risen to the highest levels in 9 months. The U.S. is in the deepest recession in the past 80 years and there are no signs of a recovery.”
U.S. Election 2012: Stewart Alexander Says Ben Bernanke Should Resign (tags)
U.S. Socialist Stewart Alexander says, “Bernanke’s speech and response to the U.S. economic crisis has revealed that Chairman Bernanke has failed in his responsibility to the nation and should resign. While providing future guarantees to Wall Street, Bernanke’s message only provided optimistic illusions for the tens of millions of working people that are struggling nationwide.”
America Facing Depression and Bankruptcy (tags)
The worst is yet to come
US Election 2012: Stewart Alexander Dismisses Obama’s Jobless Recovery (tags)
Alexander says financing the war and the U.S. occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan is costing U.S. jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars that could be used to rebuild and repair our nation’s infrastructure; “The war and occupation is taking the U.S. economy into a full scale depression.”
What “Jobless Recovery” Means in Capitalism (tags)
The phrase “jobless recovery” entered the capitalist lexicon in 2002. But since then nobody want to be associated with these phrase. Although a lot of economist tried to use this term as a byword. Still noboy want to own up to this infamous phrase. The term “jobless recovery “ had been associated with the terms of momentary statistical growth and corporate profits on books of accounts and in the stock market rather than in terms of production, employment and improvement of the people's living conditions.
After the recent unemployment numbers were announced, smug politicians promising economic recovery stuttered a bit. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Mainstream economists were predicting a smooth upswing in employment, but in September 263,000 more jobs were lost, 62,000 more than August. Obama reacted predictably to the surprise. He first pointed out that “employment is the last thing to recover from a recession,” and concluded that “…we are going to need to grind out this recovery, step by step.” Brilliant.
In the US, people have lived above their means for years and now must permanently lower their living standard. In America as in Europe, economists expect a tremendous rise in unemployment in the fall. This does not mean people will shop more.
Lessons from the Great Depression: Christina D. Romer (tags)
This paper was presented at the Brookings Institution Washington D.C. March 9, 2009. Christina Romer, economics professor at Berkeley, is one of President Obama's economic advisers in the Council of Economic Advisers.
Alexander: Socialists Say Nationalize All U.S. Banks (tags)
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan thinks it’s necessary to temporarily nationalize some banks. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in recent statements has indicated that the nationalization of some banks may be necessary under certain conditions, and many economic analysts believe nationalization is only a matter of time; however, socialists nationwide say nationalization of all U.S. banks is now necessary to achieve a national economic recovery.
A very important letter I received. A very important list I send. (tags)
So, dear President Lula, I ask you to breathe in the example of President Barack Obama and to give us vigorous measures against the crisis that unemployes thousands of people also here.
Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign (tags)
Below is the introduction, ten point program, and partial list of endorsers for the Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign
A Trillion Dollar Recovery (tags)
This article by the editor of The Nation was published 12/31/2008.
Lee Siu Hin: Journey to My Home-China (Part 4) In Memory of Wenchuan Earthquake (tags)
It’s been over three months since the May 12th Wenchuan earthquake--the largest in modern Chinese history for over 80 years that killing nearly 70 thousand people, 20 thousand missing and affect another tens of millions of people.
Los Angeles Festival of Recovery (tags)
This event constitutes a common-ground breakthrough. Over 30 self help support group meetings, workshops and exhibits will provide information from traditional & alternative addiction recovery and mental health organizations and agencies and will be available throughout the day.
For the deaf who won't listen... (tags)
World cereal production is on track to reach a record level in 2007. In spite of this, supplies will be barely adequate to meet increased demand, boosted by the development of the biofuels industry...
just another hachita sunrise (tags)
lots of freak weather in last month as nm governor tests DOD weather weapons on an unsuspecting populace...
Debt Creation At Its Finest (tags)
regarding a freak storm (weapons test--ENMoD) in hatch nm recently
Government idiots at work!!!! (tags)
The decision to continue a wolf reintroduction program was made in spite of opposition from ranchers who succeeded in having a dozen wolves killed in recent months because the wolves attacked their cattle.
a post-'normal' booke review: chellis glendinning on recovery from western civilization (tags)
this review employs two main elements: orthodox "texting" and as well, permitting myself to art into another direction than perhaps previously anticipated. incorporated into this post is image, non-blunt points, rectangles, and other lines, along with 'marginal' commentary. All of this certainly cuts down on the verbiage and gets to "the point" (and allows for more broad input from those whose spirit just really ain't oriented to 'composing' formal ideas of text, re: "book reviews"). Lastly, this way allows people to leave *traces* of their spirit in a less mediated way.
GOP Launches Vicious Attack on Endangered Species (tags)
In the GOP's latest hellish vision (bills S.2112 and HR 3824), the lives of living organisms would be bartered, traded, and thrown away like so much monopoly money in a "credit system. "
Dumpster Recovery in San Gabriel Mountains (tags)
The San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders dispatched a crack emergency Dumpster Recovery Team (DRT) last week end to recover a fallen dumpster.
Potemkin Village Chief dines in luxury in New Orleans (tags)
While large portions of New Orleans remain unlivable, the clueless Coward from Crawford 'got a taste of one of New Orleans' finest restaurant last night in the French Quarter & stayed in the luxury hotel Windsor Court.' Marie Antoinette would have died in envy of such imperial decadence.
9/11 "black box" cover-up at Ground Zero? (tags)
FBI has clamed not to find them, yet there is evidence they were found
US Economy as an Accelerated War Economy (tags)
"A recovery based on job losses, wage cuts, increased health care costs, an incomparable increase in student fees and growing poverty is not John Kerry's idea of an American economy that works for America's workers.."
a jobless recovery is no recovery
Between Irag and a Hard Place (tags)
War at home and abroad
[PFMPE] Leaders Fit For Fools (tags)
Here we stand, willing victims of a system which not long ago collapsed the world's "economies."
Cattle v. Wildlife in Mojave (tags)
Livestock Off 500K Acres for Fall to Protect Tortoise & Other Wildlife; BLM Under Court Order Despite Drought and Clear Legal Obligation, Problems Remain with BLM Enforcement
In what should be recognized as scandalous opportunism, the Bush Administration and the pro-free trade think tanks have been exploiting the political leverage they've gained in the wake of the S11 tragedies to try to win "Fast Track Trade Authority" for the pResident.
Leonard Peltier On The FTAA--Roots In Colonization, Feudalism & Imperialism (tags)
The FTAA is a continuation of the imperialism that began thousands of years ago in Europe…. Advocates of the FTAA would not dare refer to their policies as forms of colonization or feudalism…. Instead they will justify their actions in the name of "development" for the "poor" countries of Central and South America. Development? What the first peoples of the Americas need is "recovery" not development. Recovery from the very same colonization, domination, and genocide that multi-national corporations want to perpetuate for their own gains today.