2013 October 13 « Dr Alf's Blog

This is a powerful, MUST-READ article from Nobel Prize winning economist, Joe Stiglitz, published in the Social Europe Journal. Check it out!

via Five Years In Limbo – Joe Stiglitz – Social Europe Journal.

This article brilliantly sums up many of my own conclusions but much more effectively than I ever could.

The cost of financial deregulation, the financial collapse of 2008, and the subsequent misguided policies of excessive austerity have been truly eye-watering. Joe Stiglitz talks of a combined output loss in the US and Europe of USD 5 Trillion. Because of austerity, growth is still severely constrained, and large sections of the US and Europe have incomes way below 2008 levels. More alarmingly, US and UK growth is artificially stimulated by government guarantees or loans for domestic housing. Meanwhile, the austerian policy-makers and their shadowy sponsors are still in power in Washington, Berlin and London.

Let me turn this to an open question:

Are the austerian policy-makers and their sponsors in Washington, Berlin and London triggering a repeat of the financial collapse of 2008?

Any thoughts?

Sergey Lavrov (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is an excellent, insightful, MUST-READ article from Peter Oborne in the Telegraph. Check it out!

via Sergey Lavrov: an essential new voice has emerged in world affairs – Telegraph Blogs.

Whilst I very much agree with Peter Oborne’s analysis and observations, my mind kept dwelling on one short paragraph. Let me quote it:

Neither William Hague nor John Kerry could have dealt with a press conference with the candour, gravity and thoughtfulness that Mr Lavrov did in Bali on Monday. He provided a kaleidoscopic survey of global problems.

For me, John Kerry and William Hague seem to be the worst US Secretary of State and UK Foreign Secretary in a generation. Both US and UK foreign policy is an omni-shambles, so it’s no surprise that a very shrewd and decisive Russian leadership is able to capture the World’s attention. Of course, some of the UK’s problems seem to be from trying to be the US’s poodle. AND a poodle to Barack Obama’s leadership is a very weak and confused animal.

Let me turn this to an open question: