Tag: Free Market

America, America's Shame, American Politics

A Republican victory in 2024 is a “free market” death sentence for humanity – » The Australian Independent Media Network

greyscale image of drilling off the Australian coast.

Even the 2.5% of the global oil and gas industry’s capital spending currently investing in renewable energy is resented by shareholders. BP was threatened by a hedge fund for depressing its share price by this “irrational” spending.

Lacking any moral framework, this shareholder model demands government regulation to behave responsibly.

It is likely that a Trump victory at the end of this year will leave one of the world’s largest economies expanding its fossil fuel sector, cutting back every limit on carbon energy and stripping incentives promoting clean energy. Any regulation mitigating the immorality of shareholder capitalism will be stripped away. It is possible that China or India might step into a gap left on the global stage by America, but the damage to international cooperation will be extensive.

The world’s fate might rest on this election.

Source: A Republican victory in 2024 is a “free market” death sentence for humanity – » The Australian Independent Media Network

ALP Government,

What is the point of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese? – The Shot

I ordered a delicious but bog-standard pizza last night and it cost me thirty fucking dollars. JobSeekers are expected to live on forty fucking dollars a day. I do not keep meticulous financial records but I am fucking certain my shelter and nourishment, bills and bullshit, for the rest of the day cost more than the ten fucking dollars difference.

Source: What is the point of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese? – The Shot

Free Economy

The Free Market Is Making All Our Problems Worse, Not Better

The world is on fire all around us. The free market can’t put that fire out — only massive state intervention in the economy can.

Source: The Free Market Is Making All Our Problems Worse, Not Better

Informed Comment

Small government and free markets – ideology or greed?

kohler government

He said the free market and small government ideology that has had America and much of the world in its grip for 40 years is over. Free Market, Small Government,

Source: Small government and free markets – ideology or greed?

Informed Comment

Why Albanese needs to protect capitalism from the capitalists

 

The message for the new government is clear: keep giving big business what it wants – weak merger and competition laws, plus prohibitions on union activity – and the economy will continue performing poorly. Profits will keep growing while household income shrinks.

Source: Why Albanese needs to protect capitalism from the capitalists

Oil & Gas

Nationalize All the Oil Companies

The price of oil and the myriad horrors of climate change that oil exacerbates make it too important for us to leave in the free market’s hands. The oil companies should be nationalized.

Source: Nationalize All the Oil Companies

clean energy

The Free Market Can’t Lead a Clean Energy Transition

Decarbonization won’t be achieved through market-led solutions. It’s only by democratizing the economy and resisting privatization that a meaningful and sustainable transition to green energy can be won.

Source: The Free Market Can’t Lead a Clean Energy Transition

Informed Comment

To reverse inequality, we need to expose the myth of the ‘free market’ | Opinion | The Guardian
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person. The wealth of the world’s billionaires has risen by more then $10t since the start of the pandemic.

We need an informed public that sees through the poisonous myth billionaires want us to believe: that income is a measure of your market worth

To reverse inequality, we need to expose the myth of the ‘free market’ | Opinion | The Guardian
LNP Government

Explainer: can the federal government control the ability of states to sign deals with foreign governments?

 

Explainer: can the federal government control the ability of states to sign deals with foreign governments?

In my life time only the LNP has been anti- Indonesia, anti-Vietnam, anti-China. Has seen and endorsed the deaths of 1 mill Indonesians, 1mill plus Vietnamese and is now prodding China. What’s with this insane government trying desperately to change the course of history of the Pacific region and ignore the social investment in our own country. So much for their talk of a ‘Free Market”. (ODT)

Explainer: can the federal government control the ability of states to sign deals with foreign governments? August 27, 2020 2.05pm AEST Author Luke Beck Associate Professor of Constitutional Law, Monash University Disclosure statement Luke Beck is rank and file member of the Australian Labor Party. Partners Monash University Monash University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU. View current jobs from Monash University View all partners CC BY ND We believe in the free flow of information Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under Creative Commons licence. Email Twitter1 Facebook4 LinkedIn Print Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced plans to introduce legislation that would allow the foreign minister to cancel agreements with foreign governments entered into by states, territories, local councils and universities if the agreement is contrary to Australia’s national interests.

Explainer: can the federal government control the ability of states to sign deals with foreign governments?
Free Economy, Uncategorized

Rates rise despite fall in value of apartments with flammable cladding

Neill Fitzpatrick on the balcony of his Port Melbourne apartment. Rates on his property have not fallen, despite cladding needing to be rectified on it.

via Rates rise despite fall in value of apartments with flammable cladding

Studied Analysis, Uncategorized

From The New Deal To The Green New Deal | HuffPost

President Herbert Hoover clashed with successor Franklin Roosevelt over the latter's New Deal agenda.

Who is Atlas did he Shrug?

Bernie Sanders says that he’s a socialist and that he loves the New Deal. He doesn’t see any discordance there, and neither do a lot of people who support him.

There’s a famous story that was told when I was growing up about a politician who is asked about his position on whiskey. And he says, “If by whiskey we mean the drink we enjoy to celebrate happy events and toast our friends, I’m for whiskey. But if by whiskey we mean the demon liquor that drives families apart, I’m against whiskey.”

That’s where I am. If by socialism, you mean the New Deal, then by golly I’m in favor of it. Obviously, the New Deal shaded into socialism or social democracy, if you will. But in many ways, it’s a foolish argument, because we have socialism for the rich everywhere. Nobody is actually trying to keep the government out of the market. At least, nobody in Herbert Hoover or Donald Trump’s Republican Party.

via From The New Deal To The Green New Deal | HuffPost

Energy

Minister’s blast: Power company ‘record profits’ must stop

Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor on Sunday used a combination of company statements and analyst forecasts to claim the three largest power companies – AGL, Origin and EnergyAustralia – would see their collective profits almost double in the five years from 2015 to 2020.

via Minister’s blast: Power company ‘record profits’ must stop

Business Crime, Corporate Crime, crime, Uncategorized, White Collar Crime

Cybercrime a $2 trillion threat for business

If only concern was given to threats faced by the Individual citizen from both business and the business of cyber crime.We speak of  market “freedoms” with little emphasis of “safety” other than “Buyer Beware” were not about to “teach” you the traps witch are increasing daily with data farming. Crime, Punishment are after all a class apart. (ODT)

Unfortunately, with around 3.5 billion internet users globally and well over 10 billion devices in use, cyber security will remain a major headache confronting business and government globally for years to come. For example, over the past year, the size of the global cybercrime economy has grown to more than $2 trillion annually, making it the world’s 13th largest economy by revenue, according to the Into the Web of Profit (Understanding the Growth of the Cybercrime Economy) study recently released by the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.
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via Cybercrime a $2 trillion threat for business

Marriage Equality

People Are Trying To Sell Their Same-Sex Marriage Survey Forms Online

The ABS has asked websites to take them down.

Source: People Are Trying To Sell Their Same-Sex Marriage Survey Forms Online

Economics

Free in name only – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The “free market” has nothing to do with keeping prices down through competition as our Liberal politicians would have us believe.  It has nothing to do with Friedman’s idealistic vision of benefit for all. It is about maximising profit for businesses.  Maximise income, minimise costs, and avoid taxation. If there was limitless supply then perhaps…

Source: Free in name only – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Politics

What is Neo-liberalism and why knowing matters? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

I have said it before but it deserves repeating. Democracy is not failing us; it is we who fail democracy when we fail to actively engage with it. Democracy, as we practice it today, has lost its essential direction and has been usurped by a divisive creed full of vitriolic, jingoistic spin.  Over the past…

Source: What is Neo-liberalism and why knowing matters? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Economy

Robert Reich: There’s no such thing as a “free market” – Salon.com

“Few ideas have more profoundly poisoned the minds of more people,” argues the former secretary of labor

Source: Robert Reich: There’s no such thing as a “free market” – Salon.com

Free Economy, Freedom

CEO raises pill’s price from $US18 to $US750 overnight, calls journalist ‘moron’

‘He bought this patent and he’s milking it for all it’s worth. In a way, I thank him, because it’s really sort of like putting a sign on your back saying, ‘Kick me’.

Source: CEO raises pill’s price from $US18 to $US750 overnight, calls journalist ‘moron’

Capitalism

Martin Shkreli on his “altruistic” motives: “I’m a capitalist — I want to create a big drug company” – Salon.com

“There’re a lot of altruistic properties” to raising cost of treating toxoplasmosis from $1,350 to $63,000, he said VIDEO

Source: Martin Shkreli on his “altruistic” motives: “I’m a capitalist — I want to create a big drug company” – Salon.com