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Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has said that any possible Israeli military strike against Iran would be a very serious mistake, adding that such action would have unpredictable consequences. Lavrov's comments followed an Israeli threat by President, Shimon Peres, that an attack on Iran is becoming more likely. It also comes after Western diplomats were briefed on a report by the IAEA detailing Iran's nuclear capabilities. The report alleges that Iranian engineers have had...
Are capitalism and democracy so closely entwined that one can't survive without the other? Or is it just ideological thinking which still dominates Western political culture? Is it the people who failed capitalism or capitalism that failed the people? Does capitalism offer solutions to the current global crisis? And can genuine democracy be compatible with other economic and social systems? Peter Lavelle of RT talks with David Schweickart, Richard Wellings and Howard Gold. © Russia Today
In the era of neoliberalism ushered in by Reagan and Thatcher, one of the great sins was for nations to control capital flows in and out of a country. To restrict capital flows in any way was considered a restriction on the strength and dynamism of the free market. There are lots of second thoughts about this now and evidence is mounting that capital controls are important tools that help countries avoid financial crises. Capital controls are a tool to help countries smooth out the...
In an emotional - and largely symbolic - move, the United Nations cultural organization known as UNESCO overwhelmingly voted to grant membership to the Palestinians, despite opposition from the United States and Israel. Now the United States says it will cancel a $60 million payment due in November to the U.N. body. Membership dues paid by the U.S. account for about a fifth of UNESCO’s annual budget. The U.S. is also threatening to veto any Palestinian effort to be recognized by...
From the Middle East to the West - a discontent with the status quo. Whether it's with the iron grip of entrenched governments or with the widening economic divide between the rich and those struggling to get by. Where are those so hungry for change heading and how profound is their long term vision for transformation? Al Jazeera puts the question to Slovenian-born philosopher, Slavoj Zizej, whose critical examination of both capitalism and socialism has made him an internationally...
Icelandic People Said No - In Europe, people in many countries are saying no to paying for the crisis and bailing out the banks, and to a large extent, leading the way, are the people of Iceland -- at the ballot box and on the streets. Michael Hudson, professor of economics at University of Missouri, Kansas City provides some insights into how exactly the Icelandic people have gone about holding their government accountable. "What happened in Iceland is being used as a test case for what is happening in Greece...