Friday, April 19, 2013

New Paper on Privatizing Europe, Entrenching Neoliberalism


Majia here: Europe and other western countries are in the process of 'dispossessing' their populations through cuts to education and social-welfare, while failing to cut government spending in substantial ways on bank bailouts and militaries.

Liz Alderman of the New York Times Reports (4/17/2013) that More Children in Greece Going Hungry

[Excerpted] ATHENS — As an elementary school principal, Leonidas Nikas is used to seeing children play, laugh and dream about the future. But recently he has seen something altogether different, something he thought was impossible in Greece: children picking through school trash cans for food; needy youngsters asking playmates for leftovers; and an 11-year-old boy, Pantelis Petrakis, bent over with hunger pains...

...The Greek economy is in free fall, having shrunk by 20 percent in the past five years. The unemployment rate is more than 27 percent, the highest in Europe, and 6 of 10 job seekers say they have not worked in more than a year....

Unlike those in the United States, Greek schools do not offer subsidized cafeteria lunches. Students bring their own food or buy items from a canteen. The cost has become insurmountable for some families with little or no income. Their troubles have been compounded by new austerity measures demanded by Greece’s creditors, including higher electricity taxes and cuts in subsidies for large families. As a result, parents without work are seeing their savings and benefits rapidly disappear....[end] 

Majia here: And The Kids Are (Not) All Right in the US either.

There is an ongoing assault against the public in advanced economies under the banner of AUSTERITY in response to the public debt acquired as governments BAILED OUT PRIVATE BANKS AND CORPORATIONS.

Rather than re-regulating the powerful corporations that caused the crisis, western and Asian governments are now SHREDDING SPENDING ON EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY.

The richest global corporations and individuals are having a feeding frenzy has they buy up other corporations not so lucky as to have been bailed out and as governments PRIVATIZE public holdings, without the consent of THE PEOPLE, who are ultimately the public owners of government holders.

This is a great report on the PRIVATIZATION FEEDING FRENZY in Europe with graphics http://www.tni.org/sites/www.tni.org/files/download/privatising_europe.pdf

      

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that BANKS' first-quarter PROFITS will be their BEST EVER.

Eavis, (2013, April 17) Rising Bank Profits Tempt a Push for Tougher Rules. The New York Times, http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/rising-bank-profits-tempt-a-push-for-tougher-rules/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130418

[Excerpted] Banks have been reporting steady growth in earnings since soon after the financial crisis. With the latest reports rolling in, analysts think the banks’ first-quarter profits will be their best ever....[end]

Majia Here: Neoliberal Shock Therapy seems to be working for the banks. It doesn't seem to work so well for kids.



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