By MARYA SALAMAT
The Philippines is still a debtor nation, and as Ibon Foundation said, this ‘lending’ to the IMF used to be a sensibly un-hyped part of “management of any country’s international reserves.”
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star In my last two columns I wrote about the call of US billionaire-investor Warren Buffet to tax the rich more, and about efforts to create more jobs in the United States by reviving manufacturing that uses advanced technology. Acceding to readers’ requests, I try…
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star It seems the land of opportunity isn’t America anymore (nor Europe). For Filipinos, anyway. Not right now. Despite the recovery of the big banks through massive government bailouts, the US economy — in deep recession since 2008 — grew by only 1.1 percent in…
The violence and brutality of Gaddafi’s rule, and the absence of progress during the 41 years he’s been in power, are making the case for the rebels. His erstwhile friends in Europe would gladly turn against him — but not before they’ve seen to it that someone pliable, and preferably less daffy, could take his place, the better to assure the West continuing access to Libyan oil. (By Luis V. Teodoro / bulatlat.com)
As Europe frantically shores up an unravelling economic system, popular protests are erupting against adjustments made to placate the finance markets. Austerity measures and bailouts may keep the banks happy, but what about the people? By ANNA WHITE Share the World’s Resources/CommonDreams.org International Posted by Bulatlat.com The inherent instability of the current financial system, largely…
By JOHN PILGER Truthout International Posted by Bulatlat.com As Britain’s political class pretends that its arranged marriage of Tweedledee to Tweedledum is democracy, the inspiration for the rest of us is Greece. It is hardly surprising that Greece is presented not as a beacon, but as a “junk country” getting its comeuppance for its “bloated…
By ARNOLD PADILLA
The latest incarnation of the text tax comes in the context of an administration under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to widen its revenue base. It was the IMF that first openly pushed the text tax idea in 2002 to address the government’s burgeoning budget deficit.
The world has once again celebrated International Labor Day this May 1st. This year’s May 1 celebration has assumed greater significance as the world economic crisis wreaks havoc on people’s lives especially the working class. Workers all over the world have been losing their jobs. What should workers do to address their worsening situation? Should…
BY BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat.com The country is again facing the prospect of oil price spikes. Why? Can nothing be done about it? The country, and the world, are again being threatened with the probability of run-away increases in the prices of oil, gas, and its derivatives. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for June…