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How a group of economists undermined public institutions, paving the way to neoliberalism

An assumption had become a truth. The self-interested model of human behaviour, that had been developed in the Cold War to make the mathematical equations work, had now been adopted by these economists as a fundamental truth about the reality of all human social interaction. globinfo freexchange A group of economists in the early 70s arbitrarily adopted the self-interested model of human behaviour that had been developed in the Cold War, to explain the dysfunctionality of public institutions. This perception would become a powerful tool in the hands of the neoliberal ideology, carried by big banks and corporations, to demonize the state and dismantle any state control upon them at the expense of the societies. In his documentary The Trap , Adam Curtis explains: In the early 70s, the government bureaucracies in Britain began to collapse. Those around them blamed a growing economic crisis, but it was clear that something much more fundamental had gone wrong. What we

Workers ready to shut down entire Vegas strip

by Mark Gruenberg Las Vegas casino owners’ threats to subcontract or automate thousands of workers’ jobs – among other issues — forced the workers, employed by Unite Here Locals 226 and 165, to vote almost unanimously to authorize a strike if bargainers fail to agree on a new pact by June 1. If 50,000 workers, who toil at 34 big hotels on the Las Vegas strip and downtown, must walk out, it would be the union’s largest strike in decades. The May 23 vote at the Thomas and Mack Center, a basketball arena, drew 25,000 members, who authorized the strike by a 99 percent-1 percent margin. “ We don’t want to go on strike, but we will if we have to, ” said union Communications Director Bethany Khan. “ The companies are more profitable than ever, because of our hard work, and the workers want to share in that success for their families. ” The two locals represent culinary and other hotel workers (Local 226) and bartenders (Local 165). The other workers – at

The facts about Venezuela’s May 20th Presidential Election

Despite a high level of election transparency, one that Jimmy Carter called “the best in the world”, the US and its allies have accused Venezuela of election fraud. Caleb Maupin breaks down how Venezuela’s electoral system really works. by Caleb T. Maupin Part 2 - A high level of transparency – “The Best in the World” The Venezuelan government goes out of its way to ensure electoral participation and transparency. Article 63 of the Bolivarian Constitution says: “ Suffrage is a right. It is exercised through free, universal, direct and secret ballots. The law will guarantee the principle of individuality of suffrage and proportional representation. ” In Venezuela, the vote is held on a weekend in order to ensure that people do not miss out on the opportunity to vote because they have to work. Citizens register to vote with their thumbprints, so that no one can vote claiming to be someone else. Poll close at 6 p.m.; however, if even a single line of people remains

For Ecuador, currying favor with Washington is as simple as sacrificing Julian Assange

Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno has made no secret of his annoyance with the man he refers to a “hacker,” calling Assange “a stone in his shoe” as Ecuador seeks to restructure itself as a trusted ally of the United States. by Elliott Gabriel Part 5 - Correa defends his moves Rafael Correa currently lives with his wife in her home country, Belgium. The former president has been locked in a struggle with his one-time vice president and handpicked successor, Moreno, since shortly after leaving office. Correa dismissed the accusations as a “sensationalistic” story about routine affairs that only seeks to whip up further animus against his erstwhile administration rather than make “a serious report to find out the truth.” Speaking to The Intercept, Correa said: “ Of course we provided security to Assange in the embassy … It was our duty under the law to do so. We had the U.K. government threatening to break into the embassy. We spent what amounts to

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More evidence that the 2011 riots in Syria were sparked by a false flag operation

globinfo freexchange Independent journalist Eva Bartlett spoke with Lee Camp about her recent trip in Syria. Bartlett visited the hospital in Douma where many victims of the latest alleged chemical attack went to receive medical care. Bartlett spoke with a medical student who was working the day of the alleged attack, and actually confirmed the reporting by the veteran journalist Robert Fisk, according to which there was no evidence of a chemical attack. Bartlett also went to Daraa, where the first protests took place in 2011, and spoke to people there. They confirmed what many other investigative journalists support.  This is strong evidence that it was a false flag operation that actually sparked the subsequent riots: In the initial protest, Daraa was named as the birthplace of the so-called revolution. And Daraa is a city in the very south of Syria, not a very large city, and a rather unlikely city for a so-called revolution to have started. But prior going to Daraa, I

“Unusually bad” situation: Ecuador may evict Julian Assange “any day now”

In December, Assange received Ecuadorian citizenship, but the UK indicated it would not recognize his diplomatic status if requested by the Latin American nation, denying Assange the diplomatic immunity that would’ve allowed him to leave. The UN, meanwhile, has twice ruled that Assange’s detention is unlawful. Despite this, the judge in his most recent appeal – Emma Arbuthnot, who said “ I find arrest is a proportionate response even though Mr Assange has restricted his own freedom for a number of years. ” Judge Arbuthnot’s impartiality in the Assange matter has been called into question, while her husband and ex-Conservative MP, Baron James Arbuthnot, is listed as the director of a security company along with the former head of MI6. Not exactly friends of WikiLeaks. Meanwhile, Ecuador’s new president, Lenín Moreno, recently pulled funding for security and surveillance countermeasures – and in January called Assange an “inherited problem” that has create

Security troops on US nuclear missile base took LSD

One airman said he felt paranoia. Another marveled at the vibrant colors. A third admitted, “ I absolutely just loved altering my mind. ” Meet service members entrusted with guarding nuclear missiles that are among the most powerful in America’s arsenal. Air Force records obtained by The Associated Press show they bought, distributed and used the hallucinogen LSD and other mind-altering illegal drugs as part of a ring that operated undetected for months on a highly secure military base in Wyoming. After investigators closed in, one airman deserted to Mexico. “ Although this sounds like something from a movie, it isn’t, ” said Capt. Charles Grimsley, the lead prosecutor of one of several courts martial. A slipup on social media by one airman enabled investigators to crack the drug ring at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in March 2016, details of which are reported here for the first time. Fourteen airmen were disciplined. Six of them were convicted in courts ma

How to convince population join NATO

The Swedish government is distributing pamphlets warning of an impending war to all 4.8 million households, in what journalist Eirik Vold says is part of a larger propaganda campaign to convince the population to support joining NATO.

The US media’s six lies about Hamas

by Joyce Chediac The Israeli government killed more than 60 Palestinian people demonstrating at the Gaza border, and wounded 12,000. According to Amnesty International, “ Eyewitness testimonies, video and photographic evidence suggest that many were deliberately killed or injured while posing no immediate threat to the Israeli soldiers. ” Israel and the U.S are trying to hide the reality of this massacre and war crimes against unarmed population by shifting the focus and the responsibility to Hamas, the Palestinian organization which administers the government in Gaza. The U.S. corporate media are willingly assisting in this vilification of Hamas, often repeating as fact the exact same boldface lies found in Israeli and U.S. press releases, and even in the exact words. Here are a few. Lie one: Hamas is responsible for the death of more than 60 Palestinians by irresponsibly encouraging them to demonstate at Gaza’s border with Israel. Lest there