Now “trade agreements” are negotiated behind sealed doors, without public oversight, beyond the reach of Congress. The text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is secret, but some sections were leaked. It deals with trade only on the margins. Corporate interests dominate. It mocks democracy, establishes kangaroo courts, and taxpayers are on the hook.
289 search results for "australia"
High-End Food-Fraud Scandal Deliciously Spirals Out of Control, Whacks Japanese Consumer Confidence
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on High-End Food-Fraud Scandal Deliciously Spirals Out of Control, Whacks Japanese Consumer Confidence
Today it was Hotel Okura Co., which operates landmark hotels across Japan. It confessed its restaurants had misrepresented 235 menu items. That followed confessions by leading department store chains, other high-end hotel chains, traditional ryokan hotels…. New revelations bubble up daily. And consumer confidence is taking a hit.
The Global Corporatocracy is Almost Fully Operational
by Don Quijones • • Comments Off on The Global Corporatocracy is Almost Fully Operational
Multi-Trillion Dollar Question: How Much of Our Debt Is “Odious”?
by Don Quijones • • Comments Off on Multi-Trillion Dollar Question: How Much of Our Debt Is “Odious”?
By Don Quijones: If there is a two-word combination that strikes primal fear into the hearts of global senior bankers and representatives of international financial institutions, it is “odious” + “debt,” a legal theory that holds that the national debt incurred by a regime for purposes that do not serve the best interests of the nation shouldn’t be enforceable.
Nuclear Lobby’s Latest Spin: It’s All Just “Fear” Of Radiation
by Contributor • • Comments Off on Nuclear Lobby’s Latest Spin: It’s All Just “Fear” Of Radiation
The Quiet Triumph Of Oil And Gas In Obama’s Policies
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Quiet Triumph Of Oil And Gas In Obama’s Policies
Russia’s Plan For The BRICS To Dismantle The Dollar System
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Russia’s Plan For The BRICS To Dismantle The Dollar System
Contributed by Valentin Mândrăşescu, Editor of The Voice of Russia’s Reality Check. Former commodity trader, economist, journalist. Nomadic lifestyle. When not in Moscow, he can be found travelling across Eastern Europe. The status of the US dollar as the world reserve currency gives the US a number of advantages over other countries. The world’s most…
Deaths From All Causes: The Short (But Not Necessarily Happy) Life Of Americans
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Deaths From All Causes: The Short (But Not Necessarily Happy) Life Of Americans
Americans under fifty are paying the price. We don’t know exactly why. Even the panel of experts that authored the massive report, “US Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health,” admits that it can’t entirely pinpoint the reasons. But we do know how Americans under fifty, particularly males, are paying the price: with their lives.
Aussi Comedians Clark and Dawe on Santa Claus Getting Caught in a Bunch of Red Tape
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Aussi Comedians Clark and Dawe on Santa Claus Getting Caught in a Bunch of Red Tape
Santa Claus has gotten into a snarl-up with Australian immigration over his visitor visa, and he might not be able to deliver his goods…. “A Last Minute Technicality,” a video by Australian comedians Clark and Dawe, 2.5 minutes of hilarity and plenty of jabs at the modern political and bureaucratic world.
Gold, Molotov Cocktails, Rubber Bullets, And Teargas: A Rift In Greece
by Wolf Richter • • 2 Comments
A Greek economist’s terse sarcasm: “GDP has decreased by €47 billion in the last five years. Economy is expected to contract by 3.8% in 2013, the 6th straight year of recession! Unemployment has reached 24.7%. Youth unemployment… 55.4%! No worries though—we have the sun, the sea, our cultural background.” And GOLD.