Economics

Friedman’s Cruel Legacy Friedman’s Cruel Legacy

Milton Friedman's free-market faith produced a bastardized system of interest-group politics that favors sectors of citizens at the expense of many others.

Nov 22, 2006 / William Greider

Letter From Venezuela: The Land of Chavismo Letter From Venezuela: The Land of Chavismo

Although the United States itches to do away with Hugo Chávez, his socialist policies are alleviating poverty and earning the people's trust. To Bush's chagrin, the Venezuel...

Nov 16, 2006 / Feature / Chesa Boudin

The Myth of Microloans The Myth of Microloans

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has helped a lot of poor women, but the basic problem in developing countries is landlessness. A $130 microloan won't solve that problem.

Oct 19, 2006 / Column / Alexander Cockburn

Microcredit, Macro Issues Microcredit, Macro Issues

The Swedish Academy bestowed this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus, the father of microcredit. It's easy to believe Yunus's low-interest loans to the poor are a silver b...

Oct 15, 2006 / Walden Bello

The Economic Debate: Fear vs. Corruption The Economic Debate: Fear vs. Corruption

As election day approaches, don't expect a reasoned discussion of economic policy between the two parties. A barrage of quips and one-liners have taken the place of detail and fact...

Oct 5, 2006 / Feature / Robert L. Borosage

Snapshot of a Plutocracy Snapshot of a Plutocracy

Every person on this year's Forbes 400 list of America's richest people is a billionaire, who collectively possess about $1.25 trillion. Imagine how many Congressmen that will buy.

Sep 26, 2006 / Column / Nicholas von Hoffman

China’s Neoliberal Dynasty China’s Neoliberal Dynasty

As China's economy surges forward, so does the pileup of social contradictions: pollution, migration, crime and family dysfunction.

Sep 14, 2006 / Feature / Peter Kwong

Undone by Neoliberalism Undone by Neoliberalism

Before the storm, neoliberalism shaped the social and economic inequities of New Orleans; after Hurricane Katrina, it worsened them by making government the tool of corporations an...

Aug 31, 2006 / Feature / Adolph Reed Jr.

Pay To Be Saved Pay To Be Saved

Unless something changes soon, New Orleans will prove to be a glimpse of a dystopic future, a future of disaster apartheid in which the wealthy are saved and everyone else is left ...

Aug 29, 2006 / Feature / Naomi Klein

The Global Village The Global Village

What does it mean to be from a place? In Monica Ali's new novel, Alentejo Blue, the collision of locals, expatriates and tourists shatters any simple answers to the question.

Jul 27, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Nell Freudenberger

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