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Market Fundamentalism Market fundamentalism (also known as free market fundamentalism) is a pejorative term applied to a strong belief in the ability of laissez-faire or free market policies to solve most economic and social problems.[1] Critics of laissez-faire policies have used the term to denote what they perceive as a misguided belief, or deliberate deception, that free markets provide the greatest possible equity and prosperity,[2] and that any interference with the market process decreases social well being. Users of the term include adherents of interventionist, mixed economy and protectionist positions,[3] as well as billionaires such as George Soros,[4] and economists such as Nobel Laureates Joseph Stiglitz[5] and Paul Krugman. History of the term[edit] The expression "market fundamentalism" was popularized by business magnate and philanthropist George Soros in his book The Crisis of Global Capitalism (1998),[12] in which he writes "This idea was called laissez faire in the nineteenth century...

Sarah Haskins in Target Women: Doofy Husbands To Our Faithful Current.com Users: Current's run has ended after eight exciting years on air and online. The Current TV staff has appreciated your interest, support, participation and unflagging loyalty over the years. Your contributions helped make Current.com a vibrant place for discussing thousands of interesting stories, and your continued viewership motivated us to keep innovating and find new ways to reflect the voice of the people. We now welcome the on-air and digital presence of Al Jazeera America, a new news network committed to reporting on and investigating real stories affecting the lives of everyday Americans in every corner of the country. Thank you for inspiring and challenging us. – The Current TV Staff

Britain on path of bankruptcy' A prominent professor says UK’s economic and financial model is a failure amid Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that the country has run out of money. Press TV has conducted an interview with Rodney Shakespeare, professor of binary economics, to further discuss the issue. The following is a transcription of the interview. Press TV: Osborne specifically said: “The British government has run out of money because all the money was spent in the good years." Shakespeare: The chancellor’s statement is a stark admission that the present economic and financial model is finished, and that he has no way to correct it. It is not that the government’s debt is roughly 75 percent of GDP is overly high; it is that all the debt in the UK at 500 percent of GDP is out of control. At the same time, he should then open up an interest free supply administered by the banks for the spreading of the real economy to every person in society. It’s the same with the other countries.

Plutocracy Plutocracy (from Greek πλοῦτος, ploutos, meaning "wealth", and κράτος, kratos, meaning "power, dominion, rule") or plutarchy, is a form of oligarchy and defines a society or a system ruled and dominated by the small minority of the wealthiest citizens. The first known use of the term was in 1652.[1] Unlike systems such as democracy, capitalism, socialism or anarchism, plutocracy is not rooted in an established political philosophy. The concept of plutocracy may be advocated by the wealthy classes of a society in an indirect or surreptitious fashion, though the term itself is almost always used in a pejorative sense.[2] Usage[edit] Examples[edit] Examples of plutocracies include the Roman Empire, some city-states in Ancient Greece, the civilization of Carthage, the Italian city-states/merchant republics of Venice, Florence, Genoa, and pre-World War II Empire of Japan (the zaibatsu). Modern politics[edit] United States[edit] Post World War II[edit] Russia[edit] As a propaganda term[edit]

Welfare reforms could force 600,000 off incapacity benefit | Politics The government's tough new welfare reforms will force over half a million people off incapacity benefit and cause widespread poverty in some of Britain's most disadvantaged communities, according to a study releasedon Tuesday. In the first independent attempt to quantify the impact of more stringent medical tests and the greater use of means testing, researchers from Sheffield Hallam University said Scotland, Wales and the north of England would suffer most from the changes to be introduced by 2014. The study found that 600,000 people would disappear from the benefits system altogether and would often have to rely on family members for financial support. Ministers have pledged to reform incapacity benefit after an almost fivefold increase to 2.4 million in the number of claimants since the late 1970s, and Chris Grayling, the employment minister, said: "It's clear that millions of people have been written off for years, left on incapacity benefit with no real support to get into work.

Crony Capitalism Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, or other forms of state interventionism.[1][2] Crony capitalism is believed to arise when business cronyism and related self-serving behavior by businesses or businesspeople spills over into politics and government,[3] or when self-serving friendships and family ties between businessmen and the government influence the economy and society to the extent that it corrupts public-serving economic and political ideals. The term "crony capitalism" made a significant impact in the public arena as an explanation of the Asian financial crisis.[4] It is also used world wide to describe virtually any governmental decisions favoring "cronies" of governmental officials. Crony capitalism in practice[edit] Crony Capitalism Index[edit]

Bedworth 'suicide pact' couple found lying side-by-side We're back at 7am That’s the end of our live blog for today but we’ll be back to guide you through rush hour tomorrow from 7am, goodbye! More » M42 accident One lane’s blocked and traffic’s slow due to an accident on the M42 Southbound. More » M1 lane closed One lane’s closed and traffic’s queueing because of a broken down lorry on the M1 Northbound. More » M6 problems One lane’s blocked and traffic’s slow due to a broken down vehicle on the M6 Northbound between J4A M42 and J5 A452 (Castle Bromwich). More » Road blocked In Leamington, Dormer Place is blocked in both directions after an accident at the B4087 Parade. More » Welcome back to our live blog, where we’ll be posting traffic updates throughout rush hour. More » M6 delays continue northbound and southbound following accidents Major delays continue on the M6 northbound this morning from Junction 2 up to Junction 3a for Coleshill following an accident earlier this morning involving a number of vehicles. More » Delays near Moreton Morrell More »

Most Britons Ground Down to True Subsistence Level A survey conducted by major retail bank Halifax – owned by the British taxpayer, as it happens – has indicated that half of Britons become strapped for cash every month, and are concerned about their ability to meet basic living costs. In a shocking admission of just how bad the nation’s personal finances have become, twenty per-cent of the public conceded to being stretched within two weeks of receiving their monthly salary, and one-in-ten within a mere seven days. The survey coincided with a release of a report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) that suggested that so-called ‘payday loans’ could could “overtake credit cards and become a mainstream method of borrowing”. For PWC to be releasing a report legitimising these companies would be fairly low, but to cheerfully announce that “consumers are pleasantly surprised at the convenient and innovative service they receive from these smaller, more agile providers” is pretty despicable. Fine. Last month, however, tomorrow arrived.

Using Fake Intelligence to Justify War on Iran Washington is in the process of concocting a new string of lies pertaining to Iran’s nuclear program with a view to justifying the implementation of punitive bombings. Threats directed against Iran have been ongoing for the last eight years. Fake intelligence has been used to justify these threats. There are indications, however, that this time the Western military alliance is not “crying wolf”. In the wake of the war on Libya, the implementation of an air campaign against Iran is currently on the drawingboard of the Pentagon. The operation, were it to be carried out, would involve the active participation of Britain and Israel. The criminal process of fabricating lies to justify a military agenda must be understood. Without the lie, the US-NATO Israel military alliance has no leg to stand on. The antiwar movement must forcefully address the role of these lies and fabrications. Without the Lie, the military agenda has no legitimacy in the eyes of public opinion. How stupid!