capitalism

As the economy of Greece continues to falter, the leaders of the country gave in to the demands of the EU and adopted an austerity plan which will crush poor and working people. In this video, David Harvey puts the Greece situation in a global economic and political context calling it an attempt by the wealthy/elite class to gain more power by disciplining the poor and working class and rolling back the social safety net of the country.

In this short Animate, radical sociologist David Harvey asks if it is time to look beyond capitalism, towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that could be responsible, just and humane.

Since the 1970s, the U.S. has been on a path towards increasing income inequality. New census data shows the trend has been magnified by the recent economic depression and that while a small percentage of households are doing exceedingly well, the majority of Americans are struggling to survive.

By Dan Jones & Azeem Hill

A key feature of any public education system is its purpose. Right now, a lot of people are putting forward the idea that the purpose of our schools is to prepare students to “compete in the global economy.” The proponents of this framework span the political spectrum, from Newt Gingrich to Barack Obama, but is it really the best thing for students?

In a report released today, the Fiscal Policy Institute examines the effect of the current economic downturn on New York State, finding that job loss and wage declines are hitting New Yorkers hard - with some groups experiencing staggering levels of unemployment. Joblessness in New York State has increased by almost 400,000 since early 2008. How does this extreme growth in unemployment relate to Pennslyvania?

This article from the New York Times details the fight being waged outside of Chicago of Hartmarx garment workers. Hartmarx is a company that has been making men's suits for over 122 years. President Obama sported a Hartmarx suit made by these very workers just months ago for his inaguration.