Manus Lenihan is a member of the Socialist Party (ISA in Ireland). IMF Downgrades Economic Prediction The IMF’s last forecast, in April, predicted that world growth would contract by 3%, which it described, in what must be the most-used word of 2020, as “unprecedented.” The more recent report revises that downward to 5%. What will […]
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Canada has now been under COVID-19 restrictions for three months and many provinces are starting to open up again, although the virus is not under control. Canada is not yet out of the first wave and is certainly not ready to deal with the inevitable second wave. The Liberal government has acted too little and […]
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Around the world countries are lifting the restrictions that were introduced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. People are allowed to leave their homes, and workplaces, cafes and stores are re-opening. The sharp closures of society and economy were needed to reduce the level of infection and death from the virus, only because of the inadequate […]
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Vincent Kolo is a contributor to chinaworker.info. Conflicts with India and the US • Splits in the CCP dictatorship • Tens of millions unemployed On 15 June the National Bureau of Statistics cancelled its press conference in Beijing. It was due to present May’s economic data, showing that China’s economy continues to “gain momentum” following […]
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Julien Daigneault is a member of Alternative Socialiste (ISA in Quebec). Bill 61 project unmasks austerity to come The nationalist and conservative government of François Legault has failed its legislative tour de force aiming to “restart” the Québec economy. It was unable to get its Bill 61 approved; a bill that aimed to give it […]
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The internet has become essential for almost all Canadians due to COVID-19. Suddenly, millions of workers are told to work from home, via the internet. Education is forced online, with teachers discovering that many students don’t have access to computers, laptops or even the internet. People need to go online to contact banks, essential services, […]
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The metaphors of war have been in abundance since the onset of COVID-19. In Britain, the Queen, in a speech, evoked the WW2 song, “We’ll Meet Again.” The Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, also invoked WW2 when he used Winston Churchill’s words to talk about Italy’s “darkest hour.” Donald Trump has described himself as a […]
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Tony Wilsdon is a member of Socialist Alternative in the US. The Spectre of Deflation The collapse in oil prices in the second quarter of 2020 will be a further accelerator of the deepening world economic depression. The New York Times writes: “Just a few months ago, the American oil industry was triumphant in its […]
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Sonja Grusch is a member of Sozialistische LinksPartei (ISA in Austria). Nearly 70 years after its birth the EU seems to be in its biggest crisis ever. Former President of the EU-Commission, Jacques Delors, spoke back in March about a “deadly danger for the European Union.” This is expressed in the battle over resources such […]
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George Martin Fell Brown and Tony Gong are members of Socialist Alternative in the US. Is the Problem Neoliberalism or Capitalism? The current economic crisis may have been triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, but its roots lie in a deeper crisis of capitalism going back to the financial crash of 2008–9. This ongoing crisis lays […]
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