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Austerity news from Around the Globe
Austerity is a Four-Letter French WordFXstreet.com
Portugal: 5 million participated in general strike, say unions
Patience with the government’s austerity plan is running thin in Portugal with banners reading ‘Enough’ and ‘Government Out’. In their fourth general strike in two… read full article Austerity: ‘unprecedented erosion’ in living standards Stuff your austerity! We want something differentNew Internationalist (blog) The idea of the Peoples Assemblies is to create a mass national and local movement against austerity. Saturday’s event brought together people of all ages and walks of life – trade unionists, direct activists, students, pensioners, hackers, disabled … Social Justice Ireland says austerity not workingRTE.ie “Austerity is not working for Ireland. Government has cut spending, raised taxes, increased unemployment, lowered wages, decimated services and allowed infrastructure to deteriorate on the understanding that austerity would lead to recovery … Austerity leaves bitter taste as Leinster House sweet shop shuts
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Miliband’s offer of austerity in a red rosette is failing voters New Statesman If austerity is wrong and counter-productive when the Tories do it, it will be wrong and counter-productive whoever does it. Austerity in a red rosette is no less brutal and damaging than in a blue one. In failing to articulate a clear economic … See all stories on this topic » |
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Portuguese businesses attack austerity, urge U turn GlobalPost Portuguese business leaders launched on Monday a strong attack on austerity conditions tied to the EU-IMF bailout of the economy, saying that they had failed and the government should change direction to save the country from “recession”. See all stories on this topic » |
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Union warns austerity will spur growth of ‘zero hours’ contracts Financial Times ![]() Austerity will spur the use of zero hours contracts, as more public sector work is outsourced to providers who rely on the ultimate flexible employment option, a think tank and union have said. The contracts, which offer no guaranteed work, are being … See all stories on this topic » |
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Discredited Pro-Austerity Research Gets New Love From World’s Central Bank Huffington Post Our world’s troubling austerity deficit is actually not the main message of the BIS’ 76-page opus, but an entire chapter, “Fiscal sustainability: Where do we stand?” is dedicated to the topic. And this chapter sounds a rallying cry for more austerity … See all stories on this topic »
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Nations begin traditional Christmas warfare
Countries around the world have begun bombing each other in the run up to Christmas.
‘I think it gets earlier every year,’ says Mandy Batchelor, a 22-year old physicist from Cheshire. ‘I remember when you used to get the odd massacre in the week before the holidays, and that would escalate into the New Year, but now there are countries launching retaliatory airstrikes in September. And I’m sure the arms sales start earlier every year. It’s crazy.’
The switching off of the lights, and the cowering in bunkers, which normally takes place at this time of year is expected to reach unprecedented levels thanks to the global economic meltdown and a general rise in human unpleasantness.
For some, the idea of nations escalating violence towards other countries, or their own people, during the festive season is under threat as more non-Christian countries adopt the tradition.
Professional wine taster Linda Sachet is amongst those who see a darker side to the Christmas season. She says, ‘I usually only manage about 30 seconds of the news before the sheer unrelenting misery of it all makes me switch over to “Fred Claus” on Channel 5; that’s how bad things have become. No-one should have to make those sort of choices at Christmas.’
Stanley Goodwin, a retired toe specialist from Buxton, adds: ‘I don’t think other countries get Christmas the way we do. I mean, I remember when having a war at Christmas meant leaving off the mustard gas for twenty minutes to have a quick kick-about in no-man’s land. Now, it’s non-stop. It’s too commercialised these days, the arms dealers are ruining it.’
However, some people feel that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a dash of global genocide.
Self-confessed estate agent Ali Bishop says, ‘Even if I’ve got the tree up, opened a Panettone and bought the�Radio Times, for me it never really feels like Christmas until some country’s begun shelling its neighbours.’
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace admits the Queen, who is preparing her annual Christmas address to the nation, is struggling to come up with something that isn’t a ‘complete downer’.
‘Conflicts and civil unrest in North Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, take your pick,’ says a Palace source. ‘It’s a struggle to fit them all in. She’s pretty much decided to leave all the miserable stuff to the Pope and just cheer everyone up by recounting how she got to meet Daniel Craig and jump out of a plane.’
Darkbill 2.0
with a nod to �Dick Everyman
via Nations begin traditional Christmas warfare | NewsBiscuit.
via Nations begin traditional Christmas warfare | NewsBiscuit.