Worker & Community Struggles and Protests Madrid Police "Dumbfounded" After Amazon Called The Cops On Striking Workers 22:31 Nov 27 0 comments George Soros’ Open Society Foundation unmasked in a major leak 22:31 Aug 24 1 comments Shell in court over major Corrib gas refinery flaring events. 23:32 Jul 28 0 comments Eddie Hobbs: Largest act of larceny against Irish people 23:22 Jun 02 0 comments CHASE Fundraising Events Calendar for June 23:10 Jun 01 0 comments more >>Blog Feeds
Anti-EmpireThe Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović
Human Rights in IrelandIndymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy
Lockdown Skeptics
Will Trump Ever Admit Lockdown Was a Mistake? Mon Jul 22, 2024 19:35 | Jeffrey A. Tucker
Joe Biden Out in Apparent Palace Coup Mon Jul 22, 2024 17:30 | Eugyppius
Who Will Guard Us Against the Guardian?s ?Fact Checks?? Mon Jul 22, 2024 15:34 | David Craig
Biden Delayed Stepping Down as He ?Doubts Kamala? as Senior Democrats Fail to Back Her Mon Jul 22, 2024 13:19 | Will Jones
The Office of Budget Intractability Mon Jul 22, 2024 11:00 | Andrew Colllingwood
Voltaire NetworkVoltaire, international editionNetanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en |
Michael Taft - Towards a New Economic Narrative
national |
worker & community struggles and protests |
feature
Thursday March 12, 2009 00:09 by Mark C - Contact.ie
A new 10-point programme for economic recovery and renewal
The Right are having a field day in the economic debate. It's time progressives take to the pitch. In 'Towards A New Economic Narrative', Michael Taft of Notes on the Front outlines a ten point programme to kickstart an alternative debate. It includes: Borrow 'Till We Drop * Tax Lay-About Capital, Not Work * Public Safety Committees * Spread It Around * Competition This! * Go On a (Social) Binge * A New Green Deal * Money's Too Tight To Mention * The Enterprise Guarantee * Reinventing Public Economic Activity
A (very basic) Summary of the "Narrative" This is not the last word. It's the first of many words. But one thing is certain: the Left must become audacious and present a bold economic package to people. It we don't, the Right will continue to drive the debate, the Left will become marginalised and the economy will continue its ever downward sprial.
One could read Michael Taft's articles for style alone, if the content were not of such import. His “The Recession Diaries” published (at least) daily on his blog and also on Irish Left Review makes for fascinating reading. The insights succinct, the criticisms sharp.
3) Public Safety Committees
|
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2He notes the Indymedia Article and provides an updated contextualisation of his 'new Economic Narrative' essay.
http://notesonthefront.typepad.com/politicaleconomy/200....html
Here's an alternative alternative economic program:
- Nationalise the gas. All OUR base belong to US.
- institute a Special Strategic Retraining Initiative to transform furloughed builders into small-scale market gardeners
- liberalise trading regulations to promote flea markets and farmers markets & subsidise venues
- institute price-controls in insurance for markets, food producers, crafts, cottage industries
- institute price-controls in retail and wholesale; a sharply progressive tax on profits (they have this in e.g. belgium), targetted and food, clothing, books, gardening stuff, knitting, sewing, baking
- more & bigger grants for sustainable power (some of this already happening), solar, wind, hydro, insulation
- radical overhaul of tax laws: devise a fair and progressive tax regime, with the express intent of using a share of profits to support irish society; implement it simultaneously with the annulment of all previous tax laws with thier million-and-one loopholes (probably hoping for too much here ;)
- appropriate properties empty for more than X months to be made available at very minimally priced 1-year leases to the disadvantaged, family housing and also non-residential spaces for youth and community projects
- green spaces around towns and cities to be made available to households to grow food (e.g. allotments in phoenix park) for nominal charge
In short, reskilling the unemployed towards farming,
using empty houses for social housing,
keynsian spending for energy generation & conservation & food production.
The worst-case scenario is that the depression turns out to be L-shaped rather than U- or V-shaped (cf Nouriel Roubini), and if that were to occur (risk factor is maybe 40%?) than we definately wouldn't want to be indebted up to out eyeballs.
The IMF would have us in effective indentured servitude .. check out Argentina, Madegascar, Ukraine, Iceland, .....