We need enough people like the striking Quebec students ready to fight for a better future for all.
corporate greed
The CEO and the new feudalism
Few developments in our era of savage capitalism are so powerfully symbolic of the new feudalism than the obscene compensation paid out to the new economic elite: the CEOs of the most powerful corporations in the country.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative's Hugh MacKenzie now reminds us yearly of this economic and social sickness by identifying exactly when the average CEO (of the 100 largest firms) has earned as much as the average worker makes in a year (this time around it was by 2:30 p.m. on January 3rd.) The total average compensation for Canada's 100 highest paid CEOs was $6,643,895 in 2009.
Using debt for the common good
Students do society a favour when they pay the full cost of borrowing money to finance their studies. Since it serves all of us to live among knowledgeable citizens: the education they receive is a public good; it works for us all.
Those graduates who educate others, care for us when we are sick, or help us when we are in need of professional assistance are especially valued; we expect to pay decently for their services, and professionals expect to be taxed on earned income throughout their careers. What individual benefits are derived from education are paid for throughout a lifetime of work.
Just say no to corporate greed: The case of Iceland
Capitalism is looking pretty mean these days. No amount of profit is enough, and no level of collateral damage to get that profit is unreasonable. And when capitalism on steroids runs amok, any extremes of public pain are justified to save the butts of those who made the mess in the first place.
Corporations understand that they have a green light to punish people ruthlessly for even a modest improvement to their bottom line (ask Caterpillar workers if you want details). Whole nations may be bled dry to shield financial institutions from the consequences of their own bad behaviour. The Greek government is deliberately creating a national great depression to appease international financial interests.
Canada supports dark side of international finance
You can say one thing for the powers that be in the banking industry. They've got a lot of nerve.
This past week, our own finance minister, Jim Flaherty, along with Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, came out strongly in opposition to a modest proposal to regulate the U.S. banking system.
Their interventions followed a concerted effort by American bank lobbyists to spark international opposition to U.S. regulatory reforms.
February 13, 2012 |
CAW National President Ken Lewenza calling on the federal government to release detailed financial data associated with Caterpillar's 2010 acquisition of Electro-Motive Canada.
