12 Jan 11



As the new year begins, the price of wheat is setting an all-time high in the United Kingdom. Food riots are spreading across Algeria. Russia is importing grain to sustain its cattle herds until spring grazing begins. India is wrestling with an 18-percent annual food inflation rate, sparking protests. China is looking abroad for potentially massive quantities of wheat and corn. The Mexican government is buying corn futures to avoid unmanageable tortilla price rises. And on January 5, the U.N. Food and Agricultural organization announced that its food price index for December hit an all-time high.



03 Jan 11


It has become fashionable among politicians to preach the virtues of pain and suffering, no doubt because those bearing the brunt of it are those with little voice – the poor and future generations.


A deficit-reduction package crafted along these lines would more than meet even the most ardent deficit hawk’s demands. It would increase efficiency, promote growth, improve the environment, and benefit workers and the middle class.

There’s only one problem: it wouldn’t benefit those at the top, or the corporate and other special interests that have come to dominate America’s policymaking.


27 Dec 10

As much of Europe continues to struggle with its mountainous debts, China has let it be known that it will be prepared to help out by buying bonds from stricken Greece and Portugal but part of the price will be enduring lectures from the new paymasters.


China’s ability to feed a fifth of the world’s population will become tougher because of land degradation, urbanisation and over-reliance on fossil-fuels and fertiliser, a United Nations envoy warned today as grain and meat prices climbed on global markets.


23 Dec 10

The euro gained against the dollar and bounced from all-time lows against the Swiss franc on Wednesday, boosted by a news report that China was ready to buy significant amounts of Portuguese sovereign debt


06 Oct 10

Äärimmäisen päräyttävää tekstiä. Lue. - “Tuottaa se, minkä kulutamme, ja kuluttaa se, minkä tuotamme, on kuninkaantie ulos markkinoilta. Se antaa meidän haluta sitä, mitä todella tarvitsemme, määrältään ja laadultaan, ja se antaa meidän määritellä uudelleen keskitetysti, kuinka ottaa huomioon ympäristö ja käytettävissä olevat resurssit, antaa meidän määritellä riittävyyden normin, jonka markkinatalous on kaikin tavoin yrittänyt hävittää. Kulutuksen supistaminen itse, sen rajoittaminen itse – the self-restraint – ja mahdollisuus saada takaisin valta omaan elämäämme kulkevat tätä tietä.”