Portside

REWIND - A Week of Quotes and Cartoons

SUNDAY

Quote of the Day

September 22,  2013

'First came the southern strategy, in which the

Republican elite cynically exploited racial backlash

to promote economic goals, mainly low taxes for rich

people and deregulation. Over time, this gradually

morphed into what we might call the crazy strategy,

in which the elite turned to exploiting the paranoia

that has always been a factor in American politics —

Hillary killed Vince Foster! Obama was born in

Kenya! Death panels! — to promote the same goals.

'But now we're in a third stage, where the elite has

lost control of the Frankenstein-like monster it

created.'

Economist Paul Krugman

New York Times

September 20, 2013

 

Toon of the Day

Makers and Takers

Mike Luckovich

 

MONDAY

'European governments repeat mistakes of the

Treaty of Versailles'

'It is essential to realize that if the European

authorities continue with policies of austerity and

rely on structural reforms alone to restore balance,

the fate of the euro will be sealed. The experience of

the single currency will come to an end with

repercussions on the continued existence of the

European single market. In the absence of

conditions for a reform of the financial system and a

monetary and fiscal policy making it possible to

develop a plan to revitalize public and private

investment, counter the inequalities of income and

between areas, and increase employment in the

peripheral countries of the Union, the political

decision makers will be left with nothing other than

a crucial choice of alternative ways out of the euro.'

Emiliano Brancaccio and Riccardo Realfonzo

(Sannio University, promoters of "the economists'

warning"), Philip Arestis (University of Cambridge),

Wendy Carlin (University College of London),

Giuseppe Fontana (Leeds and Sannio Universities),

James Galbraith (University of Texas), Mauro

Gallegati (Università Politecnica delle Marche),

Eckhard Hein (Berlin School of Economics and

Law), Alan Kirman (University of Aix-Marseille III),

Jan Kregel (University of Tallin), Heinz Kurz (Graz

University), Alfonso Palacio-Vera (Universidad

Complutense Madrid), Dimitri Papadimitriou (Levy

Economics Institute), Pascal Petit (Université de

Paris Nord), Dani Rodrik (Institute for Advanced

Study, Princeton), Willi Semmler (New School

University, New York), Engelbert Stockhammer

(Kingston University), Tony Thirlwall (University of

Kent).

...and also: Georgios Argeitis (Athens University),

Marcella Corsi (Sapienza University of Rome), Jesus

Ferreiro (University of the Basque Country), Malcolm

Sawyer (Leeds University), Sergio Rossi (University

of Fribourg), Francesco Saraceno (OFCE, Paris),

Felipe Serrano (University of the Basque Country),

Lefteris Tsoulfidis (University of Macedonia).

Financial Times

September 23, 2013

 

Toon of the Day

The New Economy

Jeff Danziger

 

TUESDAY

Quote of the Day

September 24, 2013

' This metropolis of nearly a million residents is the

third-largest city in California, home to tens of

thousands of technology industry workers, as well

as many thousands more struggling to get by. Yet

even here, in the city that bills itself as the capital of

Silicon Valley, the economic tidal wave that has

swamped Detroit and other cities is lapping at the

sea walls.

'San Jose now spends one-fifth of its $1.1 billion

general fund on pensions and retiree health care,

and the amount keeps rising. To free up the money,

services have been cut, libraries and community

centers closed, the number of city workers trimmed,

salaries reduced, and new facilities left unused for

lack of staff. From potholes to home burglaries, the

city's problems are growing.'

New York Times

September 24, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/nedegy7

Toon of the Day

SOS

Clay Bennett

Chattanooga Times Free Press

 

WEDNESDAY

Quote of the Day

September 25, 2013

'... Fidel Castro is an international figure. He is a

man who managed to liberate his country from the

Batista dictatorship and laid the foundation for a

society that is beneficial for all of the Cubans.

Unfortunately, the reaction of the United States

Government was to attack Cuba and to impose a

criminal embargo. But, the Cuban government,

despite these problems, has managed to defend the

life and well-being and health of its people. And not

only, it has offered international cooperation despite

its economic limitations, it has offered international

cooperation with other countries. They offered it to

Ecuador, in fact. I say it with a certain amount of

concern. We would have loved that Europe and the

United States offer the thousands of scholarships

that Cuba has offered to Ecuadorian students to

study medicine. There are 2000 Ecuadorian

students who are studying medicine in Cuba. Other

countries, only want to train our military personnel.

That's quite a contrast. So, that's just a way to begin

to respond to your question, what is the influence of

Fidel Castro? I think it's a moral influence. I

participated in the conversations that President

[Rafael] Correa has had with Fidel Castro. In fact, I

was present at the last conversation, and Fidel

Castro never offered advice to us. We talk about the

state of the world, and how to achieve better

development, how to improve health care and

protection of our natural resources. That is what we

talk about.'

Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino

Democracy Now!

September 24, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/kzek5ml

Toon of the Day

Thelma and Louise

Mike Luckovich

 

THURSDAY

Quote of the Day

September 26, 2013

'Essentially it is a wealth transfer from teachers,

cops and firemen to billionaire hedge funders ...

Pension funds are one of the last great, unguarded

piles of money in this country and there are going to

be all sort of operators that are trying to get their

hands on that money.'

Author and Journalist Matt Taibbi

Democracy Now!

September 26, 2013

 

Toon of the Day

Back-up

Tom Toles - Washington Post

 

FRIDAY

Quote of the Day

September 27, 2013

'Most Americans think the government is doing

more to help the rich at the expense of the poor and

middle class, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov

poll.

'According to the survey, 53 percent of Americans

think the government does the most to help the

rich, while 18 percent think it does most to help the

poor, and 8 percent say the middle class.

'That puts Americans' perceptions of what the

government actually does wildly at odds with what

they think it should do. Forty-nine percent of

respondents said they think the government should

do most to help the middle class, while 36 percent

said it should do most to help the poor. Only 2

percent said that the government should do most to

help the rich.'

Emily Swanson

Huffington Post

September 27, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/qc34fl7

Toon of the Day

Worst Case Scenarios

Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden)

 

SATURDAY

Quote of the Day

September 28, 2013

'The San Francisco Department of Public Health

released a map that shows just how many full-time

minimum wage jobs you'd need to rent a two-

bedroom apartment in San Francisco at fair market

rates. The number of jobs ranges from three to

eight.'

Mark Bittman

What We're Reading Now

New York Times

September 27, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mmdr43t

Toon of the Day

Principles

Clay Bennett

Chattanooga Times Free Press