Ruthless exploitation of technology, people and the colonies

Ruthless is a revelation of Britain’s industrial revolution the result of its machines, which produced goods with miraculous efficiency and exploitation that enabled it. Was it the country’s natural abundance, which provided coal for its engines, ones for its furnaces and food for its labourers? Or was it Britain’s colonies, where a brutalised enslaved workforce produced cotton for its factories? Historian Edmond Smith reveals how the world’s first industrial nation was founded on the ruthless exploitation of technology, people and the planet. This economic system linked the plantations of the Caribbean with the colossal cotton mills of northern England, applied … Continue reading Ruthless exploitation of technology, people and the colonies

Misrepresented women’s role in global economics

Female entrepreneurs, economic revolutionaries who defied the women’s roles as producers and reproducers and the sense that things might have different if homo economicus, had been joined by femina ecobomics. In ancient Athens, did you know about Phryne, the richest woman who offered to pay to rebuild the walls of Thebes after the city was razed by Alexander the Great, or in Georgian England, Priscilla Wakefield, the writer and entrepreneur, set up the first English “penny bank” to help women on low incomes to save money and children to save from an early age ? What about the everyday woman … Continue reading Misrepresented women’s role in global economics

Debates in Congress and the Supreme Court about executive power

In The Pursuit of Liberty, bestselling author, Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Centre, explores how the opposing constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have defined America for 250 years, influenced presidents from Washington to Trump, how to balance liberty and power, and continue to drive the debate over the power of government. While Hamilton pushed for a strong Federal Government and a powerful executive. This ongoing tug-of-war has shaped all the pivotal moments in American history, including Abraham Lincoln’s fight against slavery and southern secession, the expansion of federal power under Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, and … Continue reading Debates in Congress and the Supreme Court about executive power

Instruments of Wealth extraction which aids the spread of autocracy

“The magic of Tim Wu’s The Age of Extraction is its simplicity, and breaks down one of the greatest challenges of our age- the unaccountable power of tech platforms, explaining your online life is draining your wallet. Our world is dominated by a handful of tech platforms, who provide great conveniences and entertainment, but also stand as some of the most effective instruments of wealth extraction ever invented, seizing immense amount of money, data, and attention from all of us. An economy driven by digital platforms and AI influence offers the potential to enrich us, and also threatens to marginalize … Continue reading Instruments of Wealth extraction which aids the spread of autocracy

How to restore the UK economy, drive prosperity to elevate living standards

Prosperity Through Growth by the US economist Dr Arthur B Laffer, inventor of Laffer Curve (his eponymous curve); policy campaigner  Matthew Elliott, businessman and former chief executive of Vote Leave campaign, Michael Hintze a high profile asset manager, and founder of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, Douglas McWilliams, although is a would-be Conservative idea for growth, who has no answer to the populist right, but the philosophy is a collection of old ideas, similar to what Keith Joseph suggested for Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s. Their policy begins by setting out principles of ideal economic policy- the “North Star” … Continue reading How to restore the UK economy, drive prosperity to elevate living standards

Law and justice system might touch our lives

British Law and justice system might touch our lives when we have an accident, a wrong is done to us, or we have a family difficulty. They are vast, ancient and cover everything from the personal to the regulation of our government. But to most of us, they are a wen of intimidating institutions and practices. Baroness Hale, after spending a decade writing about England’s justice system, shows us how the law is on our side, by taking us into the complexities of real courts and real decisions, we see that we all have rights: schoolchildren, disabled people, workers, minorities … Continue reading Law and justice system might touch our lives

Consequences of making poor decisions affecting billions

Presidents turning into monarchs. Tech tycoons and autocrats intent on global regime change. Armies of cyber trolls. The old order is at an end. The Hour of the Predator has come. Former political adviserGiuliano da Empoli takes us on an insider’s journey through this new reality, from the Glass Palace of the UN to the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton, from top secret meetings to violent power struggles. We encounter dictators and tryants, strongmen and AI billionaires – geopolitical predators, and the flailing leaders whop desperately try to appease them. In the age of the Borgias or the conquistadors, cynical scheming and brute … Continue reading Consequences of making poor decisions affecting billions

Fight for a liveable planet for us, our children and future generations

Scientists Peter Hotez, a vaccinologist and dean of National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College in Texas and Michael Mann, climatologist and professor of atmospheric science at Pennsylvania State University, may have gone over the top in their assessment of the threat. They claim “Science is indeed under siege, and that’s not good for any of us. It’s not too late to do something: It’s time to get things done”. Both endured frequent personal attacks and threats to themselves and their families, on social media and in person at lectures and even at home. Climate change deniers are encouraging … Continue reading Fight for a liveable planet for us, our children and future generations

History repeats itself: The tale of power, psychology and seductive illusion

In 1929, Andrew Ross Sorkin, the author of Too Big to Fall -the definitive history of the 2008, banking crisis, follows a similar people-centred recipe to retell a much older tale of financial hubris and nemesis: the great crash that began in 1929 in the US but which when stretched out in waves of repeated panic for several years and across many countries. Sorkin reveals the tale of its ugly aftermath, as panic moved from Wall Street to Main Street with the Great Depression of the 1930s and the sweeping regulatory response to these cascading crises. In 1929, the world … Continue reading History repeats itself: The tale of power, psychology and seductive illusion

Accidental billionaire

Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, one of the most extraordinary brands in the corporate world, the rare company that is driven by environmental activism instead of cutthroat capitalism. Patagonia founded in 1973, a US clothing company trailing associations of rugged outdoor pursuits, posting sales of more than $1billion a year. Chouinard distrustful of capitalism, even as he engaged in it, investment bankers co-opted the garments into their uniforms, sometime wearing under their suit jackets or blazers. The company has distinguished itself as a singular beacon for socially responsible business, the rare company that can legitimately claim to be doing its … Continue reading Accidental billionaire