This contribution in the opening session of the London Conference « Europe against Austerity », organized by the Coalition of Resistance on October 1st 2011, was greeted by a standing ovation.
Even if Europe is hard hit, the crisis by no means limited to the European Union: almost all the industrialized economies are in a state verging on coma. Depending on the country, unemployment remains high or is increasing. Even in the so-called emerging countries including BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), the strong growth is tending to slow down.
El encuentro “Viviendo en Deudocracia: la deuda en los países del Norte, aprendiendo del Sur”, que ha reunido durante dos días a más de 300 participantes, se clausura hoy con una reunión en la que activistas 20 organizaciones y redes de la sociedad civil, incluyendo el 15M, inician el trabajo conjunto hacia la auditoria ciudadana de la deuda en nuestro país.
Sonia Mitralia, from CADTM in Greece, addressed the recent Europe against Austerity Conference in London as follows:
Je viens de Grèce, un pays en train d’être saigné à blanc et détruit par ceux qui prétendent le sauver, le Fonds Monétaire International, la Banque Centrale Européenne et la Commission Européenne. Apres l’adoption, l’application et surtout…l’échec des quatre traitements de choc appelés
Discours de Sonia Mitralia à la Conférence de Londres contre l’austérité, organisée par la Coalition of Resistance (1er octobre 2011)
Je viens de Grèce, un pays en train d’être saigné à blanc et détruit par ceux qui prétendent le sauver, le Fonds Monétaire International, la Banque Centrale Européenne et la Commission Européenne. Apres l’adoption, l’application et surtout…l’échec des quatre traitements de choc appelés Memoranda, et l’application actuellement du cinquième, qui est le plus dur et inhumain, la Grèce n’est plus le pays qu’on connaissait : Maintenant, les rues se vident après le coucher du soleil, les restaurants cherchent désespérément des clients et les magasins des rues commerçantes désertées tombent en ruine.
Declaration of the European Conference Against Austerity
"Το βίντεο από την Ευρωπαϊκή Διάσκεψη ενάντια στη Λιτότητα, που έγινε στο Λονδίνο τη 1η Οκτωβρίου, είναι μοντάζ των Επιτροπών Δράσης Ευρώπη και αποτελεί κάλεσμα για τις παγκόσμιες κινητοποιήσεις στις 15 Οκτωβρίου"
This European conference meets not a moment too soon.
The peoples of Europe face an unprecedented social, political and economic crisis.
Our governments are implementing the most savage spending cuts designed to destroy all the social gains of the post-war period. These will wreck the lives of millions by devastating jobs, pay, pensions, health, education and other services.
None of the eulogies for Steve Jobs are likely to have much to say about the people who made his fortune writes Liam Mac Uaid. Apple has pioneered an aggressive anti-union strategy both in the Chinese factories that manufacture its gadgets and the Apple stores that sell them. The company’s story is more one of hyper-exploitation than affable geekery.
Le pont de Brooklyn a une longueur de près de deux kilomètres. Deux kilomètres suspendus en l’air par des câbles d’acier sur les eaux de l’East River et qui, le 1er octobre, se remplirent d’une masse de gens bien différents des touristes habituels qui s’y pressent pour assister au romantique coucher de soleil sur Manhattan :
Existing $11.3 billion Stand By Agreement (SBA) is 8th program with IMF, going to be ended on a bitter note. Having kept the IMF at arm’s length for over a year now is anything but good news.
The government of Pakistan has taken the latest decision to say ‘adieu’ to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at least for the time being, after the existing $11.3 billion Stand By Arrangement (SBA) program, is to be ended on 30 September 2011.This is the 8th SBA program with the IMF to conclude on an unsuccessful note, since 1950 when Pakistan joined the Fund. Out of these eight programs six were contracted with democratic governments.
In the eye of the storm: the debt crisis in the European Union (7/7)
Alternative ways out of crisis
by Eric Toussaint
In July-September 2011 the stock markets were again shaken at international level. The crisis has become deeper in the EU, particularly with respect to debts. The CADTM interviewed Eric Toussaint about various facets of this new stage in the crisis.
In the eye of the storm: the debt crisis in the European Union (6/7)
Has the crisis peaked yet
by Eric Toussaint
In July-September 2011 the stock markets were again shaken at international level. The crisis has become deeper in the EU, particularly with respect to debts. The CADTM interviewed Eric Toussaint about various facets of this new stage in the crisis.
In the eye of the storm: the debt crisis in the European Union (5/7)
CDS and rating agencies: factor(ie)s of risk and destabilization
by Eric Toussaint
In July-September 2011 the stock markets were again shaken at international level. The crisis has become deeper in the EU, particularly with respect to debts. The CADTM interviewed Eric Toussaint about various facets of this new stage in the crisis.
Part 5: CDS and rating agencies: factor(ie)s of risk and destabilization |1|
Ιn the eye of the storm: the debt crisis in the European Union (4/7)
A European Brady deal: austerity for life
by Eric Toussaint
In July-September 2011 the stock markets were again shaken at international level. The crisis has become deeper in the EU, particularly with respect to debts. The CADTM interviewed Eric Toussaint about various facets of this new stage in the crisis.
Part 4: A European Brady deal: austerity for life |1|
The system of debt continues to devastate the lives of people around the world. People in the South face the daily impacts and consequences of the financial indebtedness of their countries, which far from having been "relieved" is growing in step with the crisis and the pursuit of extraordinary profits by the most concentrated forms of capital. They continue also to bear the burden of the unpaid historical, social, ecological, and climate debts which are increasing as well to the rhythm of false solutions to the global crisis.