Category Archives: article

The Economist discovers life not fair

Posted on 18 February 2012 by craigjameswilly

The leading magazine of the global politico-economic elite – The Economist – has an article on the recent controversy over bankers’ pay warning of “The death of meritocracy”. I guess it’s noteworthy for this normally laissez-faire capitalist publication to recognize inequality … Continue reading →

Posted in article, United Kingdom | Tagged class, Great Britain, inequality, meritocracy, The Economist | Leave a comment

Eurostat: Eurozone debt actually decreasing

Posted on 9 February 2012 by craigjameswilly

…last year. Between June and September 2011, the debt of eurozone governments as a percentage of GDP fell from 87.7% to 87.4%. The recovery’s combination of GDP growth, rising revenue, and falling unemployment meant debt was falling at an annualized … Continue reading →

Posted in article, eurozone series | Tagged Angela Merkel, ECB, euro crisis, Germany, Italy, Jean-Claude Trichet, Mario Draghi | 2 Comments

Eurozone, the Unravelling (III): The Fake Jobs & Growth Plan

Posted on 3 February 2012 by craigjameswilly

I’ve been reading Molly Ivins so I almost put “like heartless, dumb bastards” but that wasn’t quite in keeping with the style of the publication: Was it the fact that both the IMF and the World Bank warned that the … Continue reading →

Posted in article, eurozone series | Tagged Angela Merkel, ECB, eurozone crisis, recession, unemployment, Yes Minister | Leave a comment

Eurozone, the Unraveling (II): EU/euro support collapses across entire continent

Posted on 28 December 2011 by craigjameswilly

One of the great underreported stories of the eurozone crisis has been the incredible damage it has done to the reputation of Europe, the EU and indeed the European ideal itself. This has occurred independent of the country in question’s … Continue reading →

Posted in article, eurozone series | Tagged eurozone crisis, recession | 1 Comment

Eurozone, the Unraveling (I): A recession for Christmas

Posted on 15 December 2011 by craigjameswilly

We’ve reached a new stage in EU history: the most significant exercise in federalism – the euro – has in its current form caused a double-dip recession. This is a tragedy and a perfectly avoidable one at that. This slow-motion … Continue reading →

Posted in article, eurozone series | Tagged Angela Merkel, ECB, Eurozone, Mario Draghi | 2 Comments

Eurocalypse 101: Three articles for understanding where we’re at

Posted on 6 December 2011 by craigjameswilly

The eurozone crisis appears to be heading towards some kind of climax. Haven’t we heard this before? Like ahead of every eurosummit of past two years? While a truly “decisive” solution appears impossible almost by definition given the nature of … Continue reading →

Posted in article | Tagged Angela Merkel, ECB, euro, eurozone crisis, Germany | 3 Comments

Newspeak, the €142 billion budget and the EU’s “communication problem”

Posted on 29 November 2011 by craigjameswilly

The European Union has a “communication problem”. This is allegedly caused by things like the fractured nature of European public opinion, the dull work of Brussels or maliciously sensationalist journalism. No doubt these are often the problem, but I would add … Continue reading →

Posted in article, Best Of | 5 Comments

ECB (finally) gets bashed in Spanish elections

Posted on 30 October 2011 by craigjameswilly

The EU typically plays a minor role in Spanish electoral campaigns. However, El País reports that “the crisis has also upset this, and for the first time since the 80s, the Spanish campaign has begun with a clash between the … Continue reading →

Posted in article, eurozone series | Tagged ECB, euro, Mario Draghi, Spain, unemployment | Leave a comment