During a recent Clubhouse room chat, I was reminded of an incident. I happened to be listening in on a conversation on “funny immigrant stories”. Shared were anecdotes such as, “my name is Mohammed, and I get stopped at immigration all the time” or “people assume I work in IT
Category: Economy
The Precariat – The Loss of Job Security and What To Do About It
Khalil Gibran’s book “The Prophet” begins with the protagonist Almustafa spotting on the horizon the ship that will take him back to the isle of his birth, and he prepares himself to leave the city of Orphalese which he has called home for 12 years. But he is struck by
Life under the corporate sovereign: human automata and modern serfdom
Consider the basic rights we in the Western world take for granted – the twin pillars of freedom and democracy, which define Western culture. Or so it seems. Strange, then, that when we think of the single most influential institution in our capitalist society, neither of these pillars are to
Gendered power relations: the toll of austerity
Angela Merkel is not only one of Germany’s longest serving chancellors – next to Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl – but also the country’s first female chancellor and arguably the world’s most powerful woman. And yet, one could say that she is far from being a symbol of female empowerment.
Moving money out of the public eye: tax evasion in the EU
Tax fraud and tax evasion within the European Union (EU) form a big problem that concerns all EU citizens. For instance, in 2017 the EU lost 137 billion euros in value-added-tax revenues, but taking also other types of tax frauds into account, the estimates of lost revenues due to tax
France and the Sorrows of Organic Agriculture
We live in a time, in which climate change and environmental protection are one of the most important challenges that need to be overcome. Organic farming can be a factor that contributes positively to this aim. However, interests of private companies and counterproductive government policies increase the difficulty of making
Les Gilets Jaunes: A Discovery of Revolution
Since the beginning of the gilets jaunes (‘yellow vests’) movement, a response to Macron’s planned fuel tax hike as environmental measure, it has become clear that the protests are not directed against green policies. The increasingly expensive fuel prices were merely the drop that made the barrel of social injustices
Beer vs. Water
Beer is almost exclusively credited in a positive connotation. However, massive beer corporations tend to exploit the water security of certain areas.
Going around in circles: Headed towards yet another financial crisis
Ten years ago, Lehman brothers collapsed. The shock waves of the financial crisis of 2008 could be felt throughout North America and Europe. One consequence was that trade finance trickled away and between 2008 and 2009 global trade and the stock market value decreased with a velocity not even observed