Capitalism
-
Completely Carbonated by William Bowles
5 July 2007 — InvestigatingImperialism Well it’s started, in fact it’s more than started and it’s driving me mad. You know what I’m talking about, my fucking ‘carbon footprint’! Every time I hear the phrase, which is every damn day, it really pisses me off. ‘Carbon footprint’ is the new Osama, the new bogie man Continue reading
-
So what’s changed? By William Bowles
30 May 2007 It’s time for some plain speaking about the issue of climate change and capitalism and the progressive movement’s approach to the whole issue, at least in the so-called developed world. (Progressives in the developing world have more pressing needs right now which is why we have to get our act together.) Continue reading
-
Capitalism first – climate last By William Bowles
I think it should be pretty clear to all by now that regardless that the ruling elites of the planet know what’s in store for humanity, they do not intend to take the necessary steps to reverse the slide toward chaos. Yeah sure, lots of hot air to add to an already over-heated atmosphere but… Continue reading
-
Media Lens: Eating the Planet – Swallowing The Context Of “Earth’s Ecological Debt Crisis”
24 October 2006 — Media Lens The Bland Leading The Bland October 9 saw one of the Independent’s explosive front-page stories on the global environment: “Earth’s ecological debt crisis.” According to a new study, humanity is “putting an intolerable strain on nature”. Martin Hickman, the Independent’s consumer affairs correspondent, explained: Continue reading
-
Media Lens: The Invisible Corporate Shadow
14 September 2006 — Media Lens The Australian social scientist Alex Carey summed up the evolution of political power in the last century as follows: “The twentieth century has been characterised by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a Continue reading
-
Sitting in the house that Capital built By William Bowles
What an irony therefore, that with the ‘triumph’ of Capital, everything ends up being identical, from the rural backwater of Braga to the malls of Porto. Pizzahut Rules, Okay! Continue reading
-
In the Clutches of Capital By William Bowles
19 April 2006 It strikes me that the citizens of the capitalist world are in so deep with the ‘life style’ that like all addicts it is virtually impossible for them to escape the clutches of capital. Once on the conveyor belt of consumption there is no turning back. Chief among the addictions is the Continue reading
-
Media Lens: Curiosities Of Utopian Thinking
Sean O’Grady wrote recently in the ad-filled motoring supplement of The Independent: “in answer to the many letters we get criticising some of our coverage, we don’t make cars. We just write about them. […] We try to concentrate on telling our readers about the many many ways you can enjoy motoring without costing the… Continue reading
-
One nation under the sleaze By William Bowles
L’affaire Berlusconi is just the latest in a long list of sleazy goings-on that reveals a cynical ruling class that long ago abandoned any pretence at representing the citizens and a labour government that is in bed with big capital in a big way. Cosy relationships such as the one Blair has with Berlusconi, darling… Continue reading
-
Empire Redux – Climate Catastrophe and Capitalism By William Bowles
Awhile back I made reference to the idea that the two leading imperialist powers, the US and the UK had come to the conclusion that climate catastrophe was unavoidable and that steps needed to be taken for capitalism to survive the catastrophe essentially intact. Continue reading
-
Media Lens: Climate Change– “Welcome to Mars (or North Korea)!”
31 January 2006 — Media Lens The Great Media Silence on Causes and Solutions “One fundamental goal of any well-crafted indoctrination program is to direct attention elsewhere, away from effective power, its roots, and the disguises it assumes.” (Noam Chomsky, ‘Deterring Democracy’, Vintage, 1992, p.303) Continue reading
-
Media Lens: The Point of No Return – Where James Lovelock Meets BP
16 January 2006 — Media Lens Billions Will Die The Independent and the Independent on Sunday (IoS) pride themselves on their environmental coverage. No doubt their editors will indicate today’s dramatic front page as a case in point. The paper depicts the Earth from space overlaid by a dramatic headline: ‘Green guru says: We are Continue reading
-
An old year’s tale By William Bowles
29 December 2005 It’s true: the 20th century is yesterday’s story and unfortunately, most of us are still living in it. Especially, the left. As to the ruling elite, they don’t care what century it is, as long as they rule in it. But it is the problem for most of us on the left, Continue reading
-
The Worm Ouroborus By William Bowles
It’s depressing to think on how many otherwise right-thinking people have bought into the ‘Peak Oil’ nonsense. We read for example, that of the over 60 known reserves in Iraq, only 17 have actually been exploited and it’s been calculated that the reserves far outstrip the currently exploited fields. Continue reading
-
Media Lens: Burning the Planet for Profit
Mass media, politics, the education system and other realms of public inquiry demonstrate a stunning capacity to focus on what does not really matter. Meanwhile, the truly vital issues receive scant attention to the point of invisibility: the parlous prospects for humanity’s survival and the root causes underlying the global environmental threat. Continue reading
-
Book Review: Selling the biggest lie of them all – Capitalism By William Bowles
For the better part of the 20th century the mass media has done an excellent job of selling the biggest lie of all, that we in the West live in democratic societies ruled by a political class that allegedly represents us and our interests, and the country where this lie has been sold to the… Continue reading
-
Media Lens: Cheerleading the Climate Criminals – Part 2
The Independent – like the Guardian, a newspaper with supposed progressive credentials – noted blandly in a recent editorial that “Global warming is given little coverage by the US media.” (Leader, ‘The American consensus of denial is crumbling,’ August 19, 2005). True enough. But look at our own doorstep; at the wholly inadequate coverage of… Continue reading
The New Dark Age 