Essays
Interview with China's '21st Century Business Herld'
, 02/05/2012
Just interviewed by Chinese business daily 21st Century Business Herald (21世纪经济报道|). Here is the Q&A, in English of course…
A chance for happiness for Europe’s unhappy family (*)
, 27/04/2012
Europe is an unhappy family. And like all unhappy families, its diverse forms of competing miseries, afflicting differently its different members, are the reason it cannot regain its poise. Divorce is looming. Only in Europe’s case, and this is where my analogy with families breaks down, divorce can never be cathartic. It stands no chance […]
Why Won’t Germany Turn? Joseph Halevi’s insightful analysis, circa 1995
, 25/04/2012
The question οn almost everyone’s lips is: “How long before Germany recognises that a new architecture is necessary to keep the Eurozone together?” Implicit in the question is a mistaken premise: that Germany’s view of the Eurozone is wrong, that its stance is predicated upon a mistaken analysis concerning the nature of Europe’s macroeconomy. Recently, […]
‘Die Deutschen drehen immer durch’: Interviewed by Tageszeitung 23rd April 2012
, 25/04/2012
While in Berlin, last week, I gave an extensive interview to Tageszeitung. Click here for the article, as it appeared on their website (you can use Google Translate if you have no German). Alternatively, you can read the pdf version of the print edition (complete with a weird photo…): Tageszeitung YV interview 23rd April 2012
German Mercantilism and the Failure of the Eurozone, Guest Post by Heiner Flassbeck
, 21/04/2012
One of the most poignant analyses of the deeper causes of the Euro Crisis, amongst the many presented in INET’s Berlin Conference, was a paper entitled ‘German Mercantilism and the Failure of the Eurozone’, by Heiner Flassbeck. With the author’s kind permission, I reproduce it here for your benefit. Enjoy. (You can watch Heiner’s presentation […]
THE MODEST PROPOSAL AND THE DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT
, 18/04/2012
In an astute commentary on the INET panel in which I appeared (see here for the text), to talk about Europe’s future, Eves Smith had this to say: “It is worth noting that one of the questions after the various presentations on the Eurozone mess raised the issue of the ‘democratic deficit’. The various speakers […]
IT’S TIME TO OPEN THE BLACK BOXES: Thursday April 19th, Athens
, 13/04/2012
While ‘stuck’ in INET’s Berlin Conference, and before I get a chance to write here about that experience, I thought I should invite all those who may be in Athens on Thursday 19th April, to the opening of Danae Stratou’s new installation at the Zoumboulakis Gallery, Kolonaki Square, Athens (nb. it will open for a […]
Vital Space – Istanbul, a video project
, 05/04/2012
And now for something different. The Sydney College for the Arts (part of the University of Sydney) is hosting Danae Stratou’s video installation VITAL SPACE – Istanbul. For a glimpse of the videos involved, plus my text on the project’s socio-economic and political siginficance, read on…
On Keynes, Marx and the value of models at a time of Crisis: A reply to David Laibman
, 04/04/2012
Following my post Keynesian Legacies neither Europe nor Keynes deserved: A critique of New and ISLM Keynesians in the context of Europe’s Crisis, I received an email from David Laibman, my dear friend and wonderful colleague, long standing editor of Science & Society, the oldest and, in my opinion, most significant academic journal dedicated to Marxist […]
So, what is neoclassical economics (and what is not)?
, 03/04/2012
In recent days, an unwholesome spat has erupted between progressive economists (e.g. Mark Thoma and Steve Keen, with some prior involvement by Paul Krugman) which, curiously, ended up revolving around the question of what is neoclassical economics, who can be classified as a neoclassical economist etc. I must state it for the record that such […]
Keynesian Legacies neither Europe nor Keynes deserved: A critique of New and ISLM Keynesians in the context of Europe’s Crisis
, 28/03/2012
In a previous article, entitled On the Political Economy of Eurozone Bailouts – The curious case of Greece’s neoliberals, I took great pleasure in lambasting the internal inconsistency of Europe’s (and in particular Greece’s) neoliberals. In today’s article I cast a critical gaze at the ‘other camp’; that which consists of self declared Keynesians. The article […]
Politics as television by other means: Mrs Merkel telling us that Greece is here-to-stay and the ESM will co-exist with the EFSF
, 26/03/2012
In television, I was once told, you can never lose money by underestimating the intelligence of the audience. Mrs Merkel seems to have drawn heavily from that nugget of wisdom. Her take on it is that, in European politics, you cannot lose votes if you underestimate the electorate. Just keep telling them the same thing […]
The IMF’s preemptive smokescreen for covering up another foretold program failure
, 17/03/2012
Having bent its own rules, and after turning a blind eye to its own experts’ assessment of the sustainability of Greece’s 2nd ‘bailout’, the IMF is now preparing for failure. Ms Lagarde found it hard to convince her board to go along Europe down the path of locking Greece into yet another unsustainable future.
Toward an escape from pseudo-Keynesianism: Obserwator Finansowy
, 14/03/2012
Polish newspaper Obserwator Finansowy just published an article, drawing upon some arguments of mine and of Sanjay Reddy, of the New School, (amongst others) canvassing for an escape from what passes erroneously as Keynesian ideas about the ongoing crisis. Use Google Translate. It works well (in this case).
An interview with Naked Capitalism's Phil Pilkington on the state of economics (and our Modern Political Economics): Part B
, 08/03/2012
Naked Capitalism’s Phil Pilkington interviewed me on the state of economics, as it appears through the pages of Modern Political Economics: Making sense of the post-2008 world (co-authored with Joseph Halevi and Nicholas Theocarakis). For Part A click here. Part B can be read either by going to the Naked Capitalism site or by reading […]
An interview with Naked Capitalism's Phil Pilkington on our book 'Modern Political Economics' – Part A
, 01/03/2012
Naked Capitalism just published a long interview that I gave to Phil Pilkington on the themes of Modern Political Economics: Making sense of the post-2008 world; the book jointly authored by myself, Joseph Halevi and Nicholas Theocarakis. Here is the interview’s first part:
The Globalising Wall in the 2012 Adelaide Festival's RESTLESS exhibition
, 01/03/2012
Some of you have been inquiring as to what I am doing here in Adelaide. Well, all is about to be revealed. Danae Stratou, my partner, is presenting her video installation THE GLOBALISING WALL as part of RESTLESS, an exhibition presented in the context of the 2012 ADELAIDE FESTIVAL – which is opening tonight (18.00 at the […]
On the Political Economy of Eurozone Bailouts – The curious bargain of Greece’s Hayekian neoliberals
, 28/02/2012
Following the Crash of 1929, an epic debate began between liberals who believed in capitalism’s automatic stabilisers and John Maynard Keynes who did not. Today, in Bailoutistan (Greece and the other fallen eurozone countries), this debate has taken an interesting, sad, twist.
Complexity and Crisis: A lecture in Greek
, 14/02/2012
Based on my series entitled Complexity Fetishism (click here for Part A and Part B), on Tuesday 14/2/ I gave a talk (in Greek) on the more general topic of Complexity and Crisis, in Greek, at the Hub (downtown Athens). The video is now available here. Click here for more.
On ABC Radio National's Breakfast program – discussing Greece
, 10/02/2012
This is an interview on ABC Radio National’s Breakfast program. One of the rare occasions when I was afforded sufficient ‘room’ to unfold arguments.
Is Greece still viable? (Is Europe?): my piece in Deutsche Welle.de
, 05/02/2012
[The following piece was commissioned by DW.de. Click here for the article as it appeared on Deutsche Welle’s website.] “Perhaps it is historically true that no order of society ever perishes save by its own hand.” [John Maynard Keynes][1]
Crying over spilt milk: My CNN.com piece on Greek sovereignty and the unholy alliance between German and Greek leaders
, 31/01/2012
[The following story was commissioned by CNN.com. Click here for the complete article.] STORY HIGHLIGHTS German and Greek politicians are at odds over who should control Greece’s budget Greek political economist Yanis Varoufakis says both are guilty of failing to grasp the real problem Varoufakis says both countries mislead voters in agreeing an unsustainable rescue […]
Pointless fury: Why both German and Greek politicians are wrong to be angry
, 30/01/2012
So, some German politicians put on paper that which they have been thinking of a while: Greece has become an unbearable burden and, if they are to resign themselves to continue putting their money in that particular black hole, they might as well have a say in the way it is managed on the ground. Predictably, […]