The Free

Basic Income campaign Growing Across Europe

(Photo: Generation Grundeinkommen/flickr/cc)

from counterpunch. with thanks In the last few months basic income—an unconditional cash payment to every member of the population—has been getting more and more attention in the media and social networks. Three items are especially interesting.

First, Yanis Varoufakis, the able Greek economist, Minister for Finance in the first Syriza government and well known for his trenchant opposition to Troika austerity measures bashing the poor and already vulnerable majority of the population, has become such a media star that every time he gives an opinion on political economy, some theoretical aspect of economics or economic policy, his words are widely disseminated.

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How ‘Femvertising’ debases Feminism to Sell Stuff

We sold feminism to the masses, and now it means nothing

Girl Power—whatever that means.

by Marcie Bianco from qz.com/with thanks

These days, feminism is on fleek. Touted by everyone from Dove to Barbie to Taylor Swift, consumer capitalism has made feminism sexy, fun, cool—and remarkably easy to claim as your own. But the price tag has been the meaning of the movement itself.
Bitch magazine cofounder Andi Zeisler describes this phenomenon as “marketplace feminism.” “Marketplace feminism is in many ways about just branding feminism as an identity that everyone can and should consume,” she writes in her new book We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement.

‘Women empowerment’ is just another fad that a lot of brands are cashing into. The agenda is always to exploit the consumer’s psyche and sell more. Let’s not kid ourselves that a soap brand or a diamond manufacturer actually cares about women’s (or any other group’s) issues.

Madrid joins Cities that reject the TTIP Capitalist Coup

The Madrid City Council rejects “any mechanism by which foreign companies can sue in private courts measures taken in the public interest, such as its decision to stop using glyphosate or redistricting of funeral services”, as in its current form would allow trade agreements that the European Union wants to formalize with Canada (CETA, for its acronym in English) and United States (TTIP, for its acronym in English)… Continue reading “Madrid joins Cities that reject the TTIP Capitalist Coup”

Genocide in Europe: Nusaybin surrenders after 74 days ..in total ruins and deafening silence

All they asked for was autonomous local government. Nusaybin is one of many Kurdish towns being wiped out on the orders of Erdogan, the darling of Europe. — *All they asked for was autonomous local government, feminism and real democracy. Nusaybin is one of many Kurdish towns being wiped out by the dictator Erdogan, the darling of Europe.*

The picture that heads this article explains everything. Nusaybin no longer exists. Among its ruins today the few dozen people who resisted for 74 days, the brutal attack by the Turkish army have given up. #Şirnex #Nisebin report from kurdiscat.with thanks

On President Erdogan' orders: while he blackmails billions freom the EU at home he boasts of genociding Kurdish peoiple who are 'all terrorists'. — *On President Erdogan’ orders: while he blackmails billions from the EU, at home he boasts of genociding Kurdish people who are ‘all PKK terrorists’*.

Inhuman, disproportionate, including assault planes (yes Turkey has bombed its civilian population in the XXI century), tanks and heavy artillery against just a few hundred civilians armed with rifles.

In Nusaybin there is only silence. The same silence of the entire international community.

Allegedly humanitarian NGOs, the European ‘left’ which cries out for other conflicts like rightwing demands in Venezuela, the United States condemning other regimes like Syria and silent with Turkish atrocities.