Posts tagged austerity
The IMF’s Role in Caribbean Gang Violence

Organized crime has plagued the Caribbean for decades. Christopher “Dudus” Coke of Jamaica’s “Shower Posse” oversaw a sprawling North American narcotics network during the 1990s and 2000s, which funded concerts and vital charities for the poor on the side, and collapsed after a 2010 police shootout that killed over 73 civilians. In Haiti, Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier and his G9 Family and Allies have seized majority-control over the capital city of Port-au-Prince and are now fighting a UN-backed security coalition that includes Jamaican armed forces. These two islands, despite their distinct present circumstances, are linked by a shared history of disastrous Western intervention and subsequent financial devastation.

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The New French Revolution: A Struggle Against Macron and the Looming Far-Right

In the beginning of 2023, over a million people took to the streets to fight President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform bill. This bill, which increased the retirement age to 64, prompted union strikes and rioting all over France. With Macron’s centrist consensus collapsing, Marine Le Pen has fully capitalized on anti-immigrant scapegoating for votes. In response, leftist leaders have joined forces under a coalition called the New Popular Front (NFP), vowing to protect pensions and other social services. The NFP won the most seats in the 2024 legislative elections shortly after the party’s creation. Macron’s refusal to appoint a left-wing prime minister in spite of these results, highlights the desperation of France’s ruling class.

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The Striking Teachers Of Portugal

Resistance has been a crucial part of Portuguese politics since the days of the Estado Novo dictatorship. College campuses and city plazas became the voice for public discontent amidst state suppression, acting as a catalyst for democratic reform and wealth redistribution. Decades after the 1974 Carnation Revolution ended this brutal regime in a leftist coup d’etat, many continued to protest the government regularly. Recent economic instability has brought Portugal to its knees on several occasions. Throughout this time, teachers have been the most vocal advocates for change. 

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