In the 1990s, Argentina was an IMF poster boy, but it soon became a byword for the failures of the Washington Consensus. Tying its currency to the dollar, cutting public spending and selling its assets led to a deepening debt spiral from which it could not escape, until it defaulted. By Nick Pearce.
Donal Palcic is a lecturer in economics at the University of Limerick, and co-author, with Eoin Reeves, of the book Privatisation in Ireland: Lessons from a European Economy.
The Fiscal Advisory Council has engaged in serious manipulation of the presentation of the facts on the effects of austerity. This does not bode well. By Michael Taft.
In my post on the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council’s first report, I pointed out a significant error. In short, they claimed that the underlying deficit fell from 14.3% in 2009 to a projected 10% in 2011. This, they claimed, proved that austerity was working.
The most significant point made at last night’s Irish Skeptics Society talk on the OPERA experiment at CERN is that pretty much all science journalism is bad, writes John Holden.
Science journalists have to get used to criticism. The nature of the content being reported on is often deeply complex and so is open to misinterpretation by non-scientists. Scientists will never admit to being sure of anything while journalists love their affirmatives.
The Irish electorate will be asked to vote on the proposed 29th amendment to the Constitution - to allow the pension levy and public sector pay cuts be extended to judges - in a week's time. Below, Eoin Daly explains why he will be voting 'yes' to the amendment, while Fiona de Londras explains why she'll be voting 'no' here.
Fiona de Londras on why she will be voting 'no' in the judges' pay referendum. Read Eoin Daly on why he will be voting 'yes' here.
The Keane report is cold comfort for those in mortgage distress. By Christina Finn.
When the Keane report was first commissioned there was some hope that something good might come out of it. Finally a report on the mortgage crisis, where everyone can sit down and hammer out a solution. We weren’t just fools to think that would happen; we were downright stupid.
Book review: Dennis Sewell, The Political Gene (Picador, 2010).
He was the man who gave us the theory of evolution, but according to Dennis Sewell, Charles Darwin was also responsible for the development of a monstrous ideology that cost the lives of millions and which could be about to dominate the world of politics again. In his book, The Political Gene, Sewell presents a disturbing case for revising our opinion of the scientist who explained the origin of life on Earth. By Ed O’Hare.
The middle classes need to acknowledge just how privileged they are. By Vincent Browne.
We in the middle classes in this society are in denial about the scale of our privilege. Many of us think we are living on the margins, that we count among the disadvantaged, that the burden of the crisis falls disproportionately on us, that we cannot take any more 'pain'. We are delusional.
Claiming Our Future is holding its third national event in Cork City Hall on Saturday, 5 November. The issue under discussion is developing an economy for society (agenda below). Politico put some questions to Niall Crowley, one of the organisers of Claiming Our Future. [You can register for your free place at the event here.]