Monthly Archives: July 2012

Jonathan Freedland’s Olympic Kumbaya

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Matt

For some time now Jonathan Freedland has been The Guardian‘s state-of-the-nation zeitgeist guy, with a trusted ability to churn out fluffy sentimental prose on national occasions, from which analysis and meaning are generally absent. Yesterday he outdid himself with nearly three … Continue reading →

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‘Islamism’ – friend and foe

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Matt

Last week the BBC’s Paul Wood introduced a group of armed Syrian rebels in Damascus as ‘Islamists.’   The label was not intended to be pejorative.   Wood clearly admired the young bearded fighters, who he presented as freedom fighters, … Continue reading →

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From BCCI to HSBC: the Age of Gangster Capitalism

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Matt

A long time ago, when words like globalisation and deregulation were still rumours on the political horizon, the Pakistani financier Agha Hasan Abedi founded the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI)     in 1972.   BCCI was originally intended … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of austerity, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Spain implodes and explodes

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Matt

Despite major surgical intervention and a major cash transfusion for its ailing banks, the Spanish patient is continuing to languish on the operating table and may not leave the hospital for some time. A raft of ideologically-motivated austerity cuts from … Continue reading →

Posted in Age of austerity, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment