Charts:

6 Big Economic

Myths, Debunked

Do taxes really kill growth? Was the stimulus a joke? No, and we have the numbers to prove it.

—By Kevin Drum and Dave Gilson

Like these charts? See the full context, or check out these 12 charts exposing the dirty secrets of the jobless recovery. Plus: Why are Republicans determined to snuff the recovery?

When you turn on the TV, all you hear are the same pack of talking heads delivering the same manufactured economic sound bites: taxing the rich kills jobs, the stimulus failed, the deficit is out of control. These zombie talking points aren't just wrong; they're dangerous. If we're ever going to revive the economy, we've got to tackle them head on. Here are six of the worst.

Myth #1: The stimulus failed.

Everyone from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (PDF) to private-sector forecasting firms have concluded that the 2009 stimulus package increased economic growth, reduced unemployment, and put millions of people back to work. It just wasn't big enough, or long-lasting enough.

Bust or Boost?

Myth #2: The deficit is our biggest problem right now.

It's true that we need to address our long-term deficit problem—a problem almost entirely due to Medicare and other health care expenditures. But that's in the long term. Right now, our problem is a sluggish economy and too many people out of work. And let's not forget that the Bush tax cuts, not stimulus spending, will also fuel deficits for the foreseeable future.

The Bush Effect

 

Only an Idiot Turns Down Free Money

The real answer to future deficits is to spend money now to get the economy growing again. Yields on federal bonds are at record lows. That means, as University of California-Berkeley economist J. Bradford DeLong has calculated, that the government could inject a big stimulus into the economy at an unbeatably low price: Spend $1 trillion but (because of low interest rates and the tax revenue from a faster-growing economy) borrow only $400 billion. Act now!

Myth #3: Lower taxes are the best way to grow the economy.

No one likes paying higher taxes. But do lower taxes actually spur economic growth? Bruce Bartlett, an economist in the Reagan administration, has compared tax rates in various rich countries in 1979 to each country's growth rate since then. His conclusion? There's virtually no correlation. Recent US history backs this up too.

If a Tax Rate Falls...

Will the Economy Notice?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myth #4: Regulatory uncertainty is clogging the economy.

In its most recent quarterly survey (PDF) of small-business trends, the National Federation of Independent Business reports that sales—i.e., lack of demand—is the No. 1 concern, beating out taxes, regulations, inflation, and everything else. This is backed up by another survey by the Small Business Majority, in which nearly half of respondents said economic uncertainty was one of their business' top problems; 13 percent said regulation.  

The Bottom Line Is the Bottom Line

Myth #5: Obama is debasing the dollar.

There's just no basis to the claim that Obama has debased the currency. And that's unfortunate. As economist Dean Baker is fond of pointing out, if we want to get our national savings rate up and our long-term budget deficit down, there's only one way to do it: by fixing our massive trade deficit. We have to import less and export more, and one way to make that happen is with a weaker dollar. A weaker dollar makes foreign goods more expensive, so we'll buy less of them, and makes American goods cheaper, so others will buy more of them. 

Bad News for Tourists...

Is a Holiday for Manufacturers

 

 

Myth #6: IF YOU UNSHACKLE THE RICH, THEY'LL REV UP THE ECONOMY.

Think of this as the supermyth—the one underlying so many other fallacies. But here's a pesky fact neither corporate America nor the GOP establishment is trumpeting: After-tax corporate profits are currently at an all-time high. The problem businesses face isn't lack of cash but rather a lack of confidence that consumer demand will pick up in the future. So they're not expanding or hiring at the rate they should be.

Wall Street's Gain...

Main Street's Pain

Sources

Impact of stimulus: Congressional Budget Office (PDF)

Source of deficit: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Cost of government spending: Prof. Bradford DeLong, Treasury Department

Effective tax rates: Remapping Debate, The Tax Foundation 

Change in GDP: Bureau of Economic Analysis 

Small-business survey: National Foundation of Independent Business (PDF) 

Exchange value of dollar: Federal Reserve 

US exports: Bureau of Economic Analysis 

Corporate profits: Bureau of Economic Analysis 

Unemployement rate: Bureau of Labor Statistics

>via: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/charts-economic-myths-jobs-deficit-ta...

Achal Prabhala

Wikipedia and

oral knowledge

November 7, 2011

 

by Sean Jacobs

Verifiability and no original research are two core content policies for contributors to Wikipedia.  You need to back entries with citations from print sources. What does that policy mean for societies with rich, oral knowledge cultures. Achal Prabhala, a Wikimedia fellow and a member of the Foundation’s advisory board, and some of his colleagues in South Africa and India, have other ideas for that policy.Check out the film, “People are Knowledge (directed by Priya Sen and Zen Marie):

 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Concha Buika's new album

"En Mi Piel"

 

In September this year Latin Grammy award winning Spanish artist Concha Buika released her new album "En Mi Piel". In the video Buika is singing "Por el amor de amar" from her new album.

last year her album "El Ultimo Trago", a collaboration with Chucho Valdes, won her a Latin Grammy music award.

The flamenco fusion vocalist Concha Buika was born in 1972 in Palma de Mallorca in Spain, and she is the daughter of political refugees from the former Spanish Colony Equatorial Guinea. Buika grew up alongside a Gypsy community on Mallorca.

Also check out the "making of" video. The video is made by Pedro Almodóvar, the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker.

The Cuban salsa song in the video is "Se me hizo facil"

 

 

Bobby McFerrin / Richard Bona

The Print Express Poetry Competition

Are you a poet that wants to share your talent with the world? Whether you're an old hand or a brand new budding poet, we want to hear from you.

Enter the Print Express competition and you could be in with a chance to win £150.

To enter, email poetry@printexpress.co.uk with a poem that you've written - no more than 45 lines - on a topic of your choice before November 30th, 2011. There's no entry fee, and everyone is welcome. Good luck!

The Rules

- Open to all
- No entry fee
- Poems must be in English, and no longer than 45 lines
- Must be the original work of the entrant
- Deadline - November 30th, 2011
 

About Us

For over 25 years Print Express has been a trusted UK printing leader. Our commitment to quality and generating stunning results has increased public interest. We have over £5 million invested in innovative technology, infrastructure and print equipment in London alone. With state of the art print software, equipment and finishing. For more information about us please visit www.printexpress.co.uk

The Golden Sparrow Poetry Prize, 2011

To celebrate the first flight of the Golden Sparrow we are hosting a fee-free launch contest for poetry.

Details:

ONE (previously unpublished) poem per participant per category.

Entry Fee: FREE as you  follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter (@GoldenSparrowPo).

Eligibility: People 18 years or older from any part of the world

Winner will be announced on Twitter and Facebook and on the website. Only the winner and finalists will be notified via email.
Prizes:

• A shortlist of 11 finalists. One winner and ten honorable mentions
• The contest winner will receive a prize of $500 (by PayPal)
• The winner will be invited to participate as Guest editor for forthcoming print/online issue in 2012.
• Winner will be chosen for our Showcase segment.
• In case they decline, the chance to be a part of the editorial team will be offered to honorable mentions.
• Top 15-25 poems will be featured in our Inaugural Issue and/or will be released as an e-book.

Email your poem and a cover note with your –

Name:

E-mail:

Postal Address:

Poem Title:

(Your) Twitter Handle:

to:  editors.gslr (at) gmail (dot) com >>>in the body of the email<<<

The subject line should read – “Poetry Contest – (name) – 2011”  i.e. – Poetry Contest – John Smith – 2011

Please do not send us your biography or previous publications credits. Judging for the competition will be done BLIND.  Failure to comply with these rules will result in immediate disqualification. Every writer is liable to enter ONLY ONE poem. Please do not send us multiple entries through different accounts, this will lead to immediate disqualification.

Entries Deadline: 15th November, 2011

Results: November/December

Competition Administration: Golden Sparrow Literary Review

Fine Print:

1. The reading for the contest is done blind.
   
2. The decision of the judge is final and no communication will be entered into.
3. If the judges deem the quality of entries as unworthy and below average to produce a winner or for any other reasons that affect a fair completion/conduct of the contest then we reserve the right to cancel/extend the deadline or reschedule the competition.
4. A small critique will be published on the winning entries (top three) along with the results.
5. We reserve the right to modify the prizes if necessary in the interest of continuity as a substitute to cancelling the competition.
6. By submitting a poem you are assuring us that it is an original piece of work for which the copyright rests with the author. Any infringement arising from information given on your part will be solely your responsibility.  Golden Sparrow Literary Review will be in no way responsible for the same.
7. Golden Sparrow Literary Review requests first publication rights after which the copyright returns to the author. We also ask you to mention us as your first publication if you choose to reprint your work.
8. We will not use any of your personal data that you provide for this contest nor will we sell the same to any third-party for marketing purposes.
9. By entering this competition you agree that we may contact you by e-mail for the results, upcoming issues/updates and information regarding future competitions.
10. All entries must be received by midnight on the 15th November, 2011. No exceptions will be made for entries that come in late.
11. Any entry that does not comply with the guidelines for the contest will face immediate disqualification.
12. Payment to the winner will be made via PayPal ONLY within the month of December, 2011.

No cat poems please. The sparrow doesn’t like cats...

Call for Submissions and Contest Guidelines

Posted on August 6, 2011 by kallen21046

 

Holding Each Elephant’s Tail: 

Voices from the

Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

 

The Missouri Warrior Writers Project, in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council, is pleased to announce a contest and call for submissions for its national anthology of writing by veterans and active military service personnel of Afghanistan and Iraq about their wartime experience.  This experience includes deployments and those who have never been deployed.  Transition back into civilian life is also a topic of interest for this anthology. The contest will award 250.00 each to the top entries in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.  All entries will be considered for publication in the anthology.  There is no entry fee.  Guidelines are listed below:

 

-Prose limited to 5000 words. Up to 3 poems (max 5 pages). Submissions that exceed these limits will be disqualified.

- Deadline December 30, 2011. Winners will be announced by April 1, 2012.

- There is no entry fee for submission, but submissions must be limited to one per person per genera

- Manuscripts must be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word document. (Save with a *.doc extension). Please combine all poems into one document and use first poem as title.   Send to:  submissions@mowarriorwriters.com

-Put your name and contact information on the first page of your submission document and nowhere else within the manuscript.

-Please include a brief (75 words or less) bio with your submission.

-Work previously published will be considered, but new work is preferred.

-Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but we ask that you notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. (This will avoid potentially awkward situations.)

-Southeast Missouri State University Press acquires first-time North American rights for previously unpublished work. After publication, all rights revert to the author and the work may be reprinted as long as appropriate acknowledgement to the anthology is made. All entries will be considered for publication.

 

JUDGES:  Brian Turner, poetry.  Mark Bowden, nonfiction.  William Pancoast, fiction.

 

Mark Bowden is a best-selling author and journalist. His book Black Hawk Down, a finalist for the National Book Award, was the basis of the film of the same name. His book Killing Pablo won the Overseas Press Club’s 2001 Cornelius Ryan Award as the book of the year. His most recent books are Guests of the Ayatollah and The Best Game Ever. His newest book, Worm; The First Digital World War will be published in October 2011.

Brian Turner (author of Here, Bullet and Phantom Noise) served as an infantry sergeant in Iraq (2nd ID) and in Bosnia (3rd Mountain Division). He received a USA Hillcrest Fellowship in Literature, an NEA Literature Fellowship in Poetry, the Amy Lowell Traveling Fellowship, the Poets’ Prize, and a Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation. His work has appeared on National Public Radio, the BBC, Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and Weekend America, among others.

William Trent Pancoast’s novels include WILDCAT (2010) and CRASHING (1983). His short stories, essays, and editorials have appeared in Night Train, The Mountain Call, Solidarity magazine, Apple, US News & World Report, the Union Forum, and numerous other labor publications. Labeled a “blue collar writer” by the Wall Street Journal in 1986, Pancoast recently retired from the auto industry after thirty years as a die maker. In recent years, he has been an adjunct professor of English and first mate on a Lake Erie charter fishing boat. He has a B/A in English from the Ohio State University and attended the graduate school of Miami University.  Born in 1949, the author lives in Ontario, Ohio.

Zanele Muholi

Exposición 'Zanele Muholi.

Fragmentos de

una nueva historia'

Monday, November 7, 2011

"Africa Vive"

- Spain's biggest

African cultural event

 

Africa Vive (Africa Lives) is a cultural initiative in Spain to celebrate Africa Day on May 25th. It’s a full program of activities between April and July and includes cultural, political, economic, social and sporting activities.

Africa Vive is an initiative of the government organisation "Casa Africa", which aims to improve the knowledge of the African continent in Spain.

According to the organisation the goal is to foster the debate on the continent at all levels and always in the hands of Africans themselves and showing Africa in a positive and optimistic way.

Links
Africa Vive at www.africavive.es
Casa Africa at www.casafrica.es

And check out the youTube video channel of Africa Vive here

A video of AFROJAM, an event which was organised by Casa África in 2009.

 

 

Africa

Baobab

Sao Tome and Principe

The chocolate islands

Oct 7th 2011, 16:32 by G.P. | SAO TOME

IN SEPTEMBER Pinto da Costa was sworn in as president of São Tomé and Príncipe. Mr da Costa pledged to boost tourism and diversify the economy of Africa’s second-smallest country after hopes of oil wealth have trickled away. With idyllic beaches, volcanic hills and plentiful cocoa, the new president may even be able make good his promise.

Straddling the equator, São Tomé and Príncipe lies 250km off the coast of Gabon. The prospects of oil raised hopes that São Tomé would be able to wean itself off its dependence on cocoa and lift itself out of poverty. The islands share a maritime oil development zone with Nigeria, and in 2005, with the help of Africa’s biggest crude exporter, the island marketed itself as the next big thing in frontier oil development. Little has come of this and mass oil production is a fading dream.

Across São Tomé dense cocoa plantations cling to the sides of monolithic pillars. A third of the archipelago is covered in the crop which makes up 80% of its exports. In the late 1990s, dips in production and prices left the island state heavily reliant on foreign aid and farmers on the poverty line. But since 2004 farmers have set up collectives, eliminating the middlemen who had been eating into their profits. With facilities to ferment the product and dry the cocoa to export they are benefitting from prices five times higher than those for cocoa seeds still in their treacly translucent liquid. São Tomé and Príncipe does not produce huge quantities of cocoa but what it does grow is organic and Fairtrade which goes down well with wealthy Western consumers.

Only independent since 1975, traces of the old country can still be seen in São Tomé's cobbled streets and decaying colonial buildings with arched windows, intricately carved wooden balconies and balustrades. The island is dotted with the remains of cocoa plantations, although most of them have surrendered to the rainforest. São Tomé’s culture is a blend of African and European influences. The capital’s streets buzz with yellow New York style taxis but drivers are often more concerned with sharing a joke and a drink with friends than fighting for customers. The residents live up to their catchphrase, léve léve—relax and take it easy.

Anxious to diversify away from cocoa, the islanders are branching out into eco-tourism. If you can brave the winding roads that coil around cliffs and precarious bridges over bulging rivers, an ecolodge in Porto Alegre, a village in the south, allows you to sleep metres from the sea and look for turtles laying their eggs at night. Outsiders have not given up on their hopes of oil. Pilots and crews of tycoons' private jets prop up local bars. Nigerians on the oil trail are buying properties without even visiting the country. A new flight route from Lagos will increase the traffic between the two countries. 

Eliseu, our guide, is convinced life is about to change for Santomeans. "Why go to Portugal when you can come here where we have everything. It’s time for São Tomé!"