This story in the Wall Street Journal is typical of reporting on PNG. “Development” is framed as the saviour of this nation, despite the fact that decades of resource exploitation has left the vast bulk of citizens poor. I’m currently in the country researching a book on disaster capitalism, filming a documentary and a host…
Showing all posts tagged privatisation
Iraq stands up to remaining (and private) foreign forces
A positive move for a nation that deserves true independence: … Iraq deeply mistrusts private security companies and wants to limit their operations here, officials say, while the contractors themselves have faced bureaucratic delays and detentions. This mistrust stems from perceived arrogant behaviour by employees of these firms in the past and various incidents of violence…
What can the poor empire do in Iraq? Reduce its footprint and cry
Via the New York Times comes a story that burns with resentment towards those ungrateful Iraqis. I mean, Washington “liberated” you and now you aren’t grateful every day for causing chaos in the country? Less than two months after American troops left, the State Department is preparing to slash by as much as half the…
Private eyes are watching us activists
A worrying development in Australia (courtesy of the… Greens): Minister Joe Ludwig, representing the Attorney General in the Senate, confirmed in Question Time today that the Australia Federal Police monitors coal seam gas protesters and that the government outsources some intelligence gathering to private consultants. “Farmers in Queensland trying to protect their land from coal seam…
Disaster capitalism alive and well in USA
Via the Guardian: It’s almost as if… Rahm Emanuel… was lifting a page from… Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine… – as if he was reading her account of Milton Friedman’s “Chicago Boys” as a cookbook recipe, rather than as the ominous episode that it was.… In record time, Emanuel successfully exploited the fact that Chicago will host the upcoming… G8… and… Nato… summit meetings to…
NYTimes discusses future US role in Afghanistan but magically ignores mercenaries
This is typical corporate media reporting on “our” wars. Ideologically embedded New York Times reporters in Washington DC are handed information from the White House and essentially write a press release for the Obama administration. Any mention of the huge role of private contractors in Afghanistan, a group that will continue to grow, like in…
Iraq, quasi independent, dares challenge mercenaries
Being a truly independent nation, which Iraq clearly is not post US occupation, would mean that foreign security forces and private contractors would have strict rules of operation. Supporters of this ever-growing global movement might not like it, but this could well be the beginning of something important for the failed nation; exercising real autonomy…
Serco constantly fails human rights standards yet governments love to embrace them
How many more breaches will it take for global governments to realise that Serco aren’t fit to run prisons, detention centres or the local chicken shop? (via the Guardian): The unlawful use of restraint was widespread in privately run child jails in Britain for at least a decade, a high court judge has ruled for…
Fight over the Kimberley has long way to run
Late last year I visited the Kimberley in Western Australia to document the attempts by big energy companies to exploit the area for gas. An upcoming documentary, Heritage Fight, covers the ongoing battle, one that must be won:
Handy definition of vulture capitalism right here in Australia
Good piece in today’s Sydney… Daily Telegraph that tackles head-on the reality of private corporations that make a fortune by allegedly assisting the most vulnerable in the world and yet: Just seven corporations have raked in a staggering $1.81 billion in taxpayer-funded contracts under the booming foreign aid program. But the lack of scrutiny of their…