Oxfam: 85 richest people as wealthy as poorest half of the world

The Oxfam report found that over the past few decades, the rich have successfully wielded political influence to skew policies in their favour on issues ranging from financial deregulation, tax havens, anti-competitive business practices to lower tax rates on high incomes and cuts in public services for the majority. Since the late 1970s, tax rates for the richest have fallen in 29 out of 30 countries for which data are available, said the report. (Graham Wearden, The Guardian)

If money is used to oppress the majority should we be investing everything in money? Can we wrestle nature away from this system? Can we grow our food and make our clothes or recycle whatever we can't make? Is there wealth in creativity and innovation regardless of whether it makes money? 

I guess these questions lead to the value we place on life and whether we are prepared to use our own personal resources to reinvest in it.

Poverty coming to a family near you!

"Economic insecurity is endemic. Working-class whites who used to be cushioned against the vagaries of the market are now fully exposed to them. Trade unions that once bargained on behalf of employees and protected their contractual rights have withered. Informal expectations of lifelong employment with a single company are gone. Company loyalty has become a bad joke."  Bill Moyers


"One of the promises of NAFTA was that it would reduce the wage gap between American and Mexican workers. In fact, Mexicans earn less than they did in 1994 when NAFTA was first enacted." Truthdig


"In March 2013, 833,098 people turned to a food bank in Canada, down from 872,379 the previous March. Underlying this small drop is a concern of enormous proportions: food bank use remains higher than it was before the recession began five years ago. During a time of apparent economic recovery, far too many Canadians still struggle to put food on the table. HungerCount 2013 bears witness to the need for food banks across Canada and moves beyond this, to seek solutions that address the root causes. Our five recommendations are simple but significant action items that would move our country towards real progress."
Food Banks Canada.

From Ceasefire.ca - Canada seeks more arms customers

The end of Canadian combat operations in Afghanistan and cuts to defence budgets in the US and allied nations are driving the federal government to look to other potential buyers. Ceasefire. 

“Rather than helping companies chase arms deals from questionable customers, the government should be helping these companies refocus their business away from declining defence markets toward more promising commercial markets,” Steve Staples.