The evidence is now irrefutable that the neo-liberal project that has dominated public policy across the major economies for nearly four decades now has been an unmitigated disaster. If nothing else, those who voted for Donald Trump have made that abundantly clear. In Australia neo-liberal (or economic rationalist) policies have resulted in wages stagnation, widespread job insecurity and declining living standards for the majority of the population.

from Crikey …

NSW anti-corruption commissioner Megan Latham resigned today, forced out by Premier Mike Baird’s newly passed legislation weakening the Independent Commission Against Corruption ’s powers.

Just over two years ago I was in New York working with Larry Summers and Ed Balls to prepare a report for the Center for American Progress on inclusive prosperity. One morning I had the opportunity to walk the High Line and on the side of an old brick building was a large advertisement which read “the French aristocracy never saw it coming either.”

Neo-liberal economics has torn our society apart. We are no longer a community – we are individuals each trying to accumulate and protect as much of the pie as we can and bugger those who don’t have the skills or resources to join the gravy train.

It’s hardly President of the Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs’ fault when the Australian government is the worst human rights offender that Commission has to deal with.

When George H W Bush first publicly coined the phrase New World Order, a term previously proscribed to conspiracy buffs, it came as both a declaration of unilateral power, and a brash ultimatum to anyone who didn’t like the way America does business. The sentiment was recently echoed in outgoing President Barack Obama’s final sales pitch for his embattled the TiSA, TPP and TTIP trade agreements.

Things are so bad on Nauru that New Zealand has stopped foreign aid to their justice sector.

Forget recession.  This country is suffering from depression, and I don’t mean the economic definition as much as the psychological one.  There is a malaise afflicting the nation.

While the mainstream media focuses on losers and winners in the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, a largely unreported debate is going on over the future course of U.S. diplomacy. Its outcome will have a profound effect on how Washington projects power - both diplomatic and military - in the coming decade.