26 June 2016   Leave a comment

Magnum Photos has put together an absolutely brilliant web site on global cities entitled “The Places We Live”.  It is a dazzling example of the power of the new media, bringing together sound, visuals, and information in a coherent and compelling manner.  I highly recommend it to those who seek to use the new technologies to make the world a better place.

The reliably left-wing newspaper, The Guardian, has an insightful class analysis of the Brexit vote.  The argument is captured by a quote from a woman from Collyhurst, a rundown suburb of Manchester: “If you’ve got money, you vote in. If you haven’t got money, you vote out.”  The article traces the roots of the Brexit vote to the neoliberal policies enacted by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.  In many respects, those same policies were initiated by US President Ronald Reagan at the same time.

Collyhurst, Manchester, England

Children near derelict houses on a housing estate in Collyhurst, Manchester.

For the second time in 6 months, Spain is holding national elections today.  The last election did not produce a clear winner and no government was formed.  This election did not elicit great enthusiasm but pollsters expect Podemos (“We Can”), a left wing party to do well.  If the Socialist Party does well, there is a chance that the two parties together may be able to form a government.  We will have to wait for the results on the election to be announced.

The conflict between the Mexican government and some of the teachers’ unions has been unraveling for some time and it exploded in incredible violence today.  The Mexican government is trying to introduce reforms into the Mexican educational system and the unions believe that the reforms are largely directed toward busting the unions.  There is little question that the Mexican educational system is failing most of its students.  These confrontations hardly ensure that effective changes will be made.

Scene from Oaxaca, Mexico

Posted June 27, 2016 by vferraro1971 in World Politics

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