Economic Activities
Focus on the exchange of services, products, and other things, whether or not money is involved. In this section, you will find information about the economy, barter, local currencies, and ways to exchange services.
Be sure to check out the interview with Alex Knight on ‘The End of Capitalism’
Big Changes in Fair Trade! [UPDATED]
As of December 31, 2011, Fair Trade USA (formerly TransfairUSA) has dropped out of the World FairTrade Organization and lowered their standards to the point where it will hurt small growers—as well as many small, independent shops here in the … more
MLK’s Final Speech
I Have Been to the Mountaintop Martin Luther King, Jr. April 3, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee “Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy in his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered … more
Chocolate: The Bitter Truth
Fair Trade isn’t just about coffee. Many commodities are subject to abuse by large trading corporations and large growers. Coffee is perhaps the largest volume, but tea, chocolate, sugar, bananas, and many others are also important. Chocolate is subject not … more
Support Authentic Fair Trade
Join with Us to Support Authentic Fair Trade by Phyllis Robinson – Small Farmers, Big Change, January 7, 2012 Deep controversies in the Fair Trade movement have been simmering over the past decade. Today, the situation has reached a boiling … more
MLK: Breaking the Silence
Dr. King gave this talk nearly 45 years ago, but it seems remarkably applicable today if you replace the name Viet Nam with Iraq, Iran, or the Middle East. And despite our ast resources, we have made little progress against … more
Who’s to blame for Greece’s bankruptcy?
True Crime Finance Stories —by Greg Palast In These Times | November 17, 2011 Who’s to blame for the implosion of Greece—and the global economy? On May 5, 2010, I open up the Wall Street Journal and I could puke. There … more
Corporate Pledge of Allegiance
[by Robert Reich – Tuesday, November 8, 2011] Despite what the Supreme Court and Mitt Romney say, corporations aren’t people. (I’ll believe they are when Georgia and Texas start executing them.) The Court thinks corporations have First Amendment rights to spend … more
Occupy Wall Street’s Moral Ground
By Kathleen Moore in Yes! Magazine, November 1, 2011] Much of the Occupy movement’s power comes from a simple moral message: It’s wrong to wreck the world. It’s wrong to wreck the health and hopes of others. The Occupy Wall … more
The Seven Biggest Economic Lies
by Robert Reich [Text posted below] The Seven Biggest Economic Lies The President’s Jobs Bill doesn’t have a chance in Congress — and the Occupiers on Wall Street and elsewhere can’t become a national movement for a more equitable society … more
Statement from the NYC General Assembly
Following is the first collective statement from the New York City General Assembly, issued October 5 2011. As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. … more