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Reading harmfuleconomics.org

This website concerns the economics of exploitation and oppression. The website has two major parts.   The first, the Understanding harm page, gives an analytical overview of harm and social systems that contain harm. The second, this homepage and related pages, feature current news stories and analysis where harm is important.  Orthodox economics principally looks at income obtained from production.  This website looks at income or other benefit gained by harm. This is much more important than suggested by orthodox economics. There is not just a productive system; there is a productive + harmful system. The view taken in this website is that through control of a society and its key elements (economy, government, values) some people/groups in the society obtain income from others. This income is not based on production, but some form of taking away from others. This taking away is typically resisted. Thus there are two basic aspects in a social system where harm is important: obtaining income and maintaining control. This is expressed in the principal categories used in the website, which can be seen in the right column of this and every page.

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Struggle for control – staying in power 2023

Dark money groups push election denialism on US state officials Ed Pilkington and Jamie Corey The Guardian April 5, 2023 Three of the most prominent rightwing groups including the Heritage Foundation that spread election denial lies and advocate for restrictions on voting rights in the US have joined forces in a secret attempt to woo top election officials in Republican-controlled states.

Deadly attack exposes growing threat in Mexico: the military Maria Abi-Habib and Galia García Palafox New York Times April 7, 2023

Harm through the market 2022

Big pharma and GOP allies aim to sabotage Medicare drug price reforms Jake Johnson Common Dreams January 1, 2022
“All the contributions they make and all their lobbying money gives them a lot of power,” Democratic Rep. Peter Welch said of the pharmaceutical industry.

The shameful open secret behind Southwest’s failure Zeynep Tufekci New York Times December 31, 2022 (opinion)

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Conflict 2022

US, Israel vote no as UN approves World Court resolution on illegal occupation Jon Queally Common Dreams January 2, 2022 “The time has come for Israel to be a state subject to law,” said a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority, “and to be held accountable for its ongoing crimes against our people.”

Negotiate now! A call for diplomacy in Ukraine Stephen Eric Bronner Common Dreams January 1, 2022
Not to talk about peace is to perpetuate war—pure and simple—and that is something the people of Russia and Ukraine cannot afford.

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