To URPE Members and Friends:
The 2005 Left Forum (grew out of what used to be the Socialist Scholars Conference) will take place April 15-17 at CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave. (at 34th), NYC. The phone is 212-817-8215. The website is www.2005leftforum.org.
Look for the URPE/Dollars and Sense table when you get there!
And if you are an URPE member and are able to sit at our table for a 2-hour session, please choose a time and respond to this email in the next few days.
URPE and Dollars and Sense are cosponsoring two sessions. Many URPE members are participating in additional sessions -- see the program at the 2005 Left Forum website: www.2005leftforum.org/program.htm
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THE GLOBAL GEOPOLITICS OF OIL
Saturday, April 16, 4:00 pm
Michael Klare, Hampshire College Tom O’Donnell, University of Michigan Michael Tanzer, Economic Consultant Chair: Rina Garst, URPE
In spite of the insecurity of supplies, depletion trends and global warming, oil stubbornly remains the basis of transportation everywhere, and a primary source of energy for other purposes. Oil issues -- discovery, access, control and pricing -- have been fundamental to US military and economic policy, affecting relations with other OECD countries, emerging powers like China, oil-producing nations, and oil-dependent Third World countries. Washington has been the organizer of the global oil-market control institutions, and global oil dependency has contributed to US economic and military power. But US hegemony is currently being threatened on several fronts. Our panelists will examine power relations in the world oil market and assess whether US economic strategies to maintain control are working. They will explore the broader effects of oil on international relations. Military interventions have taken place in and near countries with oil: our panelists will look at how the US military is being converted into a global oil-protection service. They will also talk about what can be done to mitigate the affects of high oil prices on oil-importing Third World countries.
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THE SOCIAL SECURITY "CRISIS": ROLLING BACK THE NEW DEAL
Sunday, April 17, 12:00 noon
Ellen Frank, Poverty Institute Trudy Goldberg, Adelphi University Doug Henwood, Left Business Observer Chris Rude, York University Chair: Amy Gluckman, Dollars and Sense
George Bush claims that Social Security is in danger of bankruptcy and has proposed profound changes in the system, including the incorporation of private accounts. After debunking the myth of "crisis" and explaining how the proposals would affect us, our panelists will analyze various economic and political aspects of the attack on Social Security. They will look at how these changes contribute to the effort to preserve a neoliberal slow-growth, low-wage economy. They will talk about how private accounts would affect the stock market, who is financing the campaign, who would benefit, why many on Wall Street support it, and why some have recently backed off. Our panelists will emphasize the ideological value to the Right of discrediting our most successful government program. They will examine the political forces on both sides. And they will warn us of the strategic danger of accepting any cutbacks at all.
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Contact us:
URPE (Union for Radical Political Economics) National Office: tel: 413-577-0806 fax: 413-577-0261 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.urpe.org
Economy Connection (URPE's Speaker/Resource Bureau): 201-792-7459 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.urpe.org/ec-home.html
Dollars & Sense: tel: 617-447-2177 617-447-2179 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.dollarsandsense.org
