Nèdeem Elmahjoub's blog

China's leaders confront ardent young communists

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"This kind of neoliberal urbanization is happening in many parts of the world. But when you start doing it in a place like Dubai where there are not that many neighborhoods with history, you are pretty much getting rid of any connection to your past, even if that connection is tenuous and that past is not an extended past like you have in other cities. It’s a central loss. And it’s happening in the Gulf and in other parts of Dubai. I think this should be an important area for research—why this is being done, why there is no resistance against that. The developer who is doing this project, Meraas, is a private company. But it is owned by Dubai’s ruling family, so they are basically operating as a private developer but with access to all that land." Urban loss in the shadow of the Gulf urbanity

Given the state of British capitalism today,  will capital tolerate even a modest social-democratic measure?

“It’s a snapshot of the old Middle East with its incredible multiculturalism,” says Dr Wagner. “This whole idea of one nation, one faith, one language is a very European concept that then penetrated the Middle East. These letters came before the time when this kind of thinking began poisoning things. Letters from Arab merchants hidden for more than 200 years

"property in Britain, and especially London, is part of the plumbing of the international financial system. Without tackling this financialization of housing, no amount of construction will end the crisis." Britain's housing casino

British values Via Michael Roberts and the FT The companies of which country after Russia were engaged in money laundering using the Estonian branch of Danske Bank? Answer: Britain UK corporate entities were the second-biggest proportion, behind Russian, of 15,000 non-resident customers at the Estonian branch of Danske, the bank revealed this week. Up to €200bn flowed through those 15,000 customers’ accounts between 2007 and 2015. Danske estimates that much of this will be suspicious, making it one of the biggest money-laundering scandals ever. English LLPs and Scottish limited partnerships have been linked with financial crime and money-laundering. The structures essentially give anonymous shell companies a UK wrapper and can be registered through an official formation agent for as little as £50. British LLPs were the “preferred vehicle” for moving non-resident money and detailed how one customer had filed false information to Companies House, the UK’s corporate reg...

China's relentless export machine moves up the value chain

A nation that has transformed in a single lifetime

The coming crime wars

England Why universities are a con