Columbia International Affairs Online: Books

CIAO DATE: 07/2012

Be Outraged: There are alternatives

Richard Jolly, Giovanni Andrea Cornia, Diane Elson, Carlos Fortin, Stephany Griffith-Jones, Gerry Helleiner, Rolph van der Hoeven, Raphie Kaplinsky, Richard Morgan, Isabel Ortiz, Ruth Pearson, Frances Stewart

May 2012

Oxfam Publishing

Abstract

An international group of economists and social scientists argue in this book that austerity is bad economics, bad arithmetic, and ignores the lessons of history. They are outraged at the narrow range of austerity policies which are bringing so many people around the world to their knees, especially in Europe. ‘Be Outraged’ argues that austerity measures and cutbacks are reducing growth and worsening poverty and that there are alternatives – for Britain, Europe and all countries that currently imagine that government cutbacks are the only way out of debt.