On Austerity

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Clarissa

May 31, 2012

This excuse that there is suddenly not enough money to support education, medical care, public libraries, unemployment benefits, etc. is now being used all over the world. We hear these lies so much that eventually many people are bound to believe them.

But none of it is true. There is money aplenty. There are tons of resources. The only thing that changed is that the greedy politicians and bureaucrats have gotten much greedier.

I am absolutely convinced of this because I see it on a smaller scale at my university, for example. All of a sudden, there is no money to continue database and scholarly journal subscriptions. Yeah, right. In the meanwhile, the administrators live in veritable castles with no attempt to practice austerity. Maybe I should publish a photo or two.

No money. Pssst!

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20 responses to “On Austerity”

Priyanka

May 31, 2012

First, I agree, although I’d have preferred to say it in more complicated ways, with liberal use of the subjunctive and dependent clauses.

Second, ooh, may I please make editorial comments? Your concluding word, I believe, would traditionally be “Pshaw!”, indicating that you pooh-pooh the rubbish set out in our feeding bowl by the powers-that-be. “Psst” usually indicates a secret is being shared.

Although, now that I think about it, I suppose ‘psst!’ is twice as appropriate as ‘pshaw!’ in this particular contex 🙂

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  May 31, 2012
  
  I don’t know, I make the “Psst” sound to show scorn. I just made it right now and it is definitely a “Psst.” 🙂 🙂
  
  I could also use a Grrrr….. to show extreme annoyance. 🙂
  
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Pen

May 31, 2012

Don’t they realize that by discontinuing such subscriptions, they’re indirectly hurting themselves?

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  May 31, 2012
  
  No, because they know that the academic who really need these sources for research will find a way, pay from their own pocket, etc.
  
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Ol.

May 31, 2012

Thank you thank you thank you.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  May 31, 2012
  
  Well, don’t thank me! We’ve got the criminals who invented this whole austerity scam to thank for what’s happening!
  
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  1. Ol.
    
    May 31, 2012
    
    It is just that recently I have heard so many shoking things coming from the mouth of people I have mistakenly considered levelheaded before that I am craving for common sense.
    
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    1. bloggerclarissa
      
      May 31, 2012
      
      I’m glad I haven’t actually heard anybody defend this austerity thing because I’m afraid my blood pressure would not be able to withstand that. It makes me angry that people buy into this!
      
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  2. Ol.
    
    May 31, 2012
    
    I had nightmares involving these people last night.
    
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    1. bloggerclarissa
      
      May 31, 2012
      
      “I had nightmares involving these people last night.”
      
      – I’m now very intrigued. 🙂
      
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Culture Clash « voxcorvegis

May 31, 2012

[…] point is this: as Clarissa has noted, Universities around the world are cutting back on their services in the name of […]

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thevenerablecorvex

May 31, 2012

“Austerity” too often seems to consist of rich and powerful people saying that everyone else can do with less so that they don’t have to change theirown lifestyles one iota.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  May 31, 2012
  
  They are eager to change their lifestyle. To the best, that is!
  
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Culture Club

May 31, 2012

I agree, outside of Greece there is no other country right now that seems to be spending beyond its means, particularly if you remove bailout and military expenditures.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  May 31, 2012
  
  “particularly if you remove bailout and military expenditures.”
  
  – Absolutely!!!
  
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On the importance of physical libraries in scholarly research « The Third Glance

May 31, 2012

[…] posts, if this interests you, please just go read them), Clarissa wrote a post entitled “On Austerity” earlier today, discussing the fact that money is being funneled out of important scholarly […]

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amandatheatheist

May 31, 2012

The college I went to froze faculty and staff salaries for at least a year during the Recession, but the President, making well over $400,000 didn’t take even a minuscule pay cut. Made me pretty angry – freezing a salary of between $50,000 and $100,000 is a much bigger sacrifice than freezing a salary of over $400,000 (I guess his total compensation package was $687,340 in 2008). Just another example of backwards “austerity” to cut costs.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  May 31, 2012
  
  That’s exactly the kind of hypocrisy I’m talking about! What a disgrace. How do such people even find it in themselves to look into the eyes of faculty members?
  
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Titfortat

June 1, 2012

Maybe you need to move out of a Capitalist country. Or you are always going to encounter this. In the words of Gordon Gekko……

Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  June 1, 2012
  
  I’m sorry your comments were stuck in moderation. I have no idea what happened. The blog is still udner a spam attack, so good comments end up in the spam.
  
  I apologize!
  
  As for the greed, I’m as greedy as the next person, which is precisely why I’m upset that the greed of useless administrators prevents me from practicing mine! 🙂
  
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