AltAusterity Digest #4: July 6-12, 2017

Despite the constant discrediting of austerity’s virtues, it is still being implemented widely. Phil McDuff questions how austerity keeps “shambling back to life” despite failing to withstand scrutiny. This overview provides a wide array of critiques from top experts in the field.

Despite having low unemployment, competitive wages and strong productivity, wage restraint in Germany is having negative consequences for domestic spending. The Economist suggests the German government should help by spending more including on physical and digital infrastructure.

While several cities and states are aiming towards raising the minimum wage, St. Louis is moving in the opposite direction dropping the minimum wage from $10.00 to $7.70. This 23% decrease will take place in a blue city with a “red state legislature” which passed legislation prohibiting local governments from setting a higher minimum wage than the state requires.

After mass protests at the G20 summit in Hamburg, certain German politicians are calling for an intelligence database for “violent leftists.” While peaceful demonstrations outnumbered violent ones in Hamburg, Black Bloc groups clashed with police and smashed store windows, looted and engaged in set several cars ablaze.

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