Marxists Are Piling In Against Piketty

By Kumar David -June 1, 2014

Prof. Kumar David

It does seem a bit unfair, after all Thomas Piketty did prove Marx right on one crucial point. He has done a splendid job validating on one of Marx’s key expectations (Relatively, the rich will get richer and the poor poorer); but after saying ‘thank you very much’ all the world’s Marxists are savaging the fellow mercilessly. Maybe they feel reinvigorated these post-2008 days, think all-the-world lies intellectually prostrate at their feet, and show little mercy to deviants. Poor Piketty has done huge data collection and processing for which we should be grateful. An unknown guy comes out of nowhere and establishes something the Master’s disciples have been saying for 150 years but could not prove empirically. A data savvy young group after 10 years hard labour proves sustained and expanding wealth-inequality; they deserve more than a thank-you nod. True Piketty is weak on theory and abstraction; but be kind; perhaps the bugger can be trained. Capital in the Twenty-first Century is outselling everything on Amazon’s list, pulp fiction, do-it-yourself, even thrillers, which is remarkable for a 600 page tome on economics.Read More

Healing The Addiction Memory

By Ruwan M Jayatunge -June 1, 2014

Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D.

Drug addiction has become an increased phenomenon in the modern civilization. Addiction habits have impacted individuals, families and the society. Addiction has been regarded as an individual disease as well as a social condition. Addictions cause structural changes in cultural, social, political, and economic system in society (Ajami et al., 2014). Addiction is almost universally held to be characterized by a loss of control over drug-seeking and consuming behavior (Levy, 2014).

Addiction is defined as compulsive drug use despite negative consequences (Hyman, 2005). Addiction is a multifactorial phenomenon (Shaghaghy et al., 2011). McLellan and colleagues (2000) conceptualize addiction as a brain disease. Leshner (1997) views addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disorder that involves complex interactions between biological and environmental variables. According to Mate (2014) addictions are experience based and it has close links with pain, distress, negative emotions, loss of meaning and often connected with adverse early childhood experiences.  Drug addiction leads to profound disturbances in an individual’s behavior that affect his/her immediate environment, usually resulting in isolation, marginalization, or incarceration (Volkow et al., 2004).

Addictions and Brain Structures                                                      Read More