·          A permanent state of emergency - Slavoj Zizek The explosion of anger seen on the streets of Paris, Madrid, Athens and Bucharest is a sign of people's exasperation and desire for change, with the hope that would bring. But we are in new economic territory: we do not know what we have to do, but we have to act now ·          Challenges for the establishments in us midterms Texas Tea Party - Robert Zaretsky Politicians are gaining ground with Texas voters by blaming the federal government for all national ills. For Tea Partiers here, Washington appears a distant, almost foreign ruler ·          Ireland, still a role model - Renaud Lambert Ireland's neo-liberal economic policies were greatly admired around the world, just as long as they seemed to be delivering high growth rates. Even now, Ireland's ferocious austerity measures are being emulated Translated by Stephanie Irvine ·          Cuba squeezes the state - Janette Habel Cuba intends to cut 20% of all