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Issue 475 of New Internationalist

Reader-owned global journalism

September 2014

Gold

We take a look at our crazy lust for the shiny yellow metal. Once tied to our currency, gold now floats free in value, completely unconnected to any actual use to us in our daily lives. Dipping yesterday, zooming up today, tomorrow who knows? Best buy some just in case.We are now mining more of the stuff than ever before. In an era when we desperately need to rethink core notions of growth and our unsustainable ecological footprint, we are intensifying destructive goldmining for no other purpose than to make a few people rich.

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Included in this issue

The gold standard is nothing but a shiny distraction

And it offers a false sense of security in an unstable world, says Philip Pilkington.

Mother Teresa's troubled legacy

S Bedford reports from India on a dirty truth behind a squeaky-clean image.

Why is college so damned expensive?

As college tuition fees keep soaring, Mark Engler wonders what the future has in stake for him.

Would Scottish independence be good for radical politics?

Read what writer and activist Adam Ramsay and professor and author Jim Gallagher think - then join the debate.

India's gold obsession is increasing the wealth gap

Jaideep Hardikar reports from a country in the grip of gold fever.

The myth of ethical gold

Certification schemes notwithstanding, clean gold is a bit of a scam, says Stephanie Boyd.

Stop the gold rush!

Our appetite for the shiny metal is both pointless and dangerous, argues Richard Swift.

Sweden faces far-right election gains

Despite anti-fascist protests, Adam Bott fears the Sweden Democrats could double their tally in the general election.

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