–University workers in the US are getting serious about fighting for their rights.

–Howard Zinn’s book read to you. Have a listen.

–The new Finance Minister in Venezuela is moving the country along a path of transition from “state capitalist” to a truly socialist economy starting with increasing agricultural production. Have a read of how.

–Trade-unionists continue to be assassinated in Columbia with almost complete impunity.

More from Michael Hudson on the US economy. “There is no foreseeable way in which the United States can redeem its foreign debt.” This may be the biggest threat there is to American imperialism.

–George Carlin, RIP. Progressive ideals and decent analysis in comedic form. We will miss you. More here. And Here.

–Ah, yes. The new Tory mayor of London. Are we really surprised?

–Once again the police are caught acting as provocateurs at a popular rally. We must expose this every time it happens.

–The rich in Bolivia think that they do not need the rest of the country. They are wrong, of-course, but that doesn’t stop them from inciting racist hatred against the poorer indigenous regions that now, for the first time since colonization, have power.

–Noam Chomsky is in 11th place right behind 10 scholars that are from the Islamic tradition. I bet the people at Foreign Policy mag didn’t like that much given their usual editorial tone. It is a bizarre list overall.

–Capital continues to attack Cuba.

–There is little question that there is exploitation on farms in BC. I was just their and saw the kind of anti-human, anti-worker practices one associates with Latin American immigrant exploitation in the South-Western US. We must stand with our farm workers and demand justice. More here: Harvest of Injustice: The Oppression of Migrant Workers on Canadian Farms

–The Conservatives hate the independence that judges have as they act to protect our freedoms. It just goes to show that they know that the “Liberal appointed” judges are keeping their more-insane policies in check. Remembers, it is always time to vote the Tories out.

–Great news for all those that care about the wheat farmer. Independent farmers need the Wheat Board if they are going to survive in the face of the monopolies of the Agro-Corps.

–It saddens (and confuses) me to see a country like Nigeria have high inflation due to energy price increases. If anything, Nigeria should follow the Venezuelan model. Nationalise the oil and gas and re-distribute the “profits” back to the people.

–When the price of something is balanced in the markets by, on one hand, the price of an unrelated fuel and, on the other hand, safety concerns, then we should be very skeptical of its long-term prospects as an area of State investment. We should not look at it at all in my opinion as only the poorest places seem to produce it and only the richest places (with lots of subsidies) seem to be able to keep the reactors going. Long-term investment strategies must focus primarily on “renewables” and efficiency of hybrid central/de-centralized energy production.

Gerard Cassidy, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, talks with Bloomberg’s Tom Keene from Portland, Maine, about Huntington Bancshares Inc.’s statement that it expects uncollectable loans will be at the high end of its previous forecast, the outlook for U.S. banks and regulation of the industry.

(This is a podcast, available through Bloomberg’s website.)

Just 32% of Americans express confidence in U.S. banks, down nine percentage points over the past year and near the record low of 30% in October 1991 — the lowest level in the three decades Gallup has been measuring confidence in banking institutions.

Mike Whitney on the dark side of oligopoly finance capitalism. Every silver lining has a cloud. A stunning interview with one of Obama’s economic advisors.

“It was the 21st suicide mission carried out by a woman in Iraq this year, the U.S. military said”

–You are still a worker even if you work for an investment banking firm.

–A look at Monsanto.