–The Morning Star (Britain’s last socialist daily) is offering its paper on line for free to gain some support from its readers. Click on the Fighting Fund link to learn more.

The article is so much drivel, but the disapproving responses and comments are interesting. Worth a read.

“Parliament is meant to relocate from Djibouti to the Somali capital Mogadishu within days.”

Strange revelation.

“It is a worldwide crisis and it is very serious. It is striking that the ways that Western countries are approaching the crisis [entirely contradict] the model that they enforce on the Third World when there is a crisis. So when Indonesia has a crisis, [or] Argentina and everyone else, they are supposed to raise interest rates very high and privatize the economy, and cut down on public spending, measures like that. In the West, it is the exact opposite: lower interest rates to zero, move towards nationalization if necessary, pour money into the economy, have huge debts. That is exactly the opposite of how the Third World is supposed to pay off its debts. That this seems to pass without comment is remarkable.”

“Just one day after it was unveiled, a giant fiberglass and copper shoe honoring the Iraqi journalist who flung his oxfords at George W. Bush during the former president’s final visit to Iraq was removed by government order on Friday, local officials told CNN.”

Alex Grant, editor of Fightback magazine and former president of CUPE 2278 (UBC), speaks to York workers on the Sentinel picket line on Dec 5 and again at a Town Hall meeting on Jan 26. Alex speaks about the history of the strike at UBC, its connection to the strike at York University and the importance of our struggle to the broader labour movement. Props go to the Video Sub-Committee of the Communications Committee, CUPE Local 3903, for filming these and putting them online.

To watch the videos, please click below.

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In the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29 (Venezuelan time), two workers were killed by police in the state of Anzoategui, Venezuela. The workers killed are Pedro Suarez from the Mitsubishi factory and José Marcano from nearby auto parts factory Macusa. They were killed when regional police of Anzoategui was attempting to evict hundreds of workers who had been occupying the Mitsubitshi (MMC) factory.

–Canadian and US companies ditched by Norway’s ethical investors.

–The French people are once again ahead of the curve in Europe in demanding that the people receive support from their government and not the capitalists that caused the current crisis. What is strange is they still cannot get positive press even though their demands are in-line with the rhetoric of the right wing in France which rests on taking responsibility for your actions. Of-course, being a hypocrite is part of being a right-winger..

–Some reporting from the ground in Venezuela on the referendum on term limits.

–Bad enough that a Costco is coming to town, but the plan to plop it down right onto a wetland in an area that was supposed to be set down for the University to steward is just disgusting. Welcome to UNB, home of the badly managed finances and a Costco.

–Stay tuned for another blunder by the New Brunswick Liberal Government.

–The workers are sent back to work by a government that doesn’t understand what workers’ rights means and, finally, the Toronto Star publishes a story that makes sense. Is it really better late than never?

James Laxer offers an opinion contrary to the previous post.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has just declared his intention to support the Conservative budget. In response, an angry Jack Layton said that the NDP-Liberal coalition has been replaced by a Liberal-Conservative coalition. Jack is correct; however, we don’t know why he is so angry. This line of development was entirely predictable. When the NDP leadership bailed out the Liberals through the unprincipled coalition they gave the Liberals the opportunity to save the Conservatives. The actions of the Jack Layton leadership of the NDP are directly responsible for saving Harper and his reactionary clique in Parliament. Layton should go.

–ITUC at the World Social Forum. A slightly different tone than the one it takes at the World Economic Forum. Both are an interesting read.

–Some comment in the Guardian by the author of Lenin’s Tomb.

–Is anyone listening? Candido Grzybowski is interviewed by IPS.

–The World Social Forum is on now in Brazil.

–Revisionism is on the menu at the World Economic Forum.

–Bloomberg News reports on statements and actions of the US Federal Reserve. Change does not seem to be in the cards in monetary policy for the US.

–There continues to be opposition in Israel to the current state’s expansionist and illegal policies.