Leftnews.org

Alexander Cockburn: Gob Smacked

Graham — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:31:01 +0000

–Always a treat to read. The “Left” and Obama in Latin America.

Black Caucus Muzzled: No Comment on Kidnapping of McKinney | Counter Punch

Faiz — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:49:48 +0000

“On June 30th 2009 Israeli Occupation Forces forcibly boarded the boat. They kidnapped McKinney, Nobel peace prize laureate Mairead Maguire and 19 other human rights workers and journalists who were on their way to
deliver much needed humanitarian and reconstruction supplies to besieged Gaza.”

The Counter-Revolution Will Not be Tweeted | Counter Punch

Faiz — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:37:37 +0000

“A large number of Honduran military commanders have their own long-term relationships with the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies, many of them forged during their training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Here is the notorious School of the Americas where promising officers from Argentina, Colombia, Honduras and other US allies are given training such useful skills as seizing power, hunting down leftists and torture.”

The United States Is the Only Remaining Country in the Americas Still Maintaining Diplomatic Relations with Honduras after Sunday’s Coup | MR Zine

Faiz — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:53:31 +0000

“The US Ambassador to Honduras, Hugo Llorens, remains in Tegucigalpa, apparently “negotiating” with the coup government to find a solution. However, President Zelaya, the constitutional and democratically elected president of Honduras since 2005, has stated he will not “negotiate” his return to power. It’s ridiculous to request a president overthrown in an illegal coup negotiate with the criminals who overthrew him in order to reestablish constitutional order.”

Paul Krugman: That ’30s Show | New York Times

Faiz — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:44:50 +0000

“[T]he deeper the hole gets, the harder it will be to dig ourselves out. The job figures weren’t the only bad news in Thursday’s report, which also showed wages stalling and possibly on the verge of outright decline. That’s a recipe for a descent into Japanese-style deflation, which is very difficult to reverse.”

Also see: Japanese workers’ tales of woe | Globe and Mail

“[Newly] unemployed Japanese, who now number three-quarters of a million more than a year ago [come from the ranks of] temporary, or contract, workers [but are now joined by] graduates expecting to be hired into a job for life.”

Honduras rejects Zelaya restoration

alex_c — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:58:00 +0000

Honduras’s supreme court has rejected an ultimatum by the Organisation of American States (OAS) to reinstate the country’s president after he was deposed in a military-backed coup.

Raw Story » US-backed Colombian soldiers execute innocent for cash

Graham — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:34:43 +0000

–The people of Colombia deserve better.

Doctors take N.B. government to court over fee freeze

Graham — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:42:58 +0000

–Could this mean that the medical professionals are starting to realise that their status in the middle class is under attack in the same way workers in the rest of the economy are? Maybe that is a stretch, but the only way to address the economic attacks on all working people in the province is to stand together.

Israeli shell kills Palestinian girl in Gaza – hospital | CNN

Faiz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:05:18 +0000

One wonders whether any liberals will shed tears for Hyam Ayash.

Cynthia McKinney Remains Imprisoned in Israel After Gaza-Bound Boat Is Seized | Fox News

Faiz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:54:54 +0000

“[The] relief boat [was] carrying 21 activists, medical supplies, cement, olive trees and children’s toys en route to Gaza, violating the Israeli blockade and trespassing the country’s territorial waters.”

467K jobs cut in June; US jobless rate at 9.5 percent | Yahoo News

Faiz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:22:57 +0000

“All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June”

Pirates of the Mediterranean | Counter Punch

Faiz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:40:04 +0000

“Unlike every other recipient of US military largesse, Israel is permitted to bypass the Pentagon and to deal directly with US suppliers. Consequently, the Israel Lobby’s influence multiplies, because military suppliers fight for Israel in congressional committees in order to get Israel’s business. This lets Israel turn the screws on Iran.”

Iran and Us | Counter Punch

Faiz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:25:38 +0000

A short history of Iranian politics which delves further than the past two weeks.

Pakistani refugees flood strangers’ homes | Globe and Mail

Faiz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:46:21 +0000

“At least 1.9 million people have been displaced by fighting between militant Islamists and the Pakistani armed forces. … The humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, the biggest in the world right now, has attracted only a minuscule amount of help.”

Also see: Unicef plea for Pakistan refugees | BBC

“[I]t [i]s the biggest internally displaced population since the Rwanda crisis in 1994.”

5 Years After: Portugal’s Drug Decriminalization Policy Shows Positive Results: Scientific American

Graham — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:23:39 +0000

–Sensible policy.

Ambulance fees decried by N.B. seniors group

Graham — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:57:30 +0000

It is disgraceful that our government thinks that cutting ambulance services is an acceptable response budget deficits.

OP-ED: Spousal Rape Laws Continue to Evolve

MML — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:03:17 +0000

“Currently all 50 [US] states criminalize spousal rape, but remnants of the marital rape exemption are still present in many states’ laws. Most states, like California, for example, define spousal rape as a separate (and lesser) offense than stranger rape.”

Drug addiction on the rise in besieged Gaza

walker — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:50:56 +0000

They are little white, yellow or green pills and are available almost anywhere. At the pharmacies or in the market, they are accessible, addictive and cheap.

“I take them because it makes me forget, at least for a little while, that I’m in Gaza,” says Abu Alaa, a resident of the strip and father of four. “There is no alternative.”

Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives – Canada’s EI benefits well below OECD average: study

Graham — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:25:12 +0000

–Yet another reason that economic understanding needs to be promoted by unions and progressive organizations in Canada. The reality is that the contradictions inherent in capitalism are smacking us all in the face on a daily basis, but we do not seem to have the resources or understanding to know which direction we should go.

The Progressive Economics Forum » When in Doubt, Blame Unions

Graham — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:07:34 +0000

–There is no question that there is an issue with the way the general public views the unions that are currently on strike. It stems from a general lack of understanding about how unions negotiate their contracts and the economics of the current recession. Also lost is the sense that if people are earning more than you then you should unionize yourself to demand higher wages instead of insisting that the other workers earn less.
I must admit, I am not as surprised as Stanford is by this reactionary assault on the unions that are currently on strike. The corporate media is all about fueling this feeling so that they may sell newspapers—reactionary drivel always sells more newspapers than reasoned analysis. What is troubling is that none of the newspapers are taking their role to educate the public about the economy seriously. Unions are the only mechanism that working people have right now not to bear all the burden of the economic downturn. Education about the way that we all interact with the economy must start to be a main focus of unions and other progressive organisations if we are going to arm the general public with reasons to march in solidarity with workers fighting for a better tomorrow.