politics for the 99%

Published on The Emporia Gazette, by Nat Hentoff and Nick Hentoff July 29, 2016.

“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” — Preamble, U.S. Constitution Continue Reading…

• Chelsea Manning could face punishment for suicide attempt, July 28, 2016: Chelsea Manning threatened with indefinite solitary confinement for suicide attempt,
• Chelsea Manning’s Charge Sheet;

Urgent – Take Action; Continue Reading…

Published on Spiegel Online International, by Christoph Schult and Klaus Wiegrefe, July 28, 2016.

Working with dubious sourcing, a group close to NATO’s chief military commander Philip Breedlove sought to secure weapons deliveries for Ukraine, a trove of newly released emails revealed. The efforts served to intensify the conflict between the West and Russia … // Continue Reading…

Published on Dissident Voice, by Paul Cooper, July 27, 2016.

Sentenced to death on charges of apostasy and promoting atheism, Ashraf had his sentence reduced to eight years and 800 lashes. Continue Reading…

• part 1/2, 22.34 min, July 25, 2016: Catarina Principle, co-editor of Europe in Revolt, says a left movement against austerity must pursue the restructuring of public debt, nationalization of key sectors, and public control of the banking system, but none of this can be done within the European Union – also on YouTube;
• part 2/2, 11.08 min, July 26, 2016: Catarina Principe, co-editor of Europe in Revolt, discusses the struggle against austerity in Portugal - also on YouTube;   Continue Reading…

Published on The Bullet, Socialist Project’s E-Bulletin No. 1285, by Evert Hoogers, Donald Swartz, Rosemary Warskett, July 26, 2016.

… The Issues: … //
… State of Negotiations: … // Continue Reading…

Published on rabble.ca, byY DAVID J. CLIMENHAGA, July 24, 2016.

The person I know best in Munich described the mood in the Bavarian city Friday as “surreal,” so it seems fitting the Tweet from the Munich Police that night notifying the world the crisis sparked by a mass shooting at a fast-food restaurant was finally over had the surreal quality of found poetry … // Continue Reading…

Published on ZNet (first on The Dawn) by Andrés Lund, July 23, 2016.

In education, in life, in the public sphere, dialogue is an essential factor for civilization. It is also a way to become subjects, to become who we are, and thus, to overcome oppression. The best dialogue is the kind that is egalitarian and seeks after the common good: this is the sort of dialogue that should exist within the community of the oppressed to shape a feasible Utopia that we need to change lives and transform the world. Continue Reading…

… the European project is imploding – Published on Al-Ahram, by Manal Lotfi from London, July 21, 2016.

Events are moving forward at a dramatic pace and while at first glance they may seem like a series of isolated tragedies they are not. French-Tunisian Mohamed Bouhlel, who photographed himself smiling amid children and their families in Nice hours before he ran over hundreds of people in an explosives-laden truck; a Turkish soldier attempts to hide under an armoured vehicle while another Turk kicks him and a second whips him with a belt following the failed coup attempt in Turkey; a Polish waiter who works at a Soho restaurant sits shaking after Brits vote to leave the EU, an Afghan refugee attacking passengers on a train in southern Germany with an axe — all of these are related, facets of interconnected crises that feed one another … // Continue Reading…

Published on naked capitalism, by #SlayTheSmaugs, July 22, 2016.

… Worshiping Wealth: … //
… Remembering Greed is Evil: … //
… The Stealth Violence of False Scarcity and Cutting Corners: … // Continue Reading…

Published on The Bullet, Socialist Project’s E-Bulletin No. 1283, by Benjamin Selwyn, July 20, 2016.

Reorienting value generated within ‘global poverty chains’ is essential to improve the lives of an impoverished world labour force. Continue Reading…

… open Letter About Iraq to the Swedish Foreign Minister – Published on Global Research.ca, by Sigyn Meder, July 19, 2016.

Ramadi “was liberated” by being destroyed. The civilian population of the city are internal refugees. The bombs of the US-Coalition contributed to death and destruction. Continue Reading…

… Erdogan’s Chief Adversary and Public Enemy No. 1 – Publisched on Spiegel Online International, by Veit Medick and Roland Nelles, with additional reporting by Christoph Sydow, July 18, 2016.

In a meeting at his compound in Pennsylvania, Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen defends himself against claims made by Turkey’s president that he was behind this weekend’s failed coup. He alleges that power has poisoned Erdogan.   Continue Reading…

Published on Intrepid Report (first in Wayne Madsen Report ), by Wayne Madsen, July 15, 2016.

The “Queen of Surveillance,” UK Home Secretary Theresa May, has assumed the office of prime minister. May is a longtime champion of every form of intrusive surveillance that ever came before her desk at the Home Office. For Britain, what is already the world’s leading high-tech surveillance state will now move closer to George Orwell’s dystopian futuristic Britain, a country he dubbed “Airstrip One.”   Continue Reading…

Published on Current Concerns, by Professor Richard A. Werner, D. Phil. (Oxon), July 12, 2016.

Concerning the second question, the dominant issue in the debate has been the question whether there will be a significant negative economic impact on the UK from exiting the EU. Prime Minister David Cameron, together with the heads of the IMF, the OECD and various EU agencies have given dire warnings that economic growth will drop, the fiscal position will deteriorate, the currency will weaken and UK exports will decline precipitously. George Osborne, the chancellor of the exchequer has threatened to cut pensions if pensioners dare to vote for exit. But what are the facts?   Continue Reading…

… for Those Who Know Little or Nothing about Labor – Published on ZNet (first on Green Social Thought), by Kim Scipes, July 15, 2016.

… Perhaps the most important part of the Introduction is that I disentangle the concepts of globalization and neo-liberal economics, about which there is much confusion. Influenced strongly by and following the work of the Netherlands-born scholar, Jan Nederveen Pieterse (1989, 2004, 2008, 2015), I argue that globalization has existed for a very long time—since the beginning of human migration—and precedes capitalism, modernity and “the West.” Continue Reading…

… the Child Laborers from Syria – Published on Spiegel Online International, by Claas Relotius, July 14, 2016 (Photo Gallery).

Ahmed and Alin were 10 and 11 years old when their parents died in Aleppo. They fled to Turkey and now work there as child laborers — collecting scrap and working in a sweat shop. They dream of escape, but don’t know how … // Continue Reading…

Published on Dissident Voice, by Binoy Kampmark, July 13, 2016.

The slimmest of hopes, which got extremely threadbare in the last month, was nursed that Bernie Sanders might have taken his support base and made it into a third movement. A US political scene so typified by the banking retainers, the counterfeit pioneers and fraudulent managers, could have done with a new force.   Continue Reading…

Update: Theresa May to hand out more jobs in first cabinet, on BBC, July 14, 2016: Prime Minister Theresa May will continue to form her new government later – as she begins her first full day in Downing Street; more on Google Web-search, Google News-search, and on YouTube-search;
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Published on Dissident Voice, by Ramzy Baroud, July 12, 2016.

Last year, I wrote an article that made many readers unhappy. As soon as it was published, I began receiving messages of abuse and angry, threatening calls.   Continue Reading…

Published on Labor Notes.org, by Jane Slaughter, July 07, 2016.

Three big wins for workers in the last nine months arrived where you might least expect them: in the old, blue-collar economy. That’s the economy where unions are down to 6.7 percent, where wins are rare and workers are supposed to be on their way out. Continue Reading…

… Oligarchs, Bankers and Swindlers – Published on Axis of Logic, by James Petras, July 9, 2016;

Introduction: amid raging corruption, social pathologies and outright political thuggery, a new gang of vassal regimes has taken-over Latin America. The new rulers are strictly recruited as the protégé’s of US financial and banking institutions. Hence the financial press refers to them as the “new managers” – of Wall Street … // Continue Reading…

Published on Elohim Leaks.org, on July 8, 2016.

The 60 richest people on Earth are now secretly building an underground complex that can withstand any nuclear, chemical or biological world war or world revolution. This complex will have room for the 60 richest people and their families for a total of 480 people; plus 240 top scientists, especially geneticists and agronomists; 60 medical people representing all the specialties; 120 military commandos … // … and 60 of the most beautiful young women to repopulate the earth after the cataclysm ends and the atmosphere is clean again … // Continue Reading…

Published on Systemic Disorder, July 6, 2016.

The most tepid of blows for democracy was struck this week when the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, reversed himself and declared that the parliaments of the EU member states will vote on the “free trade” deal with Canada after all. Only a week earlier, President Juncker had dismissed the idea of any democratic input, insisting that the deal would be unilaterally approved by EU ministers … // Continue Reading…

Published on Axis of Logic, by Roger D. Harris, CounterPunch, July 6, 2016.

US policy since Hugo Chávez was elected president of Venezuela in 1998 has been regime change to return the oil-rich South American nation to the neo-liberal fold. After 17 years of Chávista polices, the US wants nothing more than for poor Venezuelans to suffer as much as possible – to make their economy scream – so that the popular movement will grow dissatisfied with the socialist inclined leadership. Continue Reading…

Is Russia Winning The Oil Export War Against The Saudis? – Published on Oil Price, by Zainab Calcuttawala, July 05, 2016: Zainab Calcuttawala is an American journalist based in Morocco. She completed her undergraduate coursework at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook’em) and reports on international trade, human rights issues and more;

Russia is on track to set a new record in crude oil exports this year, and Iran is boosting exports to Europe, intensifying competition on the continent, which is a key market for both countries.   Continue Reading…