politics for the 99%

2013-11-01: Growing wealth disparities;
2013-11-02: Infra-Theory, the State Effect, and the Technopolitics of Oil;
2013-11-03: Report: State lawmakers enable wage theft, child labor;
2013-11-04: Dirty Money: Will Singapore Clean Up Its Act?
2013-11-05: women concerns;
2013-11-06: Eisenhower’s Drones;
2013-11-07: Swiss may grant unconditional income for all;
2013-11-08: Mass surveillance: 10 key questions for UK intelligence agency chiefs;
2013-11-09: Web of financial secrecy: Britain, satellites dominate tax haven rating;
2013-11-10: local agriculture for and with communities;
2013-11-11: UTOPIA – A film by John Pilger;
2013-11-12: Tide Thefts, Cargo Hijacking and Cattle Rustling;
2013-11-13: BBC Documentary on WikiLeaks, and more;
2013-11-14: The Untold Story of War;
2013-11-15: Eco-localism: A Constructive Critique;
2013-11-16: Public banking in Costa Rica: A remarkable little known model;
2013-11-17: NSA vs Anonymous and The Young Turks;
2013-11-18: Christopher Hedges;
2013-11-19: Egypt: A better start for child’s rights;
2013-11-20: Western firms hawk mass surveillance technology to developing world;
2013-11-21: Unprepared: Government Failings Intensify Haiyan Aid Disaster, Part 1;
2013-11-22: Cyprus University world first to accept bitcoins for tuition;
2013-11-23: The Kennedy Assassination, November 22, 1963: 50 Years Later;
2013-11-24: Articles published on Al-Ahram weekly online, Nov 20, 2013;
2013-11-25: links on my dashboard, in english and in german;
2013-11-26: Interest-Free Money – Dept-Free Economy;
2013-11-27: 10 Problems with Markets;
2013-11-28: Eric Hobsbawm;
2013-11-29: Land Grab: Foreign Firms Drive Cambodians from Farms;
2013-11-30: Privacy and the Right to Strike in Canada.

All articles sorted chronologically.

Published on The Bullet, Socialist Project’s E-Bulletin No. 902, by Charles Smith, November 28, 2013.

The neoliberal assault on labour has now entered its fourth decade. While Canada’s labour union density continues to hover around thirty percent, that number hides declining density rates in the private sector. Equally concerning for the labour movement has been the long assault on the post-war labour freedoms to organize, bargain, and strike. As Leo Panitch and Donald Swartz have shown in their book, governments routinely seek to limit labour’s core freedoms, especially the right to strike. When Stephen Harper’s government claimed that the fragility of the Canadian economy was justification to take away the right of thousands of federal workers to strike, it became clear that strikes themselves were in danger of being legislated away … // Continue Reading…

Published on Spiegel Online International, by Andreas Lorenz, Nov 27, 2013 (Photo Gallery).

Each year, foreign agricultural corporations deprive thousands of Cambodian farmers of their fields — with the government’s help. Human rights groups claim German taxpayer money is used to fund a program that benefits land grabbers.

Everyone in the Cambodian village of Chouk remembers what happened on the morning of May 19, 2006, when bulldozers appeared on National Route 48, which cuts through the town. Men from a Thai company, Khon Kaen Sugar Industry PCL, presented the Cambodian villagers with documents and said: “This land now belongs to us.”   Continue Reading…

• The Late Show – Special: Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes, 38.13 min, uploaded by se146np, Nov 11, 2012;
• Newsnight on responsible capitalism, Prof Eric Hobsbawm (19Jan12), 5.51 min, uploaded by liarpoliticians, Jan 20, 2012;
• How to Change the World, Socialist History Society, 25 Feb 2011, 33.56 min, uploaded by Adrian Cousins, March 1, 2011;
• Eric Hobsbawm: After the XXth Century: A World in Transition, 45.22 min, uploaded by fundacionvidanta, June 26, 2013;
• Eric Hobsbawm – Intellectuals and the Spanish Civil War, 54.58 min, uploaded by ashikmlakonja, August 31, 2012;   Continue Reading…

Published on ZNet, by Mitchell Szczepanczyk, Nov 25, 2013.

In a time when supposedly nothing is taboo and anything goes and everything is up for re-evaluation, it’s as close to an untouchable taboo catechism as there is in current times: Markets (by which I refer to the formal economic institution of markets) are awesome. Markets are efficient. Markets can do no wrong. Markets are the greatest economic system humans have created, and ever will create. Markets are the best thing since sliced bread and multiple orgasms … // Continue Reading…

in english:

• Richard Werner: Debt Free & Interest Free Money, 7.09 min, uploaded by Charles Bazlinton, May 26, 2011: …  facts about money creation that are at the core of every modern economy. About how the creation of the essential money that is needed to sustain growth is founded on debt. This suits banks, of course. Governments have huge debts, to banks, and few people realise that it does not have to be like this …;  Continue Reading…

in english and in german:

Pale Blue Dot Raumschiff Erde Ein Staubkorn im Universum, 4.00 min, (spoken in english, subtitled in german), uploaded by Daniel kryszkowski,  Sept 14, 2013;

Dr Gregor Gysi DIE LINKE:

• Debatte zu den Abhöraktivitäten der NSA Deutscher Bundestag, 13.04 min, von Daniel kryszkowski am 23. November 20113 hochgeladen;

Continue Reading…

… Nov 20, 2013:

Beyond the constitution, by Gamal Essam El-Din: Major obstacles still lie in the path of implementing the post-30 June political roadmap …;

Radical shifts, by Ahmed Eleiba: The significance of Cairo’s drawing closer to Moscow continues to stir debate …;

A heap of tangled metal, by Reem Leila: Tough talk, by Nader Noureddine: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/4736/17/Tough-talk.aspx
Ethiopia fails to see reason over the River Nile …;   Continue Reading…

on Global Research.ca, by Paul Craig Roberts, Nov 21, 2013.

… The true story of JFK’s murder has never been officially admitted, although the conclusion that JFK was murdered by a plot involving the Secret Service, the CIA, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been well established by years of research … //

… To briefly review, the facts are conclusive that JFK was on terrible terms with the CIA and the Joint Chiefs. He had refused to support the CIA organized Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.  He had rejected the Joint Chiefs’ “Operation Northwoods,” a plan to commit  real and faked acts of violence against Americans, blame Castro and use the false flag events to bring regime change to Cuba.  Continue Reading…

Published on Russia Today RT, Nov 21, 2013.

The University of Nicosia (UNic), one of the major English language universities in the Mediterranean, will become the world’s first to accept bitcoins for tuition. The university will also begin a new Master of Science course in Digital Currency.

According to the university those who wish to pay tuition fees in bitcoins, will be able to use an online merchant processing service or by paying directly to the university’s finance office.   Continue Reading…

Published on Spiegel Online International, by Katrin Kuntz, Jonathan Stock and Bernhard Zand, (Photo Gallery).

Typhoon Haiyan has left entire regions all but inaccessible in the Philippines, while the ensuing chaos has hampered the efforts of relief workers. A country hit by about 10 typhoons a year ought to be better prepared … //

… Aid Catastrophe Follows Typhoon: … //

… Government Unprepared for Disaster:   Continue Reading…

End to privacy? – Published on Russia Today RT, November 19, 2013.

Human rights groups are sounding alarms as Western firms sell mass surveillance technology in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, equipping governments and companies new capabilities to snoop on citizens.

Despite the public outcry over mass global surveillance being carried out by the NSA and the GCHQ, brought to light in May by US whistleblower Edward Snowden, the scandal has not prevented tech companies and countries from closing contracts on spy technology.  Continue Reading…

The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood seeks to promote children’s rights in the new constitution – Published on Al-Ahram weekly online, by Reem Leila, Nov 13, 2013.

The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) is playing a leading role in suggesting amendments to child-related articles in the new constitution and protecting children’s rights.

In coordination with several NGOs the NCCM is calling for the amended constitution to define anyone below 18 years of age as a child and for all children’s rights to be protected regardless of family situation.  Continue Reading…

• Jeremy Hammond Exposed State’s Plan to Criminalize Democratic Dissent, 10.52 min, with Chris Hedges on the Real News Network TRNN, by Paul Jay, November 14, 2013:  on the sentencing of Jeremy Hammond, says there will be no free press without figures like Hammond and Manning;
• Christopher/Chris Hedges on YouTube-search, on en.wikipedia and on World People’s Blog.

• Let’s Build It Together! The Young Turks, 3.26 min, uploaded by The Young Turks TYT, Oct 7, 2013: Homepage;
• NSA – Anonymous, Enough, elite, You are FINISHED, 5.11 min, uploaded by Lea11011, June 25, 2013: to join us on a public IRC channel, go to: webchat.anonops.com channel: #opnsa;
• OpNSA: Anonymous Exposes NSA Supporters’ Financial Ties, 4.31 min, uploaded by The Young Turks TYT, Sept 12, 2013;
• Anonymous NSA on YouTube-search (all languages);
• Wolf-PAC.com;
• The Secret Life of a Superpower, uploaded by mmcetera, March 22, 2013: Ep. 1, 59.28 min, Ep. 2, 59.36 min.

Published on Intrepid Report, by Ellen Brown, J.D., Nov 15, 2013;

In Costa Rica, publicly-owned banks have been available for so long and work so well that people take for granted that any country that knows how to run an economy has a public banking option. Costa Ricans are amazed to hear there is only one public depository bank in the United States (the Bank of North Dakota), and few people have private access to it … //

… The dire effects of the IMF’s austerity measures were confirmed in a 1993 book excerpt by Karen Hansen-Kuhn, titled “Structural Adjustment in Costa Rica: Sapping the Economy.” She noted that Costa Rica stood out in Central America because of its near half-century history of stable democracy and well-functioning government, featuring the region’s largest middle class and the absence of both an army and a guerrilla movement.  Continue Reading…

Published on ZNet, by Robin Hahnel, November 13, 2013.

In the aftermath of the collapse of communism, debate about alternatives to capitalism has divided into three camps: advocates of market socialism, proponents of democratic planning, and supporters of community-based economics.[1] Few anti-capitalists—whether they favor market socialism, democratic planning, or community-based economics—deceive themselves that there is more than a tiny minority in any advanced economy who are ready to replace capitalism at this time. Continue Reading…

Video on Veterans Day on Democracy Now News, from 42.20 min – 58.56, min, Full Interview with Ann Jones, by Amy Goodman, November 11, 2013:

U.S. Veterans Face Staggering Epidemic of Unemployment, Trauma & Suicide

(Book: They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America’s Wars – The Untold Story, by Ann Jones, on Haymarket Books: Ann Jones shines a much-needed light on the dead, wounded, mutilated, brain-damaged, drug-addicted, suicidal, homicidal casualties of our distant wars, taking us on a stunning journey from the devastating moment an American soldier is first wounded in rural Afghanistan to the return home. Beautifully written by an empathetic and critical reporter who knows the price of war).

Today marks Veterans Day, the federal holiday honoring U.S. men and women who have fought in the armed forces. Veterans continue to face extremely high levels of unemployment, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress and homelessness.  Continue Reading…

• The Secret Life of a Superpower, uploaded by TruthExposed, Oct 13, 2013: Part 1, 59.28 min, Part 2, 59.35 min;
• Australian Government spies on all internet users, 4.10 min, uploaded by NEO2012anonymous, Sept 10, 2013: CHANNEL 7 reveals in “The Morning Show”secret plans by Australian Government to spy on all internet users and searches …;
• NSA Blackmailing Obama? Interview with Whistleblower Russ Tice, 11.48 min, uploaded by breakingtheset, July 9, 2013: Abby Martin talks to Russell Tice about how the recent NSA scandal is only scratching the surface of a massive surveillance apparatus …;
• Wikileaks [Full Doc], 50.54 min, uploaded by NEO2012anonymous, May 29, 2013;
• Wikileaks, The Secret Story, a BBC Doc, 29.09 min, uploaded by Steve Criss, May 20, 2013.

See on Economy and Society: WhistleBlower Head of FBI … tells all from NWO.

… why is an epidemic of thievery sweeping America? – Published on The Economic Collapse, by Michael Snyder, November 3, 2013.

Desperate people do desperate things, and it appears that Americans are rapidly becoming a lot more desperate.  An epidemic of thievery is sweeping across America, and authorities are not quite sure what to make of it.  Down in Texas, cattle thieves can get up to $1,500 per head of cattle, and cattle rustling was up nearly 40 percent last year.  As you will read about below, cargo hijacking is becoming much more sophisticated, and it is being estimated that losses from cargo thefts will total about $216 million this year alone.  And for some reason, Tide laundry detergent has become a very hot commodity among common criminals all across America.  Continue Reading…

with his article on the Aboriginal People of Australia – Published on Axis of Logic, by John Pilger, Nov 7, 2013.

… Utopia, a new, epic film on Australia by John Pilger, will be released in cinemas in the UK in November and shown on ITV in December. Tickets are on sale at www.picturehouses.co.uk

In an article for the Guardian, John Pilger describes the suppression of Australia’s bloodied history while veneration for its colonial wars and the rise of militarism excludes the true story of the ‘the greatest expropriation of land in world history’.   Continue Reading…

• Kenyan Women Learn Bio-intensive Farming KHSP, 3.23 min, uploaded by ajwstv, Nov 3, 2011: Kenya—a country of nearly 35 million people—presently produces less than 50% of the food that its population needs to survive. Much of the agricultural land has been depleted by years of chemical-heavy industrial farming, and small-scale growers were long ago forced out of business by cheap subsidized imports from Western nations. Without a strong local agricultural economy, Kenya’s people are at the mercy of international market prices for food, and when prices rise, the poor go hungry …;    Continue Reading…

Published on Russia Today RT, Nov 8, 2013.

The UK is “by far the most important” player on the global financial secrecy market. While only ranked 21 on the Tax Justice Network index, the aggregated web of jurisdictions around the world makes Britain the top router of global financial secrets … //

… Overall Tax Justice Network ranked 82 global financial jurisdictions, 10 of which are directly connected to UK, whose head of state is the British queen. They include places like the fourth-ranked Cayman Islands, fourteenth-ranked Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands ranked 20th.    Continue Reading…

The directors of GCHQ, MI6 and MI5 are to face questions from a parliamentary committee. Here’s what they should be asked – Published on The Guardian, by Nick Hopkins, Nov 6, 2013.

The heads of Britain’s three intelligence agencies – whose identities were once regarded as top secret – will on Thursday give evidence before a parliamentary committee for the first time.

Sir Iain Lobban, the director of Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ, the MI6 (foreign intelligence) chief, Sir John Sawers, and the director general of MI5 (UK’s domestic counter-intelligence), Andrew Parker, will face questions from the intelligence and security committee in a 90-minute session … // Continue Reading…

• Cash Bern: Swiss may grant unconditional income for all, 2.39 min, uploaded by Russia Today RT, Oct 4, 2013: Swiss citizens are demanding a crucial change in the constitution, pushing for the introduction of a guaranteed income for everyone. RT teamed up with RUPTLY video to follow the story.RT’s Peter Oliver is in Bern where supporters of the basic income idea have gathered for a rally;
• unconditional income on YouTube-search;
• Why A Swiss Proposal To Give Every Citizen $2,800 Each Month Is So Radical, on Business Insider, by Adam Taylor, Oct 17, 2013;
• Swiss to vote on 2,500 franc basic income for every adult, on Reuters, Oct 4, 2013;
• unconditional income for all on Google Web-search;   Continue Reading…