One way to evaluate the seriousness of the Trudeau government’s stated objectives in seeking to oust Venezuela’s elected government is to examine their policies elsewhere in the region.
Archive | August, 2020
Five graphic novels and cartoons to politicise and criticise
Comics, graphic novels, narrative drawing, illustrated fiction–call it what you like–is a growing arena for serious social and political commentary.
Alba TV’s new model for communication: A conversation with Pablo Kunich
The coordinator of a media platform that works with social movements talks to VA about the history and challenges of popular communication.
The filthy hypocrisy of America’s “clean” China-free internet
The Trump administration wants to keep other countries from weaponizing technology the way the U.S. and its allies already have.
American left silence on China helps lay foundation for the U.S.’ New Cold War
When it comes to China, Democracy Now, Jacobin, The Nation and others on the imperial-minded U.S. ‘left” are allies of white supremacy.
Ask an expert: Congress plans to spend billions on dangerous, unnecessary nuclear weapons
This week is the 75th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only time nuclear bombs have been used in a conflict—and one could only hope the last time. To commemorate the anniversary, I thought it would be appropriate to devote this column to taking a hard look at current U.S. nuclear […]
Another Hiroshima is coming…. Unless we stop it now
In a major essay to mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, John Pilger describes reporting from five ‘ground zeros’ for nuclear weapons – from Hiroshima to Bikini, Nevada to Polynesia and Australia. He warns that unless we take action now, China is next.
Do not reach for the sky just to surrender
The novel coronavirus continues its march through the world, with 18 million confirmed cases and at least 685,000 deaths. Of these, the United States of America, Brazil, and India are the worst-hit, harbouring about half of the world’s cases.
Some come, others go
On Saturday, crowds came to Berlin from all over Germany for a huge mass parade, estimated at 17,000 to 20,000. The big crowd in Berlin, after picking up steam for weeks with smaller rallies, insisted that the whole corona virus pandemic had ended or maybe hadn’t really existed at all!
Bolivia begins the week with an indefinite general strike and roadblocks
In the early hours of this Monday morning, the indefinite general strike and roadblocks began throughout Bolivia, called by the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) and the organizations that constitute the Unity Pact, which demand that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal respect the election date established by law for September 6.
Document exposes new U.S. plot to overthrow Nicaragua’s elected socialist gov’t
A disturbing new document outlines plans for a U.S. regime-change scheme against Nicaragua’s elected leftist government, overseen by USAID, to bring about a “market economy” and a purge of Sandinistas.
A review of Andreas Malm’s Corona, Climate, Chronic Emergency: War Communism in the Twenty-First Century
What can a virus tell us about climate breakdown, in its causation and in humanity’s response?
Seeking peace on the Korean Peninsula
Although the date drew little notice in the U.S. media, July 27, 2020 marked the 67th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, an agreement that ended the fighting but not the war between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).
Dossier 31: ‘The Politic of Blood’: Political Repression in South Africa
In his famous speech from the dock in April 1964, Nelson Mandela spoke of ‘revolutionary democracy’ rooted in precolonial forms of collective deliberation and decision making.
Happy Birthday: Critique of Dialectical Reason!
On the 60th anniversary of Jean-Paul Sartre’s key text on Marxism, Robert Boncardo shows us why it is still relevant, and urgently needed, today.
Media’s ‘cancel culture’ debate obscures direct threats to first amendment
A short and rather vaguely worded open letter published in Harper’s Magazine(7/7/20) earlier this month caused an unlikely media storm that continues to rumble on.
A tale of two Chomskys: Cancel culture vs. neoliberal hegemonic soft power
Noam Chomsky has been writing about the lack of democracy under neoliberal hegemony for decades, which is why I was so surprised that he signed the recent Harper’s Letter.
Black August and Black liberation: “study, fast, train, fight.”
The struggle for African/Black freedom in the United States began with the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to this territory in 1619.
How Trump managed to lead the World with the worst response to COVID-19 pandemic
Six months ago, on January 30, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Ten days before this, the Chinese government had said—to great alarm—that the coronavirus could be transmitted from human to human.
China & U.S. power
Can China do much to fight back against the power wielded by the U.S. in the world economy? At first sight, that looks unlikely. China is big, but world trade is conducted in dollars, and the U.S. has economic, political and military influence across the globe.
