Archive | Commentary

Having met in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, the undersigned have agreed on the following Declaration: 1. We reaffirm our commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and in accordance with the related articles of the NPT, recall the right of all State Parties, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, to develop […]

In a recent report, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) found that state and local government employees pay a wage penalty of about four percent for working in the public sector, relative to those at the same age and education level in the private sector.1  In the “raw” data — that is before […]

  Tehran — The Turkish Foreign Minister said at the joint press conference with the Foreign Ministers of Iran and Brazil after signing the trilateral agreement on Tehran Research Reactor fuel: Turkey and Brazil guarantee that, until fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor is delivered to Iran, Iran’s low-enriched uranium will be kept in Turkey. […]

Markets can be irrational, as Keynes famously pointed out, and the Eurozone/Greek crisis is a classic example.  “The markets” for months have been demanding more blood from Greece, as the financial press has continuously and often unquestioningly reported: more commitment to spending cuts, tax increases, and “procyclical” policies that the bondholders, EU authorities, and the […]

Angela Merkel, in the driving seat of an IMF bulldozer, coming to “rescue” Greece Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist.  This cartoon was published by Dromos. | Print

The tremendous success of the April 19-22 World Peoples Summit on Climate Change and Mother Earth Rights held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, has confirmed the well-deserved role of its initiator — Bolivian President Evo Morales — as one of the world’s leading environmental advocates. Since being elected the country’s first indigenous president in 2005, Morales has […]

On May 14, the day before the Minnesota walleye fishing opener, activists from two northern Minnesota Ojibwe bands exercised what they regard as their right to fish off reservation and outside of the state’s prescribed season.  They dubbed their action the “Great Anishinaabe Fish-Off” and held a Stop Treaty Abuse Rally on the shores of […]

15 May 2010 New Delhi We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the unprovoked firing and arson carried out by the Orissa state police against a dharna of farmers and fisher folk opposed to the proposed POSCO steel project in Jagatsingpur district. As per latest reports, today over 100 people have been injured and many shops and […]

What kind of human being in army uniform calmly sits in a building and picks off unarmed civilians with their rifle like shooting targets at a fair?  This is what the Thai army is really like: cowardly, corrupt, brutal.  Time to abolish the Thai army and bring the generals to justice. See this slide show: […]

The transition . . . at the expense of victims of Francoism. Eneko Las Heras, born in Caracas in 1963, is a cartoonist.  This cartoon was published on his blog . . . Y sin embargo se mueve on 9 April 2010.  Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón was indicted, and suspended from his post on 14 […]

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Abhisit’s soldiers have shot dead at least 50 people so far.  Hundreds are injured.  They say there are 500 “terrorists” in the protest site.  Earlier they said that they would use snipers to shoot “terrorists.” The only terrorists are in the government, the army, and the palace. The tyrants say that […]

There seems to be a growing international consensus that the search for a “cold peace” with Iran is a desirable, even essential approach on the part of the international community.  Indeed, successive “war games” at specialised institutions in the United States have shown that bombing Iran’s nuclear installations is militarily unviable.  Even some Israeli and […]

Executive Summary: As recent reports in the media have emphasized, on average, state and local government employees appear to earn more than private-sector workers. But, on average, state and local workers are also older and substantially better educated than private-sector workers.  Half of state and local employees have a four-year college degree or more, and […]

Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist.  See, also, “En estado de sitio la UPR-RP: policía golpea y arresta padre que llevaba suministros a su hijo” (Diálogo Digital, 14 May 2010). | Print

UDD Leadership Statement, 16:13 Bangkok Time, 14 May 2010: 1.  The government must stop the use of force, cease fire, and immediately withdraw troops back to barracks.  The government must end the state of emergency which has been an excuse to kill citizens. 2.  Parliament should be dissolved immediately, and Abhisit and Deputy Sutep must […]

  Anti-Immigrant Law Ethnic Studies Ban More videos and cartoons by Politic Vic may be viewed at <www.politicvic.com>.  See, also, Julianne Hing, “AZ to Teachers: Take Your Accents and Ethnic Studies Outta Here” (RaceWire, 30 April 2010); Julianne Hing, “Arizona’s Gov. Brewer Signs Ethnic Studies Ban Into Law” (RaceWire, 12 May 2010); Dave Zirin, “New […]

Address at the Convocation of the Class of 2010, Asian College of Journalism In 1876, Lord Lytton, who was then Viceroy of India, decided to arrange a massive celebration in Delhi to mark the accession of Queen Victoria as the Kaiser-i-Hind, Empress of India.  The feasting, with all rajas and maharajas in attendance, went on […]

A pair of scissors, made of PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español, Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) and PP (Partido Popular, People’s Party), ready to cut wages, pensions, public investment. . . . Eneko Las Heras, born in Caracas in 1963, is a cartoonist.  This cartoon was published on his blog . . . Y sin embargo […]

The Heritage Foundation recently expressed concern that “unless entitlement spending is reined in, it will consume all federal revenue in just 42 years, with nothing left over for defense.” Interestingly, Heritage made no mention of why entitlement spending is projected to rise so quickly.  The fact is that the federal government is projected to spend […]

What I like most about war is its budget. Tomás Rafael Rodríguez Zayas (Tomy) is a Cuban cartoonist. This cartoon was first published by Granma.  Translation by Yoshie Furuhashi (@yoshiefuruhashi | yoshie.furuhashi [at] gmail.com).  | Print