To watch my country of birth unravel has been a curious thing. As the Taliban continues to sweep across vast swaths of northern Pakistan, American pundits and officials ask incredulously, “How can their government let this happen? How can their people let this happen?” The United States looks on anxiously like a jolted passerby watching […]
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The Union Premium
Countless academics have sought to measure the tangible benefits of being a union member. The difference between union and non-union wages, often referred to as the “union premium,” can be calculated in many different ways. It’s a profoundly complex field. . . . Here’s a classic example of the poop one has to wade […]
Indonesia: Tough Times for Returning Labor Migrants
JAKARTA, 14 May 2009 (IRIN) — For Risti Ariyani, the dream of working abroad and helping her family is over. Her contract with a computer components factory in Malaysia was abruptly cancelled because of the global financial crisis, leaving her no choice but to return home to Central Jaffa Province. “My family was counting on […]
Pope’s Political “Pilgrimage” to Israel
Pope Benedict XVI upset the schedule on his first day in Israel by leaving an interfaith meeting in Jerusalem early on Monday night after a leading Muslim cleric called on him to condemn the “slaughter” of women and children in the recent assault on Gaza. The pontiff walked out, a spokesman noted, because Sheikh Tayseer […]
Tariq Ali: “Nobody in Washington Knows What the War Aim Is”
Tariq Ali says in an interview with Der Standard: To continue its war in Afghanistan, the US accepts the risk of destabilizing Pakistan. But only a regional diplomatic approach can help. STANDARD: How would you evaluate the danger often invoked today that Pakistan is collapsing and its nuclear weapons may fall into the hands […]
Climate Change Biggest Threat to Health, New Study
JOHANNESBURG, 14 May 2009 (IRIN) — Climate change will be the biggest global health threat in the 21st century, but little is known about its possible effects on developing countries, where the impact will be felt most, says a new report. “Information that is reliable, accurate, and disseminated is fundamental for effective adaptation and to […]
US Pakistan Policy Is Floundering
Aijaz Ahmad and Paul Jay
Paul Jay: So, we left off the first segment of the interview with you suggesting that there really doesn’t seem to be any kind of sensible strategy of the US in Pakistan and Afghanistan. What would the sensible strategy be right now? Obama seems to have . . . it’s very strange, they assessed the […]
The Difference between Bush and Obama
Click here to download a high-resolution image. Carlos Latuff is a Brazilian cartoonist.
Peru: Indigenous People Declare the Real State of Emergency
On May 9, 2009, the Peruvian government declared a state of emergency in the regions of Loreta, Amazonas, Cusco, and Ucalyali — where thousands of indigenous people have mobilized against several new laws that threaten to strip away their indigenous land rights. In effect, the state of emergency (SoE) is a “declaration of war” against […]
One World Ecology
John Bellamy Foster, editor of Monthly Review and professor of sociology at the University of Oregon, is the author of The Ecological Revolution: Making Peace with the Planet, just published by Monthly Review Press. He gave this talk in Eugene, Oregon, on 23 May 2006.
Action Boycott Israel in Montigny, Paris Region
This action was led by the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA), especially Omar Slaouti, who heads the NPA list in Île-de-France, as well as by Senator Alima Boumediene-Thiery (Greens), conducted in a clear, educational fashion, with the participation of many local politicians. The NPA walks the walk, demonstrating that the call for the boycott of […]
US Policy Makes Things Worse in Pakistan
Aijaz Ahmad and Paul Jay
Paul Jay: So, President Karzai has just been in Washington, President Zardari has been in Washington, meeting President Obama. What effect are the policies of the three presidents having in Pakistan? Aijaz Ahmad: We know that the pressure from the United States that has been mounted over the last two weeks has led to […]
Shield the Commodity Markets against Excessive Speculation
The latest economic indicators in the United States and other industrial countries suggest that economic decline might finally be coming to an end and a recovery can begin by late 2009. Once it starts, however, the global recovery can face a new potential threat from rapidly rising commodity prices, particularly for oil, food, and […]
Our Everyday Crisis
Among leftists and fighters against the system, the predominant idea is usually that the current crisis is “their” crisis, a crisis of capital and capitalists, which has dramatic consequences for the world of labor. It turns out to be very difficult to accept that we, too, are going through “our” crisis, a crisis of our […]
From Blunder to Blunder in Afghanistan
“I also made it clear that the United States will work with our Afghan and international partners to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties as we help the Afghan government combat our common enemy,” US President Barack Obama promised. He received his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari at […]
Africa: Tractored Out by “Land Grabs”?
JOHANNESBURG, 11 May 2009 (IRIN) — Rich countries and firms are leasing or buying massive tracts of land in developing nations for the production of food or biofuel. An area equivalent to Germany’s farmed land is at stake, and tens of billions of dollars on offer. On the plus side, agro-industrial production could develop underused […]
The Obama Government’s First Massacre
One may have more or less sympathy for the new US president, more or less believe in his words, more or less value the change in the US government’s tone when handling its differences with other governments. But there is a limit when it comes to judging the character of a president and a government. […]
Hundreds of Thousands Displaced by Fighting in Pakistan Highlands
MARDAN DISTRICT, Pakistan, May 8 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said Friday there was a situation of “massive displacement” in north-west Pakistan, as the confrontation between government forces and militants becomes more widespread and people take advantage of the partial lifting of curfews to move into safer areas. The provincial government estimates between […]
Manage Afghan Labour Migration to Curb Irregular Flow to Iran, Study Urges
A study of Afghan deportees from Iran has revealed that economic pressures are the main reasons behind the increase in irregular population movements from Afghanistan, and that illegal human smuggling from Afghanistan has thrived despite the range of restrictive and deterrent measures adopted. Analyzing the factors that drive Afghan migrants into Iran and the […]
Iran Urges International NGOs to Help Refugees There
DUBAI, 10 May 2009 (IRIN) — The Iranian government is seeking greater assistance from international NGOs to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Some international NGOs already work with refugees in Iran, but several left the country earlier this decade because of difficult working conditions. […]
