Archive | Commentary

Following close on the United Socialist Party of Venezuela’s (PSUV) electoral victory in the November 23 regional elections, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez re-proposed a constitutional reform that would allow indefinite re-election.  The first attempt, bundled with various constitutional amendments that would have accelerated economic restructuring, was defeated 51 to 49 percent in December 2007. Predictably, […]

Thursday, 29 January 2009 On 29 January, the united mobilization organized by the initiative of all trade unions resulted in very broad participation in the strikes in many sectors and demonstrations of rare magnitude.  It’s a resounding rejection of the “gravediggers” of unionism. Several million workers in the private and public sectors, the unemployed, the […]

Liberals swooning over President Barack Obama’s recent speechmaking are also much impressed by his rhetorical overtures to Arabs and Muslims, first articulated during his inaugural address and reiterated on a major Arabic-language news channel. The sharp divergence in tone and tenor from Bush’s rhetoric is certainly welcome after eight years of hubris and arrogance. Quoting […]

Hadash (the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality – Communist Party of Israel) launched its new election campaign on Monday, January 26, 2009, facing the general elections to be held on February 10.  The campaign’s focus is the fight against fascism and racism. The Arab-Jewish front’s new campaign slogan is “Jews and Arabs Refuse to […]

The UGTG Appeal to the International Democratic Movement of Workers Dear comrades and friends, The French colonial authority is getting ready to suppress the workers, youth, and people of Guadeloupe as well as their organizations. In response to the call of 47 trade unions, political organizations, consumer associations, popular organizations, and cultural associations, a general […]

The torture of prisoners in US custody is not only found in military prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo.  If President Obama is serious about ending US support for torture, he can start here in Louisiana. The Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola is already notorious for a range of offenses, including keeping former Black Panthers […]

After Bolivia’s new constitution was passed in a national referendum on Sunday, thousands gathered in La Paz to celebrate.  Standing on the balcony of the presidential palace, President Evo Morales addressed a raucous crowd: “Here begins a new Bolivia.  Here we begin to reach true equality.” Polls conducted by Televisión Boliviana announced that the document […]

La Paz, 25 January (ABI) — The new Political Constitution of the State (CPE) was approved this Sunday with 61.96% of the votes in the constitutional referendum, according to the exit poll results broadcast by Televisión Boliviana (TVB), Channel 7. The No vote, on the other hand, obtained 36.52%.  Blank and null votes together constituted […]

On Tuesday, December 9, the anti-immigrant lobbyists at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) held a press conference in downtown Washington, DC to promote their “Immigration Reform Agenda for the 111th Congress.” The press conference followed the new line that groups like FAIR have adopted since the financial crisis broke out last September.  Undocumented […]

25 January 2009 Today’s referendum on Bolivia’s new constitution took place on a rare sunny day for this time of year in La Paz.  Since traffic is prohibited on voting day, families taking advantage of the abnormally quiet streets walked their dogs, ate ice cream, and strolled into the local schools to vote. Across the […]

London, 24 January 2009 Salma Yaqoob, Councilor, Birmingham, Respect Shahrar Ali, Policy Coordinator, London Green Party Azzam Tamimi, Director, Institute of Islamic Political Thought Maryam Abu Daya Lindsey German, Convener, Stop the War Coalition Danny, Age 11 Bill Morris, Former General Secretary, Transport and General Workers’ Union (the first Black leader of a British trade […]

First, Prime Minister Geir Haarde.  Then, Commerce Minister Bjorgvin Sigurdsson.  Now, Jónas Fr. Jónsson, director of the Financial Supervisory Authority (FME), and the entire FME board.  Ministers and officials are quitting one by one, unable to withstand the wrath of the people of Iceland demanding their immediate resignation.  Haarde’s proposal that new elections be held […]

  The Israeli Embassy in Greece, in the name of Ambassador Ali Yahya, sent three bottles of wine as a holiday gift to Theodoros Pangalos.  Pangalos returned the gift, thanking the ambassador in the following letter. Dear Mr. Ambassador, Thank you for the three bottles of wine that you sent me as a holiday gift.  […]

There is an urgent need for humanitarian aid in Gaza.  So far, the death toll is more than 1,200, including nearly 300 children.  Pictures broadcast around the world prompted the UK Disasters Emergency Committee, an organization which brings together 13 of the UK’s biggest charities, including the Red Cross and Oxfam, to broadcast an appeal […]

Plaza Murillo, La Paz Cochabamba On Thursday, January 22, the last day of campaigning for the new constitution before the document is set to a vote on Sunday, January 25th, representatives from Bolivia’s diverse social movements convened in downtown La Paz.  The rally, located in the Plaza Murillo, marked the end of over two years […]

  In January 1984, mass movements began to rise again in Brazil.  The working class was reorganizing, accumulating organic forces.  Underground parties, such as the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), etc., were already in the streets.  We had won only a partial amnesty, but a majority of exiles had returned. […]

UE Local 1110 members — the workers who occupied Chicago’s Republic Windows and Doors Plant in December and won — are visiting with, and being hosted by, labor and community groups from Michigan to Vermont during the next several weeks. Join Jobs with Justice, UE, and other groups in celebrating the successful resistance at Republic […]

I have a six-year-old son.  His name is Jin-Gyu.  He lives off me, yet he is quite capable of making a living.  I pay for his lodging, food, education, and health care.  But millions of children of his age already have jobs.  Daniel Defoe figured out in the 18th century that children are able to […]

Federazione Impiegati Operai Metallurgici nazionale (FIOM), the largest metalworkers union in Italy, whose membership numbers 360,000, called for prosecution of Israeli officials for war crimes and suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement as well as of the military cooperation agreement between Italy and Israel.  The following is FIOM’s 13 January 2009 statement on Gaza published […]

This is the story of a Canadian woman who started to explore economic issues.  The difficulties she encountered along the way led her to the conclusion that there are certain questions that can’t be answered theoretically but only practically, by people like herself.  The same discovery could have been made by someone, male or female, […]