Archive | Commentary

I would like to help organize, both at a national and a local level, a network of stewards’ councils.  Such a group would both strengthen existing unions and help organize new members into the labor movement. Stewards are the vital heart of the union movement.  We are the front line leaders in constant contact with […]

Doug Minkler is a San Francisco Bay Area artist specializing in fundraising, outreach, and educational posters. Minkler has collaborated with ILWU, Rainforest Action Network, SF Mime Troupe, ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild, CISPES, United Auto Workers, Africa Information Network, ADAPT, Cop Watch, Street Sheet, and Veterans for Peace among others. He can be contacted at […]

El ángel del Señor anunció en la víspera. . . El corazón de El Salvador marcaba 24 de marzo y de agonía. Tú ofrecías el Pan, el Cuerpo Vivo — el triturado cuerpo de tu Pueblo; Su derramada Sangre victoriosa — ¡la sangre campesina de tu Pueblo en masacre que ha de teñir en vinos […]

Men cannot be sacrificed to the machine.  The machine must serve mankind, yet the danger to the human race lurks, menacing, in the industrial region. — Scott Nearing, Poverty & Riches Scott Nearing was a frequent contributor to Monthly Review.   His column “World Events” ran in Monthly Review from 1953 to 1972. Bhagat Singh, 23 […]

Tom Leedham, principal officer of Teamsters Local 206 in Oregon, is challenging IBT President James Hoffa on a reform slate in this year’s Teamster elections.  Leedham’s Strong Contracts/Good Pensions slate — and its rank-and-file supporters — won a big victory when their campaign was accredited for the 2006 International elections. In just over a month, […]

How stupid do they think we are?  The administration has been on the road these past few days trying to package the war in Iraq as a success.  Bush insists that the war is going well and that the US will stay on until final victory and eternal democracy.  Dick Cheney told the world that […]

Click on the image for a larger view. Huibin Amee Chew is active in anti-imperialist, feminist, and immigrant rights activism in Boston.  She can be reached at .

On 20 March 2006, the North East Peace and Justice Action Coalition, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, and other groups surrounded the Federal Building, to bring the troops home now.  The Albany Times-Union sized up the crowd as 200 people.  High school students from Albany High, college students from SUNY Albany, and at least one military […]

  The demonstration of about 100 received favorable coverage by a local newspaper: “Protesters Want Soldiers, Dollars Home” (The Pantagraph 19 March 2006). Click on an image for a larger view. Jan Cox is a co-chair of Bloomington-Normal Citizens for Peace and Justice.

Of all the types and genres of film that exist, the rarest of all may be the autumnal masterpiece.  What explains the infrequent sightings of this cinematic marvel?  It is not that filmmakers somehow lose their talent at a particular age, but rather that, the industry being a slave of fashion, they lose the ability […]

C’est ainsi que cela se passe Tu marches et tu décides de t’arrêter La foule est dense et indomptée Tu es en queue de manifestation Ton walkman sur les oreilles pour ne plus entendre Les mugissements des animaux sauvages Casqués, masqués, harnachés Matant et piégeant les graines de rébellion Tu t’assieds La fatigue t’assaille Trop […]

Although the corporate media gave a lot more coverage than usual to this year’s Vancouver rally, what they did provide was as inaccurate as ever.  A realistic crowd estimate for the Vancouver march and rally would be in the 3,000-4,000 range. Yet CBC Radio was running 500, The Province newspaper had 1000, and the TV […]

The demo in Perth on 18 March 2006 was attended by about a thousand people, down substantially from the size of demos before the beginnng of the Iraq War. The majority of people out in downtown Perth on Saturday were shopping. They weren’t hostile — rather, openly indifferent or mildly curious about the people who […]

10,000 people, with a strong labor feeder march and speakers from Venezuela! Quite encouraging! Click on the image for a larger view. Michael Dawson works for pay as a paralegal and sociology teacher in Portland, Oregon.  He is presently writing a book, Automobiles Ueber Alles: Corporate Capitalism and Transportation in America, forthcoming from Monthly Review […]

The anti-war rally at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio on 18 March 2006 attracted a crowd of 800 (according to Associated Press) to 1,500 (according to WCMH). After the rally, a group of young activists marched on to the headquarters of the Ohio Democratic and Republican Parties, chanting, “We don’t need parties like these, we […]

Monsieur le Premier Ministre, retirez votre CPE !Une fois de plus les manifestations contre le CPE ont été un énorme succès.  Ce sont plus d’un million et demi de personnes qui sont descendus dans les rues pour faire comprendre au Premier Ministre qu’ils ne veulent que le retrait pur et simple du CPE. Beaucoup de […]

No wonder capitalist societies are coming apart at the seams.  Trust is supposed to be the bond that holds a society together, and trust is based on truth.  But so often have government leaders asserted their “right” to lie, to manage the news, and to contrive to deceive the public that large numbers of people […]

1,000 Canadians braved the cold weather (-20 C with wind chill) to demonstrate at the U.S. Embassy, calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan (Canada has 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, currently heading up the NATO occupation force there [with U.S. air cover]). Richard Fidler with his friend Marvin Gandall Richard Fidler is […]

Susette Kelo (Photo by Isaac Reese, 2004 / © Institute for Justice) “Justices OK land grabs!”  “Property rights under attack!”  “No homeowner safe from government!”  “The sky is falling!”  So argued critics from across the political spectrum in response to a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding a municipality’s use of eminent domain power to […]

Los datos divulgados recientemente por el Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV) confirman que la economía venezolana exhibió un crecimiento de 10,2% en el cuarto trimestre de 2005 en relación con el mismo período del año anterior, acumulando la novena alza consecutiva a partir del último trimestre de 2003.  El resultado final del PIB en 2005 […]