There are few terms in our political vocabulary as damning as ‘fanatic’. Beyond tolerance and impervious to communication, the fanatic stands outside the frame of political rationality, possessed by a violent conviction that brooks no argument and will only rest, if ever, once every rival view or way of life is eradicated. A fanatic, Winston […]
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Monthly Review Magazine
Turkey’s Political Shift
Part 1 Aijaz Ahmad: Israel, which is completely isolated in the region, is very unhappy about the fact that Turkey is rising as a power which is establishing very productive and extensive contacts in the region. Israel was very happy when both of them were completely isolated in the region: Turkey was in the […]
How to Fight Islamophobia and the Far Right, in Europe and the United States
An alarming trend is sweeping Europe. Far-right parties, using anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric, have made electoral gains in several European countries. In the June European parliament elections, these parties were able to garner votes in a way they haven’t before. The British National Party (BNP), which has its roots in fascist parties of the past, […]
Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa Rescued by Armed Forces
From the Carondelet Palace, President Correa expressed his condemnation of the attitude of police. He congratulated the people for their courage. With such loyalty no one can defeat us, he said. He thanked the world leaders and organizations that expressed their support for the government. He declared that Ecuador will not submit to anyone. […]
The Crisis of Poverty in America
Testimony before the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus Hearing on “An Emergency Response to the Crisis of Poverty in America,” 30 September 2010. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today to the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus on the poverty crisis facing America. In 2009, the national poverty rate hit 14.3 percent, […]
Attempted Coup in Ecuador Fails, But Threat Remains
In June of last year, when the Honduran military overthrew the social democratic government of Manuel Zelaya, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador took it personally. “We have intelligence reports that say that after Zelaya, I’m next,” said Correa. Yesterday it turned out to be true. Some analysts are still insisting that what happened was just […]
Ecuadoran Armed Forces Affirm Respect for State of Law
General Ernesto González, Chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Ecuador: “The Armed Forces of Ecuador, as determined by the Constitution, is an institution to protect the rights, guarantees, and freedoms of Ecuadoran citizens. Therefore, we respect the state of law. We, the Armed Forces, are an institution organized by, led by, […]
Incredible News
As I was concluding some Reflections on the dismissal of Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba, incredible news began to arrive from Ecuador. I’ve spent hours listening to it. Minute by minute, ferment is growing. At 5:12 PM, Cuban time, condemnations of the coup are proliferating. The most prestigious Latin American leaders, such as Chávez and Evo, […]
Contingent in Oct. 2 Jobs Rally to Demand: “Money for Jobs, Not War or Sanctions against Iran!”
On Oct. 2, tens of thousands of people from across the United States — members of civil rights organizations, labor unions, community groups and religious institutions — will rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to demand “Jobs, Justice and Education!” (See www.onenationworkingtogether.org.) As part of this effort, the peace movement is mobilizing […]
Nature, Forests, and Indigenous Peoples Are Not for Sale
Indigenous brothers of the world: I am deeply concerned because some are attempting to use certain indigenous leaders and groups to promote the commodification of nature and in particular of forests through the establishment of the REDD (Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) mechanism and its versions REDD+ and REDD++. Every day an expanse […]
71% of Aid to the Palestinians Ends Up in the Israeli Economy
The article “Palestinian Economic Dependency on Israel,”1 published on the Alternative Information Center’s website on 23 September 2010, briefly mentioned official development assistance (ODA) to Palestinians.2 This article will elaborate more fully on foreign aid to the Palestinians, particularly in relation to the Israeli economy. Trade Deficit The Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) has an […]
Ecuadoran Armed Forces Announce That Order Is Gradually Being Restored in the Country
Admiral Jorge Gross, chief of Joint Task Force 2 of the Ecuadoran Armed Forces, said that the armed forces are gradually taking control of the situation in the country. He announced that during the five days of the state of emergency his task force will have the responsibility to maintain order in the Ecuadoran territory. […]
As’ad AbuKhalil: “The Shift from a Unipolar US World to a Multipolar World Is Overstated”
As’ad AbuKhalil, or Angry Arab as he is more commonly known after his blog The Angry Arab News Service, is in real life a most friendly and forthcoming man. A Lebanese-born author of four books on the Middle East, he is professor of political science at California State University and is visiting professor at […]
PFLP Suspends Its Participation in PLO Executive Committee to Protest Return to Negotiations
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine announced in a press conference on September 25, 2010 that it was suspending its participation in the PLO Executive Committee in response to Abu Mazen’s return to negotiations and the illegitimate “approval” of the EC for this dangerous action. At a press conference held in Ramallah led […]
Feel No Pain: Why a Deficit in Times of High Unemployment Is Not a Burden
With the economy suffering from near double-digit unemployment, public debate is dominated by concerns over the budget deficit and national debt. This discussion is unfortunate both because there is no reason for people to be concerned about the deficit at present, and more importantly, because it discourages action on the unemployment crisis that is devastating […]
Actually Existing Capitalism
Michael Norton (of Harvard Business School) and Dan Ariely (of Duke) have released results (pdf) from a series of experiments they did in 2005 on the subject of wealth inequality. They asked individuals in a nationally representative online panel to (1) estimate the current US distribution of wealth and (2) “build a better America” by […]
Iran and Iraq: War Anniversary Focused on Youth Friendship
27 September 2010 Iranian and Iraqi youth were the stars at a 24 September ceremony to celebrate peace between their countries. On this date thirty years ago began the eight-year Iran‐Iraq war that killed and injured hundreds of thousands of both sides. With a whole generation of orphans wishing to prevent future conflicts, the focus […]
Venezuelan Election: Neither Surprising Nor Game-Changing
Yesterday’s election for 165 representatives in the National Assembly is significant but unlikely to bring about major change in Venezuela, despite the opposition having done better than expected. As this article goes to press, the pro-government United Socialist Party won 94 seats, with 60 for the opposition Democratic Unity, five for other parties, and the […]
House Sales Remain Weak in August
The sales rate for existing homes in August bounced back slightly from the low hit in July, but it remains well below the tax-credit-driven pace earlier in the year. Existing homes sold at a 4,130,000 annual rate in August. This was 7.6 percent above the July rate, but was more than 20 percent below the […]
29 September 2010
Eneko Las Heras, born in Caracas in 1963, is a cartoonist based in Spain. This cartoon was first published on his blog . . . Y sin embargo se mueve on 27 September 2010. 29 September 2010 is a European Day of Action — “No to Austerity! Priority for Jobs and Growth!” — called by […]
