Geography Archives: Americas

  • To End the Israeli-Arab Conflict [En finir avec le conflit israélo-arabe]

    Nous appelons, alors que le Moyen-Orient est plongé dans sa crise la plus grave depuis des années, à une action urgente de la part de la communauté internationale en vue d’un règlement global au conflit israélo-arabe. Nous sommes tous perdants dans ce conflit, à l’exception des extrémistes, qui prospèrent à travers le monde en exploitant […]

  • Devil’s on the Loose: A Review of Forrest Hylton’s Evil Hour in Colombia

    EVIL HOUR IN COLOMBIA by Forrest HyltonBUY THIS BOOK There was a period in the 1990s when I honestly thought that Colombia would become Washington’s next Vietnam.  Instead, it turns out that the counterinsurgency assisted financially and militarily by Washington is more like the so-called low-intensity conflicts waged by Washington and its clients in Central […]

  • Oppose H.R. 6198, the “Iran Freedom Support Act”

    On Friday the Senate is expected to vote on legislation passed Thursday by the House that would tighten U.S. sanctions on Iran and on our allies who trade with Iran.  This legislation would undermine the negotiations with Iran that are currently taking place in Europe.  Press reports have indicated that the talks in Europe could […]

  • Lebanon: Reflexions and Lessons [Liban: Réflexions et Leçons]

      Face à l’évènement, certains veulent faire supporter à la Résistance tout le poids de cette guerre.  C’est endosser l’erreur.  La grande majorité des analystes politiques internationaux savent que cette guerre était prévue à courte échéance, avec ou sans prétexte ; Israël ne manque pas d’en créer au besoin.  Souvenons-nous de l’invasion de 1982 : […]

  • The Privatization of God

    Custom-made for the Consumer In the 17th century, Blaise Pascal, a genius of mathematics, wrote that men never do evil with greater pleasure than when they do it with religious conviction.  This idea — from a deeply religious man — has taken a variety of different forms since.  During the last century, the greatest crimes […]

  • It’s Not Race or Class — It’s Race and Class: An Interview with Roderick Bush

    WE ARE NOT WHAT WE SEEM: Black Nationalism and Class Struggle in the American Century by Roderick D. BushBUY THIS BOOK Roderick Bush is an Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at St. John’s University in New York.  He is the author of We Are Not What We Seem: Black Nationalism and Class Struggle in […]

  • Venezuela and South Africa: Redistributive Policies vs. Neo-liberal Economic Policies

    Traveling to both Venezuela and South Africa this past summer, through my work as an academic sociologist, I was able to observe firsthand two radically different approaches to “third world” development: a “redistributive approach” in Venezuela, and a set of basically neo-liberal economic policies in South Africa.  Although this was not a consciously designed research […]

  • Myths as Collective Metaphors [Mitos como metáforas colectivas]

    Y el mito y la leyenda son en el fondo metáforas colectivas, o sea, maneras de expresión que la historia encuentra para revelarse a pesar del silencio obligatorio, y a pesar de la obligatoria mentira. El mito, por citarte un ejemplo, el mito de Túpac Amaru . . . verdad . . . es de […]

  • U.S. Religious Leaders Meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

      Nearly 45 religious leaders from Christian and Muslim faith backgrounds met with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sept. 20, in an open discussion about the role religious communities can play in reversing the deepening crisis between Iran and the United States. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the Iranian leader and leaders from […]

  • Iran: Calls for Dialogue with the United States

      “We believe the production or use of nuclear weapons is immoral.” — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Hours after he spoke to the United Nations, the Iranian president made this clear, unequivocal statement to a group of us during a private meeting in New York.  The Mennonite Central Committee organized an extraordinary, private session for […]

  • Soliz Rada Says That Oil Companies Impose Conditions [Soliz Rada dice que las petroleras ponen condiciones]

    SUBVENCIÓN • Las empresas quieren que los precios de los combustibles sean desregulados. • LA DESPEDIDA EN EL MINISTERIO • Carlos Villegas (izq.) estrecha la mano de Andrés Soliz, quien renunció a su cargo por discrepancias con algunas autoridades del Poder Ejecutivo. Las empresas petroleras que negocian con el Gobierno los nuevos contratos de operación […]

  • Class Struggle and Socialist Revolution in the Philippines: Understanding the Crisis of U.S. Hegemony, Arroyo State Terrorism, and Neoliberal Globalization

      Prodded by Amnesty International (AI), the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Asian Human Rights Commission, Reporters Without Borders, and other international organizations, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently cobbled a group to look into the allegations of massive human rights violations — over 729 victims of extrajudicial killings, and 180 involuntary “disappearances,” by the latest count — during her […]

  • Same-Sex Love in India: Open Letters against Section 377

    To the Government of India, Members of the Judiciary, and All Citizens, To build a truly democratic and plural India, we must collectively fight against laws and policies that abuse human rights and limit fundamental freedoms. This is why we, concerned Indian citizens and people of Indian origin, support the overturning of Section 377 of […]

  • One of the Goals Is to Open Offices in Various Countries of the World: CIM Is Determined Not to Repeat Errors of the Socialism of the 20th Century [Una de las metas es abrir sedes en varios países del mundo Instan a no repetir errores del socialismo del siglo XX]

    Michael Lebowitz, Martha Harnecker y Luis Bonilla.  Credito: MIGUEL ACURERO Caracas.  A pesar de tener activo cinco meses, ayer viernes fue presentado oficialmente el Centro Internacional Miranda (CMI), que tendrá como objetivo determinar los aspectos ideológicos que enmarcarán el proceso de transformación del país hacia el modo del socialismo del siglo XXI, con la participación […]

  • Centro Internacional Miranda

      Caracas, 27 August 2006 Dear Friend, It is my great pleasure, on behalf of the Centro Internacional Miranda (CIM, Miranda International Centre), to contact you to tell you that the Centro Internacional Miranda now exists.  As a sympathizer with and an activist in the Bolivarian cause, we value your cooperation highly and we hope […]

  • The Irish Soldiers of Mexico

    One of the least-known stories of the Irish who came to America in the 1840s is that of the Irish battalion that fought on the Mexican side in the U.S.-Mexico War of 1846-1848.  They came to Mexico and died, some gloriously in combat, others ignominiously on the gallows.  United under a green banner, they participated […]

  • Mexico at the Edge:Toward a Declaration of Dual Power

    Mexico stands at the brink of a social upheaval of major proportions after the Electoral Tribunal threw out most challenges by presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, leading him to call for the creation of a new government.  (See “Election Decision Favors Felipe Calderon of the Pan.”)  In the face of what he calls a […]

  • Last Words [Ultimas palabras]

    Seguramente, ésta será la última oportunidad en que pueda dirigirme a ustedes.  La Fuerza Aérea ha bombardeado las antenas de Radio Magallanes.  Mis palabras no tienen amargura sino decepción.  Que sean ellas un castigo moral para quienes han traicionado su juramento: soldados de Chile, comandantes en jefe titulares, el almirante Merino, que se ha autodesignado […]

  • Preface to the Turkish Edition of Naming the System

      I am honored to write this preface to the Turkish edition of my book, Naming the System: Inequality and Work in the Global Economy.  I thank Neset Kutlug and everyone else who helped bring this edition to fruition.  I wrote the book with an international audience in mind, so it is gratifying to see […]

  • Address at the Washington National Cathedral, 7 September 2006

      In the Name of God Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, “As-Salam-u-‘Alaikum” — Peace be upon you. Knowledge of the human soul has been one of the most significant debates in philosophical discourse throughout history.  A part of this tale was written in the Orient and another part in the Occident.  It is important to […]