(2021-12-09). "We Are Chun Tae-il!": the South Korean workers struggle continues. peoplesdispatch.org It is a cloudy afternoon on November 13. | A young man steps out into the streets of Seoul, holding a copy of the South Korean labor laws. Gasoline fire consumes his body with every step. With labor movements suffocated by the regime, this is his last declaration against inhuman exploitation. | "We are not machines," he cries through the flames. "Do not let my death be in vain!" | His name is Chun Tae-il. | Fifty-one years later, clouds once again fill the sky on November 13. | The shrill sound of whistles pierce the air. The police have already cordoned off the site of Chun's immolation to prevent the workers fr…
(2021-12-09). Does the Deepening Crisis in Turkey Manifest an End to the Erdogan Era? journal-neo.org 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is experiencing his worst moments as head of state today. Social and political tensions in the country are becoming increasingly evident. The economy is collapsing, the value of the national currency is relentlessly falling, and the number of poor people is skyrocketing. According to recently published data, the nation's citizens …
(2021-12-09). China Plays a Crucial Role Supporting Progress and Sovereignty in Latin America. orinocotribune.com By Carlos Martinez — Dec 6, 2021 | In the last two decades, economic links between Latin America and the People's Republic of China have been expanding at a dizzying rate. | Bilateral trade in 2000 was just $12 billion (1 per cent of Latin American's total trade); now it stands at $315bn. In the same time period, China's foreign direct investment in Latin America has increased by a factor of five. | Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, 19 of the 33 countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region have signed up to the China-led global infrastructure development strategy. | Infrastruc…
(2021-12-09). Sri Lankan public section workers stage strike seeking salary hike. peoplesdispatch.org After teachers and health workers, public sector workers in Sri Lanka struck working demanding higher wages in the face of repeated price hikes and an economic crisis…
(2021-12-09). Bank for International Settlements raises concerns over financial system. wsws.org The BIS managing director pointed to one of the fundamental contradictions of all capitalist markets: what may be rational behaviour for an individual participant can be irrational for the system as a whole.
(2021-12-09). Billionaires increased wealth by $3.6 trillion in 2020, as millions died from global pandemic. wsws.org The coronavirus pandemic has worsened the financial gap between rich and poor around the world to levels not seen since the early 20th century.
(2021-12-09). US: No money for COVID tests, blank check for the military. wsws.org As the White House rejects sending free COVID-19 tests to Americans because it would "cost" too much, the US House of Representatives has made it clear there will be no limits on military spending.
(2021-12-09). UK: Johnson moves to Plan B measures over Omicron variant amid escalating government crisis. wsws.org Having ruled out any more lockdowns months ago in order to protect the profits of the corporations, the Plan B measures are extremely limited, inadequate, and, as always, way behind the times.
(2021-12-09). CFPE online meeting this Saturday: COVID-19 spreads through Australian schools—Lives before profit! Stop the pandemic! wsws.org Register in advance and promote the meeting among educators, students, colleagues and friends!
(2021-12-09). Australia: Sydney rail workers hold 24-hour strike. wsws.org In an expression of mounting anger in the working class, Tuesday's industrial action took place alongside strikes by teachers and bus drivers.
(2021-12-09). Demythologizing the Russification of Bulgarian Media's Attitude Towards Civil Society. moderndiplomacy.eu Despite 30 years of post-socialist transformation, many CSOs in the country are unable to counter the denigrating rhetoric that some media outlets use against them. Challenging the presumption of Russia's widespread influence in this area, there are many differences in key aspects of the Russian and Bulgarian media's treatment of civil society. So even if …
(2021-12-09). Are the Candidacies of Jorge Arreaza and Claudio Fermín Legal? orinocotribune.com As the January 9 elections in the state of Barinas approach, the temperature of the political debate in Venezuela is heating up between the four opposition candidates and the candidate for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)/Great Patriotic Pole (GPP), Jorge Arreaza. | Within both the right-wing groups and the Chavistas, a debate was opened regarding the various options that are on the table. This political landscape was formed after the inconclusive elections of November 21 in Barinas, and the National Electoral Council's (CNE) announcement of a re-election process. | The present candidates now includ…
(2021-12-09). Building a socialist-green-progressive electoral slate. zcomm.org 'Fielding candidates for top posts is a bold and daring move for Left groups. It has never been done before.'
(2021-12-09). The Deadliest Enemies: China's Overseas Military Bases in Central Asia and Uyghur's Turkestan Islamic Party. moderndiplomacy.eu Amid the burgeoning sentimental relationship between Beijing and the resurrected Taliban's Emirate 2.0, the al Qaeda-affiliated Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) has aggravated its propaganda war against Communist China, hence cleverly concealing its historically faithful jihadi bonds with the Afghan Taliban. Despite the Taliban's assurances of non-interference in China's internal affairs, Beijing is building up its …
(2021-12-08). Congress Is Still Throwing Good Money After Bad Foreign Policy. fpif.org Congress is preparing to hand 65 percent of federal discretionary spending to the war machine, even as they wring their hands over a fraction of that for the Build Back Better Act.
(2021-12-08). House Approves $778 Billion Military Budget. scheerpost.com 
By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams In bipartisan fashion, the U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday passed a sprawling military policy bill that contains nearly twice as much funding on an annual basis as Democrats' flagship social spending and climate bill. That reality led Stephen Miles, executive director of Win Without War, to slam the $778 billion National …
(2021-12-08). Detroiters decry World Economic Forum. liberationnews.org 
Speakers called the WEF's new project the "Global Center for Urban Destruction" and said Detroit was picked as host because the city is the epicenter of austerity in the United States.
(2021-12-08). A One-Sided Narrative: U.S. Press Focuses on "Russian Aggression" While Ignoring U.S. Escalation. democracynow.org 
During a virtual summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Biden threatened to impose new economic sanctions and other measures if Russia invades Ukraine. The talks were held amid growing tension between the two countries over the expansion of NATO in Eastern Europe and Russia's deployment of tens of thousands troops along the border of Ukraine. Editorial director and publisher at The Nation Katrina vanden Heuvel says the U.S. has a "one-sided narrative" of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that neglects to acknowledge its own role in escalating tensions. "This [t…
(2021-12-08). Biden 'Build Back Better' plan includes tax credits for local journalism. peoplesworld.org 
The Biden $1.85 trillion "Build Back Better" domestic spending plan includes a provision that will provide a payroll tax credit up to $25,000 the first year and $15,000 the next four years to media companies for hiring journalists who specialize in local news reporting. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act was first introduced last spring with …
(2021-12-08). The age of imperialism is not over—but we can end it. mronline.org 
Capitalist accumulation has always depended on cheap labor and resources extracted from the Global South. To end this violence we need a post-capitalist transition—otherwise, as climate breakdown accelerates, the ceaseless search for profit will drive us further into barbarism.
(2021-12-08). Striking Columbia Student Workers Demand Living Wage as School's Endowment Grows to $14 Billion. democracynow.org 
In the largest strike happening right now in the United States, 3,000 student workers at New York City's Columbia University are on their fifth week of strike. Today the student workers are calling on others to help them shut down the university. Striking student worker, Johannah King-Slutzky, accuses Columbia's administration of an "illegal form of retaliation" for threatening to replace the striking student workers who do not return to work by Friday. On Monday, many Columbia faculty members walked out of their classes in a show of solidarity. "Graduate student labor is the invisible labor of the university," s…
(2021-12-08). Baristas in Buffalo Are Poised to Unionize Using Starbucks's Own PR Against It. truthout.org 
Baristas with Starbucks Workers United's organizing committee are cautiously optimistic one or more stores will soon become the first of the corporation's locations to unionize in the United States. Results are expected tomorrow for three of six Starbucks stores in the Buffalo, New York, area that have filed for union elections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). | On Tuesday, the NLRB dismissed Starbucks's request to impound ballots already cast in the union election and stop th…
(2021-12-08). PSOE-Podemos government, Spanish trade unions agree to savage austerity. wsws.org The pseudo-left Podemos party is imposing attacks on the working class in close collaboration with the European Union.
(2021-12-08). What Kind of Economy Comes After a Socialist Revolution? zcomm.org Interview on the framework for the economy that comes after a communist or socialist revolution…
(2021-12-08). Philippines: Boosting Private Sector Growth Can Strengthen Recovery, Create More Jobs. moderndiplomacy.eu Rebounding from a deep contraction in 2020, the Philippine economy is forecast to grow 5.3 percent this year before accelerating to an average of 5.8 percent in 2022-23 on the road to recovery, according to the Philippines Economic Update (PEU) titled Regaining Lost Ground, Revitalizing the Filipino Workforce, released today by the World Bank. Government …
(2021-12-08). Boxing, crime, and capitalism: Gerald Horne's 'The Bittersweet Science' reviewed. peoplesworld.org 
It is difficult to defend boxing. It is often brutal, and sometimes deadly. Its less odious, even admirable, traits involve skill, speed, tactics, concentration, and movement. In combination with the strictest safety precautions, and free of criminal control, dubious elements, and economic exploitation, it can be deemed a sport. But its very aggression mandates caution …
(2021-12-08). A Strong Economic Case for Federal Investment in Universal Preschool. inequality.org
(2021-12-08). Progressives Ask Why Deal to Pass Debt Ceiling Can't Be Used for Voting Rights. truthout.org 
Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have reached an agreement on the debt limit, subverting the economic disaster that would have taken place if the United States government were to default on its debts for the first time. | The proposed workaround would temporarily bypass Republicans' ability to filibuster Democrats on the debt ceiling vote — leaving many progressive advocates questioning why the measure can't be taken for other critical issues, like voting protections and reprodu…
(2021-12-08). AI for Human Resources Toolkit Helps Organizations Overcome Implementation Challenges. moderndiplomacy.eu The World Economic Forum published the "Human-Centred AI for Human Resources: A Toolkit for Human Resources Professionals" to scale the responsible use of artificial intelligence in Human Resources (HR). The toolkit includes a guide covering key topics and steps in the responsible use of AI-based HR tools, and two checklists — one focused on strategic …
(2021-12-08). Biden threatens economic sanctions and a repositioning of NATO troops in meeting with Putin. wsws.org The meeting was preceded by threats against Russia from Biden and Germany's new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and took place amidst the drum beat of war propaganda in the American and European press.
(2021-12-08). Video: Covid-19: Economic and Social Chaos. globalresearch.ca V the Virus" is said to be responsible for the wave of bankruptcies and unemployment. That's a lie. There is no causal relationship between the (microscopic) SARS-2 virus and economic variables. | It's the powerful financiers and billionaires who are behind …
(2021-12-08). Video: The Covid-19 Crisis Triggers Economic and Social Chaos Worldwide. globalresearch.ca V the Virus" is said to be responsible for the wave of bankruptcies and unemployment. That's a lie. There is no causal relationship between the (microscopic) SARS-2 virus and economic variables. | It's the powerful financiers and billionaires who are behind …
(2021-12-08). Amid backlash World Economic Forum launches "Global Center for Urban Transformation" in Detroit. peoplesdispatch.org Protestors rallied in downtown Detroit to protest the opening of the World Economic Forum's "Global Center for Urban Transformation." The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a non-governmental lobbying group made up of political and business leaders, including representatives from major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and the European Central Bank. In August, it
(2021-12-08). In OtherWords: December 8, 2021. otherwords.org If you're feeling low this holiday season, you're hardly alone. Record numbers of Americans are seeking treatment for mental health care. | But as Katie Prout writes this week in OtherWords, record numbers are also struggling to get it — especially if you're on Medicaid. Psychiatrists were in short supply even before the pandemic, and the number of practices who take Medicaid is declining. A year in a half into a pandemic that's seen massive deaths, unemployment, and mental illness, she asks: should we really still be tying health care to people's employers? | Also this week, Farrah Hassen calls for a bipar…
(2021-12-08). Mental Health Care Is Hard to Come By — Especially If You're Low-Income. otherwords.org During the first wave of the pandemic in April 2020, my boyfriend asked, not unkindly, if I've ever been diagnosed with anything besides generalized anxiety disorder. | I was relieved that somebody had finally asked about my mental health. | All spring and summer 2020, I kicked the ball of my fritzing brain down the field to some imaginary goal of "things" getting better in the world, or at least more stable. Plainly, that didn't happen. | And so, like many others, I went back to therapy. Or tried to. | I'm on Medicaid, and while the insurance I receive through the program is accepted by many dentists and primary…
(2021-12-08). Kamala vs. Mitt: Two Different Viewpoints of Family Planning Prefigure Different Futures for Planetary Health. independentmediainstitute.org Click here for a photo that you may use to accompany the article (captions and credits can be found in each image's description field). U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris does not have any biological children and grew up middle-class. Meanwhile, Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a Mormon with five kids, was born into wealth and has …
(2021-12-08). As Americans struggle to afford rising gas prices, Big Oil profits surge to $174 billion in nine months. nationofchange.org U.S. oil companies are making more money than any other time in history.
(2021-12-08). $18 Minimum Wage May Soon Be on the Ballot in California. zcomm.org "If you work full time, you should be able to live with full financial security, and that's not the case in California"
(2021-12-08). A new turn in China's Evergrande crisis. wsws.org A restructuring process has begun after the debt-ridden property developer announced it feared it could not meet a $260 million financial obligation.
(2021-12-08). Opposition remains high to sellout contract as voting begins for 52,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers. wsws.org Workers are voting through Wednesday night on a contract which contains wage increases below inflation, no solution to understaffing and which commits the union to helping management further cut costs.
(2021-12-08). House Passes $778 Billion Military Bill as Other Priorities Stall. truthout.org 
In bipartisan fashion, the U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday passed a sprawling military policy bill that contains nearly twice as much funding on an annual basis as Democrats' flagship social spending and climate bill. | That reality led Stephen Miles, executive director of Win Without War, to slam the
(2021-12-08). Fund Manager Grayscale Launches First Solana Trust Product, Here Are The Risks They Cited in Report. moguldom.com Grayscale investments, the world's largest digital currency asset manager, launched Grayscale Solana Trust, the sixteenth product in Grayscale's suite of investment offerings, that caters to institutional and high net-worth investors. The product will offer exposure to SOL, the native token used on the Solana blockchain. The launch comes two months after Grayscale rival Osprey Funds …
(2021-12-08). Watch "Marx is Back", Episode 1: Bourgeois and Proletarians. mronline.org 
"Marx is Back" a mini-series about the Communist Manifesto is now on youtube. Subtitles available.
(2021-12-08). Raoul Hedebouw is the new president of the Workers Party of Belgium. peoplesdispatch.org At the unity congress of the Workers' Party of Belgium, Peter Mertens stepped down from the presidency after 13 significant years during which it became one of the prominent Marxist parties in Europe…
(2021-12-08). Kellogg's strikers overwhelmingly reject sellout contract, company moves to hire permanent replacements. wsws.org The 1,400 workers at four Kellogg's plants across the US have been on strike for more than two months and have voted "overwhelmingly" against a tentative agreement containing major concessions to management over two-tiered wages.
(2021-12-08). How Congress loots the Treasury for the military-industrial-congressional complex. nationofchange.org How the conjunction of dysfunctional military leadership, an ever-growing arms industry and a Congress that keeps handing them trillions of dollars, constitutes the full flowering of President Eisenhower's greatest fears for the future of the United States.
(2021-12-08). How Much Money Does it Take to Manipulate The Bitcoin Price 1%? How Thin Liquidity Is Exploited. moguldom.com It takes inflows of only $93 million to move the Bitcoin price by one percent, according to the Bank of America. Bitcoin is twice as volatile as gold per dollar in-flows despite the asset existing for nearly a dozen years, with Bitcoin's nearly $ 1.1 trillion market cap equating to roughly 10 percent of golds. …
(2021-12-08). The COVID-19 pandemic, the return of the class struggle and the tasks of the Socialist Equality Party in Germany. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party, the German section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, held its party congress November 19—22. We publish here the resolution unanimously adopted by the delegates.
(2021-12-08). Russian-Vietnamese Relations and the Joint Fight Against the Pandemic. journal-neo.org 
The history of relations between Russia and Vietnam goes back to Soviet times when the USSR supported the Vietnamese communists in their war for creating their state, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV). After that, the Soviet Union became a major partner of the SRV for many years. The common ideology, joint opposition to the …
(2021-12-08). 5 Things to Know About Lovett Fort-Whiteman: The Black Communist Who Was Taken To The Gulag in Russia. moguldom.com Lovett Fort-Whiteman was considered the first American-born Black Communist and first African American to receive training at Communist International in Moscow. Communist International (also known as Comintern) was an international organization founded in 1919 that advocated global communism. Despite his devotion to communism, Fort-Whiteman, a political and civil rights activist, spent the end of his …