(2021-12-14). More than half a billion people pushed into extreme poverty due to health care costs. moderndiplomacy.eu New evidence compiled by the World Health Organization and the World Bank shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage. The organizations also reveal that more than half a billion people are being pushed or pushed further into extreme poverty because they have to pay …
(2021-12-14). Barbados declares a republic: British imperialism's legacy of slavery and colonialism. wsws.org None of the island's governments have been able to redress British imperialism's legacy of underdevelopment, dependency and above all economic hardship and social inequality.
(2021-12-14). Who is Responsible for the Deteriorating Situation in Lebanon? journal-neo.org 
For many years, Lebanon was considered the safe haven of the Middle East plagued by wars, instability, and colored revolutions. Many have referred to the country as the Middle East's Switzerland, including investments in Lebanon's economy from countries of the region where the political crises were raging. The country's banks were especially valued, prosperous and …
(2021-12-14). Government crisis in Sweden strengthens far-right. wsws.org For the first time, the Swedish parliament voted for a budget drafted by the conservative Moderate Party in collaboration with the far-right Sweden Democrats.
(2021-12-14). Equal Pay For Equal Work! Kellogg Bakers Local 3G Striker Donovan Williams Speaks At UAW 5. indybay.org Kellogg Battle Creek BCTGM Local 3g striker Donovan Williams reported on their national strike to UAW 5 members and supporters on December 10, 2021…
(2021-12-14). Strike Wave in the U.S.? Labor Historian Nelson Lichtenstein on Union Drives & Worker Revolts. democracynow.org 
As unionizing efforts have taken the U.S. by storm, we look at the history of the U.S. labor movement and how unions have acted as a bulwark against corporate power. Worker organizing at Starbucks, Kellogg's and Amazon shows that unions help enforce health and safety measures and protect workers who speak out. "A working-class consciousness ebbs and flows," says Nelson Lichtenstein, director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "A union is a way of capturing that consciousness and making it the law of the land."
(2021-12-14). Ukraine appeals to new German government to unblock NATO arms deliveries. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ukraine in talks with Germany to unblock arms purchases from NATO — Kuleba Ukraine is in talks with Germany to unblock the purchase by Kyiv of weapons systems…through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. *** He recalled that Ukraine had previously gained access to NATO's defense procurement system, which means the Ukrainian Defense Ministry can …
(2021-12-14). Parade of hurting people prods lawmakers to pass Build Back Better. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—One by one, advocating ending income inequality, strengthening and restoring voting rights, cutting military spending, extending the child care tax credit, raising the minimum wage, and more, a parade of people hurting from exploitation by corporations, the economic elite, and their political allies, took a hand-held microphone in D.C. Monday to campaign for their combined …
(2021-12-14). Family Policies in the Build Back Better Act Would Reduce Burdens on Families and Provide a Better Buffer to Economic Instability. cepr.net Many US workers could not say exactly when or how much they will be working two weeks from today. As one might imagine, this situation makes it difficult to plan and control one's nonwork life. It also can lead to financial hardship for low- and moderate-income households when they experience a decline in earnings due …
(2021-12-14). India's post-pandemic economic recovery. mronline.org 
The pandemic alas is not yet over, but there are no economic disruptions in the current fiscal year in the form of lockdowns or workers' absence. The economy's performance therefore can no longer be attributed to the prevalence of the pandemic; whatever it is, it is caused by economic factors.
(2021-12-14). Understanding the Historical Moment We're in Takes Practical Action! anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion about the political, social, and economic placement we as working class people seem to find ourselves in today, not simply in the US but in some sense around the world. We are all hurting in a very similar way, added onto by our own individual struggles or difficulties we might face because of the color of our skin, our gender, our ability or willingness to be taken advantage of, etc. We are all suffering very difficult situations which none of us can take on alone, but if we want to do something about these things, we can't just pick up a gun and go, we'll be killed, or mos…
(2021-12-14). El monopolio corporativo dificulta económicamente a las trabajadoras. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON: øPor qué los trabajadores no pueden salir adelante? Económicamente, eso es. Los salarios medios de la amplia clase media estadounidense han estado prácticamente estancados durante al menos 40 años, ajustados a la inflación, incluso cuando la productividad se ha adelantado al galope. La mediana del 20% inferior de hecho se ha reducido. Mientras tanto, …
(2021-12-14). White House Says Restarting Student Loans Is "High Priority," Sparking Outrage. zcomm.org "Allowing payments and collections to resume without taking these actions to protect borrowers in default would undermine our economic recovery"
(2021-12-14). Towards Another Devastating Worldwide Crisis? The WEF's "Cyber Attack With Covid-like Characteristics". Paralysis of the Power Supply, Communications, Transportation? globalresearch.ca The World Economic Forum (WEF) which represents the Western financial elites, played a key role in the launching of the March 11, 2020 lockdown, which was conducive to a Worldwide process of economic and social chaos. | And now what they …
(2021-12-14). Reflections on "No Bosses," Participatory Economics and movements. zcomm.org It's up to all of us desiring a better world on the ground to walk the walk as well…
(2021-12-14). The Last Stage of the Middle Class. indybay.org Money capital is fleeing into the speculative financial markets because investments in new factories have become unprofitable. While growing parts of society are impoverished or even impoverished outside of production, only a simulative accumulation of capital through financial bubbles takes place…
(2021-12-14). The 0.01% vs. the rest of us. canadiandimension.com 
Protestors in the Occupy movement in Manchester, United Kingdom, 2011. Photo by Plashing Vole/ While the one percent are obviously much richer than the average person, the disparity is even more stark when we look at the ultra-elite 0.01 percent. | The figure above shows just how much higher ultra-elite incomes are than even other members of the…
(2021-12-14). Soaring social inequality under New Zealand Labour government. wsws.org Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger warned recently that society is increasingly divided between the poor and the "obscenely rich," and that historically inequality was "the root cause of revolution."
(2021-12-14). Punishing the Poor, 211 pp. indybay.org "The Keynesian state, coupled with Fordist wage work…whose mission was to protect the most vulnerable populations…has been succeeded by a state that one might dub neo-Darwinist, in that it erects competition and celebrates unrestrained individual responsibility-whose counterpart is collective and thus political irresponsibility, the Leviathan…"
(2021-12-14). Nationalism and Liberal Democracies: The Rise of Nationalism in Brazil. moderndiplomacy.eu Twenty-five years ago, liberal democracies rose; the Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union collapsed, and new democracies emerged in Europe. In South Africa, the apartheid regime was removed. Even though the Chinese government brutally crushed a democracy, the belief existed that a more educated and wealthy middle class would demand democratic reforms. The 2008 …
(2021-12-14). New poll shows how dissatisfied Americans are with US healthcare system. nationofchange.org "It's been decades in the making after failed promises by elected officials to do something to help Americans suffering at the hand of high prices for healthcare and prescription drugs."
(2021-12-14). Ghana's President Addresses National Black Caucus of State Legislators. indybay.org Soon our amazing California Golden Legacy, past, present and future will utilize Ghana as an essential destination for joint mutual benefit. Ghana, represents well the African Continental Free Trade Area, Our California team on the ground helping restore Agriculture as the foundation of our culture. Stay tuned MLK Weekend 2022 in Atlanta our10th Annual Pan African Global Trade and Investment Conference will keep the ball rolling in a good way. Matunda Ya Kwanza…
(2021-12-14). Why Cuba has no anti-vaccine movement. workers.org 
By Marc Vandepitte and Toon Danhieux In the imperialist countries, honest skepticism about government handling of the COVID-19 crisis and the profit-driven decisions of pharmaceutical companies have allowed rightist and ultrarightist groups to mobilize sections of the population behind unscientific theories that harm public health. This article, published in dewereldmorgen.be . . . |
(2021-12-14). Massive workers' mobilization in Turkey demands fair minimum wage. peoplesdispatch.org 
In a massive rally in Istanbul called by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DiSK), workers demanded an increase in the minimum wage in the country to at least 5,200 Turkish Lira (USD 358.80) in order to meet their basic needs…
(2021-12-14). Striking Kellogg's Workers Vow to Hold Out for Better Contract, Urge Boycott of Company's Products. democracynow.org 
Kellogg's announced it would begin permanently replacing the 1,400 workers who have been on strike for over two months to demand fair wages and better working conditions. The move comes after an overwhelming majority of Kellogg's workers rejected a new five-year agreement they say falls short of their demands and sparked widespread public backlash, including from President Biden. "We are fighting for equal pay and equal benefits, regardless of what the company is putting out there. And trying to replace us is something that they're using as a scare tactic," says Kevin Bradshaw, a striking Kellogg's worker and pre…
(2021-12-14). Culture wars: identity politics and the fight against surveillance capitalism. zcomm.org For some, it's a left-wing adoption of neoliberalism. For others, it's authoritarian. But it's really just about equality…
(2021-12-14). Cuba defeats COVID-19 with learning, science, and unity. peoplesworld.org 
Education is central to Cuba's brand of socialism. The revolutionary government's dedication to scientific knowledge and healthcare for all shows up now as Cubans cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States is not so lucky. Cubans have wholeheartedly carried out masking, social-distancing, testing and quarantining. Cuba' s bio-medical research and production facilities created five …
(2021-12-14). China's Zero COVID policy proves that the elimination of COVID-19 is possible. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site published yesterday a submission to the Global Workers' Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic by a scientist on China's Zero COVID strategy that is essential to understanding what has happened over the past two years and what must be done to end the pandemic.
(2021-12-14). Sunday 12/19: Haiti's Crisis and the Popular Resistance. indybay.org This event will be held on Zoom. Register: dsasf.org/haitiresist…
(2021-12-14). We Won't Go Back, We Will FIGHT Back! indybay.org Some of the protests held in the Bay Area on December 1 for reproductive justice went into the night. The one in San Jose was sponsored by the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
(2021-12-14). Sudanese people's struggle against the military dictatorship. fightbacknews.org Dallas, TX – On April 11, Omar al-Bashir, the military leader of Sudan for over 20 years, from 1989 to 2019, was deposed in a military coup. The coup occurred amidst largescale protests calling for the overthrow of al-Bashir, demanding democracy and an end to austerity measures enacted by the government in response to the country being over $60 billion in debt to the International Monetary Fund and France. | The protests were largely led by the National Consensus Forces (NCF), an alliance consisting of political parties including the Sudanese Communist Party, the Sudanese Baath Party, the National Umma Party, and…
(2021-12-14). Spectacles of Amnesia: YouTube Populism and the Rehabilitation of the Marcoses. fpif.org In the hills of Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines, a massive head hovers above the trees. Carved on the side of Mount Pugo, La Union, the 30-meter concrete bust overlooks the northern provinces, as if gazing over its vast domain. The head is of former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Yet today, his effigy is hardly recognizable. Shortly after the 1986 People Power Revolution that deposed and exiled the Marcos family, indigenous groups displaced by the bust's construction returned to smear pig's blood across the leader's face. Three years later, communist rebels bombed the same bust, leaving in…
(2021-12-13). The US is Getting the Public Accustomed to the "Idea" of War with China. newatlas.report December 13, 2021 (The New Atlas) — It is becoming increasingly obvious that US propaganda aimed at demonizing China and poisoning the world against serves to set up a long-discussed limited, conventional conflict waged along China's shores to cripple its economy and prevent it from surpassing the West irreversibly. Western propaganda is even openly discussing this …
(2021-12-13). Headlines for December 13, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Declares Major Federal Disaster in KY; 100+ Feared Dead After Tornadoes Rip Through 8 States, U.S. Health Officials Say Boosters Could Curb Winter COVID Surge as NY Tightens Mask Rules, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive for COVID-19, Over Half a Billion People Faced Extreme Poverty Due to Healthcare Costs During Pandemic, SCOTUS Says Providers Can Sue over Texas Abortion Law But Limits Scope and Keeps Ban in Place, Gov. Gavin Newsom Says He Will Use Texas Abortion Ban as Model for CA Gun Control Laws, NYT: Secret Unit Launched 10,000s of Strikes Against ISIS, Killing Syrian Civilians in…
(2021-12-13). Australian government, Labor opposition greenlight US rendition of Julian Assange. wsws.org There is outraged opposition to Assange's persecution in Australia, but it will find no way forward within the parliamentary set-up.
(2021-12-13). China And Nicaragua To Collaborate On New Multipolar World. popularresistance.org China and Nicaragua have resumed diplomatic relations in what Nicaragua's Presidential Advisor Laureano Ortega Murillo called "a historic date." | The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua announced it had broken diplomatic relations with Taiwan, ceasing to have any contact or official relationship, in a statement by Foreign Minister Denis Moncada before Nicaraguan diplomats and press, on Thursday and effective immediately. Kawsachun News attended the meeting virtually. Foreign Minister Moncada stated: "The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua declares that it recognizes that in the world there is only one s…
(2021-12-13). Columbia University Strikers Raise Hell. popularresistance.org New York City – Thousands of striking Columbia University graduate student workers are vowing to "shut down" the campus Wednesday with a major picket line aimed at highlighting the university's threat to fire those who are still on strike by December 10. In a year marked by labor strikes, one of the largest and most contentious is happening at one of the most elite bastions of American higher education. | The 3,000 members of the Student Workers of Columbia, members of UAW Local 2110, have been on strike since early November, seeking a livable wage, improved health and dental benefits, and stronger protections fr…
(2021-12-13). Amazon preparing its next offensive, but it can't bust unions forever. peoplesworld.org 
The National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, just ruled that a historic union vote among Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Ala., was not valid. The highly publicized vote resulted in a resounding defeat for the union in March 2021, with more than 70% of those voting choosing against union membership. The union accused Amazon of engaging in "efforts to gaslight its …
(2021-12-13). Germany's new chancellor and foreign minister visit Paris and Warsaw: Promoting European Great Power policy. wsws.org The new German government regards a strong European Union as a precondition for an aggressive military foreign policy. This calls for close collaboration with its largest neighbours, France and Poland.
(2021-12-13). Build Back Better Could Help End Subminimum Wages for People With Disabilities. truthout.org 
Originally published by For almost a century, it has been completely legal for companies to pay workers with disabilities mere cents on the hour. Employees This practice of paying "subminimum wage," which the U.S. Departm…
(2021-12-13). Inflation In America Hits 39-Year High In November: 3 Things To Know. moguldom.com U.S. inflation hit close to a 40-year high in November with consumer prices rising 0.8 percent for the month and 6.8 percent compared to a year ago, buoyed by a booming economy, strong consumer demand and weak supply related to the coronavirus pandemic. Prices started rising before the omicron variant emerged, presenting a new threat …
(2021-12-13). COVID-19-related health care expenditure pushed over half billion people into poverty in 2020, say WHO, World Bank. peoplesdispatch.org The numbers are still rising as governments across the world have failed to create vibrant public health care systems and have left the poor and vulnerable to fend for themselves…
(2021-12-13). Back on The Move: Morris Brown Students Get Permission to Apply for Federal Aid. moguldom.com Morris Brown College has accomplished another impressive feat in its comeback story. The Atlanta-based HBCU announced that its students now have the ability to receive federal financial aid again. "We have been waiting for the day for a very long time," Morris Brown President Dr. Kevin James told Fox 5 on Thursday, Dec. 9. "For …
(2021-12-13). The Laura Flanders Show: A New Cooperative Business Model. roarmag.org This New Cooperative Business Model Could Change Everything: | Many of the world's most successful businesses began as someone's good idea. But the path from startup to conventional financial success typically involves going public, prioritizing shareholders' interests and ultimately selling to a giant conglomerate whose intentions are far from the original mission of the business's founders. | In this episode, Laura interviews guests who say this conventional path of success is desperately in need of an overhaul. Why must new and innovative ideas come to market through old and undemocratic platforms? Wha…
(2021-12-13). Venezuelan Central Bank Latest Figures: Hyperinflation Might be Officially Gone Next Month. orinocotribune.com 
Caracas, December 12, 2021 ( According to the most accepted definition of hyperinflation, a country gets out of this phenomenon aft…
(2021-12-13). Tomgram: William Astore, Going Nuclear on Pentagon Spending. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Yes, four-star General Lloyd Austin commanded American forces in Iraq back in 2010 and 2011. In 2013, he took over from General James Mattis (remember him?) as the head of United States Central Command, or CENTCOM, overseeing America's …
(2021-12-13). The US military budget as a mushroom loud. nationofchange.org Going nuclear on Pentagon spending!
(2021-12-13). Germany's new health minister continues "profits before lives" policies. wsws.org Chancellor Olaf Scholz has chosen the SPD deputy and health expert Karl Lauterbach as the future government's new health minister.
(2021-12-13). Cut The Check: Viral 104-Year-Old Black Grandma Shares How Her Farm Wages Were Robbed. moguldom.com A 104-year-old Black Grandma has become a viral sensation after her granddaughter began sharing videos of the elder talking about her past — including the time she spent working from 3 a.m. to 5 p.m. in cotton fields for little to no money. Madie Scott first entered the public eye when her granddaughter, Shanika Bradshaw, …
(2021-12-13). Kellogg's strikers denounce mass firing threat, two-tier wages from the picket lines in Battle Creek, Michigan. wsws.org Striking Kellogg's workers remain defiant and opposed to any concessions following their rejection of a concessions contract brokered by the BCTGM union.