(2021-12-15). SEP (Australia) Emergency Public Meeting: British court decision puts Assange's life in danger. Demand his immediate release! wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party (Australia) has called an online public meeting to fight for the immediate freedom of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, after the British High Court last week ordered his extradition to the US.
(2021-12-15). Union battles at Amazon and Starbucks are hot news. zcomm.org Which can only be good for the labor movement…
(2021-12-15). Honduras' Left-Wing Breakthrough. orinocotribune.com By Francisco Dominguez — Dec 10, 2021 | Since a US-backed coup toppled Mel Zelaya in 2009, Honduras has faced a clampdown on democracy and serious human rights abuses. But the election of socialist Xiomara Castro is a chance to break the cycle. | What appeared impossible has been achieved: the people of Honduras have broken the perpetuation, through electoral fraud and thuggish violence, of a brutal, illegal, illegitimate, and criminal regime.By means of sheer resistance, resilience, mobilisation, and organisation, they have managed to defeat Juan Orlando Hernandez's narco-dictatorship at the ballot box. Xio…
(2021-12-15). Casey Mulligan Says Build Back Better Will Raise Child Care Costs by $27,000. cepr.net Many people may remember University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan for his argument that unemployment in the Great Recession was caused largely by generous food stamp benefits. Well he's back, and telling us that the child care provisions in President Biden's Build Back Better (BBB) plan could raise the cost of child care by $27,000 …
(2021-12-15). Venezuela Pushes for Stronger ALBA Economy at XX Summit. venezuelanalysis.com The regional organization also unveiled a Counter-Intervention Observatory to monitor US meddling.
(2021-12-15). Venezuela Challenges Illegal Blockade: New OPEC Data Published. orinocotribune.com While President Nicolás Maduro assures that 2022 will be the year for the definitive recovery of Venezuela, reports from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) point in the same direction, showing an increase in oil production despite the illegal US and European economic blockade. | In this way, it is evident how the South American nation has challenged the illegal coercive measures imposed by the United States government and its European lackeys, an economic attack that initially led to a 99% drop in Venezuela's foreign revenue, completely disrupting Venezuela's economy. | This was highlighted…
(2021-12-15). Vietnam's Economic Policy and adaptation to COVID-19. moderndiplomacy.eu Vietnam which was seen as a success story in terms of countering COVID-19 is facing challenges with regard to re-invigorating its economy given the fact that the constraints related to international travel, trade and investment are still looming large on the horizon. As part of the initiative to provide the necessary support to the economy, …
(2021-12-15). Digital Technology Key to Supporting Thailand's Recovery from COVID-19. moderndiplomacy.eu After being severely hit by a surge of COVID-19 cases in the third quarter of 2021, Thailand's economic activity has subsequently rebounded and is expected to grow by 1.0 percent this year, according to the World Bank's latest Thailand Economic Monitor "Living with COVID in a Digital World" published today. Going forward, the adoption of …
(2021-12-15). Jittery markets await central bank decisions. wsws.org Since the start of the pandemic trillions of dollars have been poured into financial markets by central banks, sending stock prices to record highs, but the rise of inflation is leading to increased instability.
(2021-12-15). Wealth, Capitalism and Ideology. zcomm.org As an almost classical consequence of capitalist markets, sovereignty in monetary terms exists only for big players…
(2021-12-15). In OtherWords: December 15, 2021. otherwords.org On December 15, the families of 65 million U.S. children received their last monthly payment under the expanded Child Tax Credit, which expires this month. | Those payments have kept millions out of poverty, writes West Virginia mom Kristen Olsen. Unfortunately, the GOP is unanimously opposed to extending them — and so far, they've had an ally in West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin. | Will the multimillionaire senator, Kristen wonders, really vote to send millions of kids back into poverty — including in his home state, whose kids are among the poorest in the country? The answer will have national impl…
(2021-12-15). Castillo Sends Bill To Reduce Poor Families' Electricity Bills. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Peru's President Pedro Castillo sent a bill to modify the Electric Social Compensation Fund (FOSE) so as to ensure that the most vulnerable families have a discount of up to 15 percent on their monthly electricity bills. | RELATED: | Currently, high-income users subsidize Peruvian families that consume less than 100 kWh per month. Castillo proposes that this cross subsidy also be extended to citizens…
(2021-12-15). The only way to deal effectively with a pandemic is socialistic. moderndiplomacy.eu The two extremes of ideology are libertarianism (anarchy) versus government (socialism). (Pure embodiments of either are rare if not non-existent.) A democratic government represents the public; an aristocratic government represents the wealthiest 0.1% as its actual dictators and beneficiaries. The two types of libertarianism are: the pure form, in which everyone is free to destroy …
(2021-12-15). The Planet Is Not a Dumping Ground. otherwords.org In a world that's clogged and choking with a massive overdose of plastic trash, you'll be heartened to learn that governments and industries are teaming up to respond forcefully to this planetary crisis. | Unfortunately, their response has been to engage in a global race to make more plastic stuff — and to force poor countries to become dumping grounds for plastic garbage. | Leading this Kafkaesque greedfest are such infamous plunderers and polluters as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, and other petrochemical profiteers. With fossil fuel profits crashing, the giants are rushing to convert more of their over-sup…
(2021-12-15). China, Russia to expedite cooperation on cutting-edge technologies: Xi. ecns.cn Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China and Russia should take the opportunities brought by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and expedite industrial cooperation on cutting-edge technologies.
(2021-12-15). Australian university union holds back industrial action. wsws.org The votes for strike action reflect the anger and disgust that has built up over the past two years as managements continue to exploit the COVID pandemic to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs.
(2021-12-14). Capitalism and Imperialism: A Global System of Death. liberationnews.org 
Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how workers are bearing the deadly brunt of the devastating tornadoes that ripped across the country and new revelations about US war crimes in Syria…
(2021-12-14). Belarus To Purchase Cuban Medicines for Agricultural Supplies. telesurenglish.net Belarus will purchase medicines from pharmaceutical organizations in Cuba and, in exchange, supply agricultural machinery, automobiles and spare parts to the Caribbean nation, according to a decree of President Alexander Lukashenko published Monday on the national legal website. | The purchases were made within the framework of the annual plan of centralized state purchases of medicines authorized through Belarus' federal budget.
(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). Workers At Warren General Hospital Vote To Strike. popularresistance.org Workers at Allegheny Health Network affiliate Warren General Hospital voted Saturday to strike, straining already fragile medical resources in rural northwest Pennsylvania. | The 114 nurses and health care workers, who are members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, issued a 10-day strike notice at the 87-bed hospital — the only acute care facility in the county. | The labor agreement with workers expired in September, and negotiations were scheduled to continue Monday, hospital CEO Rick Allen said. | The hospital has offered pay increases of 4.2% to over 16%, plus enha…
(2021-12-14). "Vaccines: Truths, Lies, and Controversies." On the Basic Essay-Study of Dr. Peter Gotzsche. libya360.wordpress.com Damian Mazzotti "Vaccines: Truth, Lies, and Controversies" is a resounding essay that is very useful to all physicians and those involved in evaluating health policies (Peter C. Gotzsche, twitter.com/pgtzsche1, 2020, http: //www.fioritieditore.com/prodotto/vaccini-verita-bugie-e-controversie; 196 pages, euro 18). Peter Gotzsche has a unique professional experience gained from a double degree in Chemistry and Medicine. Through his collaborations and…
(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). 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). Salvadorans protest government of Nayib Bukele. peoplesdispatch.org 
Thousands of Salvadorans marched peacefully in rejection of recognition of Bitcoin as legal tender, the high cost of living, rise in disappearances, acts of corruption involving government officials and ministers, and the Buleke government's negotiations with criminal gangs, among other issues…
(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). 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). 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). The Triumph of Financial Capital. mronline.org 
Financial capital, once cut loose from its original role as a modest helper of a real economy of production to meet human needs, inevitably becomes speculative capital geared solely to its own self-expansion. In earlier times no one ever dreamed that speculative capital, a phenomenon as old as capitalism itself, could grow to dominate a national economy, let alone the whole world. But it has.
(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). Kenya's Economy is Showing Resilience as Output Rises Above Pre-Pandemic Levels. moderndiplomacy.eu Kenya's economy has demonstrated resilience to the COVID-19 shock, with output in the first half of the year rising above pre-pandemic levels. In 2021 as a whole, gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 5%, one of the faster recoveries among Sub-Saharan African countries. Overall economic performance is expected to be robust at …
(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). Inside A Rural School District Suing State For More Equitable Funding. popularresistance.org Panther Valley is a poor, rural district with more than 1,600 students from Carbon and Schuylkill Counties. Its elementary, intermediate, and junior/senior high schools serve four Pennsylvania towns: Summit Hill, Coaldale, Lansford, and Nesquehoning. | "It's in the heart of what we used to refer to as the coal region of Pennsylvania," said the district's superintendent, David McAndrew. | As the country moved away from coal mining, residents lost work. Now, jobs are hard to come by. | Fifty-six percent of children in the district are classified as economically disadvantaged, though McAndrew believes the figure is…
(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). President Maduro Proposes a Common Development Path for ALBA. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro called for the creation of a comprehensive economic development plan for the countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP). | RELATED: | During his speech at the 12th ALBA Summit, he recalled that this integration mechanism arose from a meeting between Venezuelan Commander Hugo Chavez and Cuban Commander Fidel Castro. In 200…
(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). How cities can save on commuting time, double job access. moderndiplomacy.eu A new report released today by the World Economic Forum pinpoints how cities can use mobility options to improve social equity and economic growth. The white paper, How Mobility Shapes Inclusion and Sustainable Growth, identifies over 40 potential solutions to improve inclusivity in mobility, with simulations of over 40 million daily trips, global benchmarking and …
(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). Cuba: Signing of New Agreement Strengthens Ties With France. telesurenglish.net Cuba and France signed six cooperation deals at the Bilateral Economic and Commercial Commission's ending held in the French Foreign Ministry's headquarters. | RELATED: | The meeting was headed by Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, and Franck Riester, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness. | Notifications for the approval of financing from the Counter va…
(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). 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). 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). Biden Campaigned on Climate. Where's the Bold Action? truthout.org 
Millions of years of evolution have graced birds with a wealth of healthy instincts. They have mastered the art of flight, and many species fly thousands of miles when the seasons change, unerringly returning time and again to a distant refuge where the weather is calm. More than anything, though, birds know better than to shit in their own nest. This is an instinct the president of the United States has yet to develop, and the whole wide world may come to pay a brutal price for it. | November's COP 26 international e…
(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). ALEC Is Pushing A Bill That Punishes Banks For Divesting From Fossil Fuels. popularresistance.org As climate change accelerates and environmental disasters proliferate around the world, a Big Oil-funded business lobbying group has decided to attack financial firms that are taking their money out of fossil fuel companies, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has learned. | This month at the annual States and Nation Policy Summit of the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a pay-to-play organization that brings together corporate lobbyists and mostly Republican state lawmakers to author model legislation, members of the group's energy task force voted unanimously to approve a new model p…