2021-12-28: News Headlines

_____ (2021-12-28). Richard Wolff: US Capitalism Has Peaked And Is On The Way Down'. popularresistance.org For the end of the year, Clearing the FOG speaks with economist Richard Wolff about the current state of United States capitalism. Wolff explains that the United States is experiencing the greatest crisis in its history – a severe economic crisis at the same time as a pandemic, as well as the climate crisis. This is unprecedented. Unlike the great depression in the last century, when the wealth divide shrank, inequality is worsening. On top of that, US empire is in decline. Wolff discusses the current state of inflation and supply chain disruption and the forces behind them. Instead of facing up to these realitie…

Moderator (2021-12-28). The Pentagon Just Got $778 Billion, But USAID Is Running Out of Money for COVID-19 Vaccines? scheerpost.com By Brett Wilkins / Common Dreams Sharply contrasting with the $778 billion in new military spending authorized Monday by President Joe Biden, the U.S. Agency for International Development reportedly can't find the funds to pay for the Biden administration's effort to help vaccinate the world's population against COVID-19, according to two agency officials interviewed by Politico. In an article published Monday …

Editor2 (2021-12-28). Maduro to Al Mayadeen: We Will Not Abandon Palestine. orinocotribune.com Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro says, in an interview for Al Mayadeen, that the Venezuelan people resisted fierce attacks launched by US imperialism and its allies, and discusses relations with some countries, including Iran and Syria. | In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro noted that 2021 was the first year in which Venezuela registered economic growth since "the beginning of the criminal imperialist US sanctions," adding that this growth was the result of Venezuela's economy which produces food, goods, products, and services. The country has witnessed growth in i…

Maria Smotrytska (2021-12-28). Maritime Transhipment lines: Congested South VS Strategic North. moderndiplomacy.eu Improved connectivity, especially through transport links, is an essential condition for economic growth. Transport links not only provide physical access to resources, but also enable producers to take advantage of opportunities in domestic and foreign markets, leading to economies of scale and specialization. In the conditions of a market economy, the need to improve the …

WSWS (2021-12-28). An Anniversary of Stalinist Counterrevolution: 30 years since the end of the USSR. wsws.org The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) recognized, as early as 1985, that Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and perestroika expressed the drive of the Stalinist bureaucracy to reintegrate the Soviet economy with the world market through the restoration of capitalism.

Lee Fang (2021-12-28). The Collapse of Afghanistan's Economy. zcomm.org More Afghan people may die from sanctions than from 20 years of war…

Eshalaxmi Barlingay (2021-12-28). 2021 Year in Review: Afghanistan. america.cgtn.com Four and a half months after the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan, the government is working to improve the country's dire economic situation with little international assistance. With many challenges on the ground, millions of Afghans are still struggling to make a living. Earlier this month, …

F. William Engdahl (2021-12-28). Will the Federal Reserve Crash Global Financial Markets As a Means to Implementing Their "Great Reset"? globalresearch.ca First published on December 16, 2021 | It's looking increasingly likely that the US Federal Reserve and the globalist powers that be will use the dramatic rising of inflation as their excuse to bring down the US financial markets and with …

John Terrett (2021-12-28). 2021 Year in Review: Stock Market. america.cgtn.com As always, the rise and the fall of the U.S. stock markets have been a constant in 2021. CGTN's John Terrett has been looking back at the past year at New York Stock Exchange.

WSWS (2021-12-28). Ferry fire in Bangladesh claims 41 lives. wsws.org Last Friday's disaster is the product of decades of government indifference to the profit-driven and unsafe ferry transport system operating in Bangladesh.

WSWS (2021-12-28). For a "Zero COVID" policy in Canada's schools!—an appeal from a special-needs educator. wsws.org To oppose the disastrous profit-before-lives pandemic policy pursued by Canada's governments, I urge my colleagues to join with the Cross-Canada Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee in organizing independent rank-and-file committees in all schools to fight for a science-based Zero COVID strategy.

Romina Green Rioja (2021-12-28). In Chile, Boric's Win Signals Victory for Social Movements and New Constitution. zcomm.org Elected on the heels of a historic movement against neoliberalism, president-elect Gabriel Boric will face high expectations and social movement pressure to deliver on his campaign promises…

_____ (2021-12-27). The West Might Deliberately Start A War In Ukraine. popularresistance.org On Monday, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced that the West might provoke a war in Ukraine to blame Russia and impose economic sanctions on it. | "I do not rule out that there is such a desire to fuel militaristic sentiments [in Ukraine] to stage a 'small war' and then accuse us and impose new sanctions to suppress our competitive advantages," Lavrov said. | The Foreign Minister, who has repeatedly reiterated that the concentration of Russian troops in the vicinity of Ukraine is not for aggressive purposes, denounced that the West has sent over US$2.5 billion in weapons to Ukraine since 201…

_____ (2021-12-27). The West Might Deliberately Start A War In Ukraine: Lavrov Says. popularresistance.org On Monday, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced that the West might provoke a war in Ukraine to blame Russia and impose economic sanctions on it. | "I do not rule out that there is such a desire to fuel militaristic sentiments [in Ukraine] to stage a 'small war' and then accuse us and impose new sanctions to suppress our competitive advantages," Lavrov said.

Staff (2021-12-27). President Maduro: 'In 2022 the Economy will Focus on Boosting Trade'. orinocotribune.com This Sunday, December 26, Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro assured that in 2022 the nation will concentrate its economic growth on the promotion of internal trade. The development of its real economy is essential for the country, added the president. | During an exclusive interview for television channel Al Mayadeen, President Maduro described 2021 as a year of economic recovery for Venezuela, despite the pressure of ongoing economic "sanctions" applied by the US and its allies. | "We are witnessing a sustainable recovery process based on work, on the recovery of the productive and real economy, in addition t…

Jon Queally (2021-12-27). World's Most Destructive Climate Disasters of 2021 Cost Nearly $200 Billion. truthout.org A new report out Monday shows that 2021 continued the trend of annual climate devastation worldwide that is costing the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars as planet-heating emissions unleash exactly the kind of damage scientists have warned about for decades. | The new report by Christian Aid — entitled "

teleSUR (2021-12-27). Venezuelan Economic Recovery Is Underway: President Maduro. telesurenglish.net During an interview with Al Mayadeen on Sunday, President Nicolas Maduro highlighted the gradual recovery of the Venezuelan economy amid the U.S. sanctions against his country. | RELATED: | "2021 has been the year of economic recovery since the economic war began… Despite the U.S. criminal sanctions, the production of food, goods, and services grows. Domestic industries and trade also increase, which has a great i…

_____ (2021-12-27). Turkey's Economic Difficulties and the Fate of Erdogan. journal-neo.org Turkey's economy is in freefall: the lira is falling, inflation is rising, and food prices are spiraling. The government has resorted to disinformation, lies, and conspiracy theories to deflect blame from itself and shift it to others. But the lower living standards of the common people and the country's future is unlikely to end the …

teleSUR (2021-12-27). Maduro's Statements in an Interview for Al Mayadeen. telesurenglish.net President Nicolas Maduro noted the resistance by the Venezuelan people to the sanctions imposed by the United States' administration in an Interview for Al Mayadeen. | RELATED: | President Nicolas Maduro declared in an interview for Al Mayadeen that 2021 was, since "the beginning of the criminal imperialist U.S. sanctions," the first year in showing registered economic growth. He stated that this results from Venez…

Dr.Begum Burak (2021-12-27). Emotions and the Outlook for Turkish Politics. moderndiplomacy.eu Economic well-being and social prosperity of the citizens are among the significant factors that determine electoral behavior. Everyone wants to lead a life in a country where they can fully have the right of freedom of speech, and other civil liberties. In a fair social order where rule of law prevails, people feel happier and …

Dr. Andrey KORTUNOV (2021-12-27). Russia in the Eastern Mediterranean: The Art of Balancing. moderndiplomacy.eu Strictly speaking, Russia is not an Eastern Mediterranean country. It does not have direct access to the Mediterranean Sea; its most important strategic and economic interests belong to other parts of the world, such as the North Atlantic or East Asia. However, for a long time Russia has been trying to make its presence in …

teleSUR (2021-12-27). Italy: Economic Paralysis Due to Quarantine Measures. telesurenglish.net On Monday, health experts asked the Italian government to reduce the severity of COVID-19 quarantine measures to avoid economic paralysis. | RELATED: | According to the rules, people who have been in contact with infected ones have to self-isolate for seven days if they are vaccinated already; if not, they must spend ten days in self-isolation. | The head of the Gimbe health foundation, Nino Cartabellotta, explained that every p…

_____ (2021-12-27). The Geopolitics Surrounding Nord Stream 2. journal-neo.org Multiple US interests continue to hinder the completion of Nord Stream 2 project and its uninterrupted supply of gas to Germany/Europe. For the US, Nord Stream project is, to a great extent, a tool to privatise European gas-markets for US gas supplies. While the Joe Biden administration was quick to waive sanctions on the project …

_____ (2021-12-27). Amazon Unionization Efforts Get A Boost Under A Settlement With NLRB. popularresistance.org According to the settlement, the online behemoth Amazon said it would reach out to its warehouse workers — former and current — via email who were on the job anytime from March 22 to now to notify them of their organizing rights. The settlement outlines that Amazon workers, which number 750,000 in the U.S., have more room to organize within the buildings. For example, Amazon pledged it will not threaten workers with discipline or call the police when they are engaging in union activity in exterior non-work areas during non-work time. | According to the terms of the settlement, the labor board will be…

_____ (2021-12-27). Amazon Unionization Efforts Get A Boost Under A Settlement With US Labor Board. popularresistance.org According to the settlement, the online behemoth Amazon said it would reach out to its warehouse workers — former and current — via email who were on the job anytime from March 22 to now to notify them of their organizing rights. The settlement outlines that Amazon workers, which number 750,000 in the U.S., have more room to organize within the buildings. For example, Amazon pledged it will not threaten workers with discipline or call the police when they are engaging in union activity in exterior non-work areas during non-work time.

Monica Cruz (2021-12-27). After years of setbacks, US labor demonstrates its power. peoplesdispatch.org 2021 marked a historic year in labor organizing for workers in the US, with tens of thousands of workers in partaking in union votes and strike actions…

Labor Video Project (2021-12-27). The Union Busting War Against South African Clover Workers By Israeli Billionaire Family. indybay.org Five thousand South African workers at Clover face a major union busting attack by a billionaire Israeli family who have bought the company and now are trying to bust the union. They want to shut down plants in South Africa an import Israeli products.

Labor Video Project (2021-12-27). Sausalito Homeless Protest Police Attacks & Arrest Of Journalist Jeremy Portje. indybay.org Homeless are under attack in Sausalito as well as an independent journalist Jeremy Portje. California Homeless Union counsel Anthony Price is interviewed about these struggles.

Labor Video Project (2021-12-27). Columbia The World Is Watching! Striking Student Columbia Workers UAW Digital Solidarity. indybay.org Striking Columbia UAW Graduate Students had an online digital solidarity meeting and report on their strike of 2,000 members.

Brasil de Fato (2021-12-27). Amidst the chaos of 2021, movements remember victories that helped the people of Brazil. peoplesdispatch.org The year 2021 was full of bad news for Brazilians. The effects of the global pandemic were made much worse due to the gross negligence of the federal government of Jair Bolsonaro leaving no sector untouched. The country reached the sad milestone of 600,000 deaths by coronavirus, the Bolsonaro administrations's avaricious quest for natural resource wealth coupled with the expansion of agribusiness made the country's forests, green areas, and Indigenous and traditional communities victims of this violent offensive. | Despite this scenario, were there any victories? Brasil de Fato asked this question to four popular…

teleSUR (2021-12-27). Peru To Compensate Victims' Relatives of 2020 Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net President Pedro Castillo will grant financial compensation to the relatives of the two Peruvian farmers who died as a result of the police brutality deployed in the 2020 protests, which forced the resignation of President Manuel Merino, who spent just five days in office. | RELATED: | The Justice Ministry decree sets a compensation of US$10,000 for the families of those who died in the "Agrarian Strike" which took place in La Libertad and Ica regio…

Dana Sanchez (2021-12-27). Colin Kaepernick SPAC Investment Deal Collapses After He Refuses To Promote It On MSM. moguldom.com Colin Kaepernick's SPAC, which raised $345 million when it went public in March with the goal of raising money to acquire a socially conscious company, has hit a speedbump. An investment deal fell through to buy a company over the activist-entrepreneur's reluctance to promote the acquisition in the media. SPACs, or special-purpose acquisition companies, are …

Isheka N. Harrison (2021-12-27). Black Girls Code Founder Kimberly Bryant Pushed Out As Nonprofit Head By Board. moguldom.com Kimberly Bryant, the founder of Black Girls Code, has been pushed out as the organization's executive director, according to tweets she sent last week. A former engineer, Bryant started Black Girls Code in 2011 after she realized that her daughter was the only Black girl in a summer coding class at Stanford University. Since then, …

Sarah Butrymowicz (2021-12-27). Tuition Debt Financing Companies Help For-Profit Colleges Stay in Business. truthout.org This story was produced by On a muggy June morning in 2019, administrators from for-profit colleges took their seats in breakout rooms on the second floor of the Hyatt Regency in downtown New Orleans. They had arrived for the Career Education Colleges and Universities trade association's annual convention and were getting ready to choos…

_____ (2021-12-27). Desmond Tutu Opposed Capitalism, Israeli Apartheid And US/UK Imperialism, Too. popularresistance.org Being a leader in the movement to end apartheid in South Africa was probably the greatest achievement of the man's life work, and it should come as a surprise to no one that this is the focus of his many obituaries, along with the Nobel he was awarded in 1984. After Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, he was remembered by the establishment in much the same way, as a leader of the movement against apartheid in the US. The fact that he had become one of the most well-known and well-loved voices of the antiwar movement in the United States and around the world at the time of his death has largely been written o…

Kiah Collier, Maya Miller (2021-12-27). A plant that sterilizes medical equipment spews cancer-causing pollution on tens of thousands of schoolchildren. nationofchange.org Beal, of the EPA, said that the Biden administration has "reinvigorated its commitment to protect public health from toxic air emissions from industrial facilities." And she said ethylene oxide in particular is a major priority.

teleSUR (2021-12-27). US Sanctions Undermine Global Cotton Industry Chain. telesurenglish.net A report about the impact of U.S. Xinjiang-related sanctions on the global cotton industrial chain was released in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Sunday. | RELATED: | The report, titled "Hindering Trade, Increasing Costs and Disrupting the Industrial Chain: Impacts of U.S. Xinjiang-Related Sanctions on Global Cotton Industrial Chain," was issued by the Institute for Communication and Borderland Governance, Jinan Univer…

Camilo Pérez-Bustillo (2021-12-27). Radical Democracy Is Resurgent in Latin America. How Will the US Respond? truthout.org Chile has become the global capital of resurgent opposition to neoliberalism and resistance to fascism, electing the world's youngest president,

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