(2021-12-29). Headlines for December 29, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Infections Hit All-Time High, Omicron Drives Record Rates of Infection in Several European Countries, Taliban Fire Warning Shots at Dozens of Women Protesters in Kabul, U.N. Envoy Warns of Civilian Toll as Saudi-Led War on Yemen Escalates, Mahmoud Abbas Meets Israeli Defense Minister, Death Toll from Brazil Flooding Rises to 20, Kodiak, Alaska, Hits 67 ∞F as Climate Emergency Fuels Extreme December Weather, Climate Emergency Cost Global Economy Nearly $200 Billion in 2021, South African Court Halts Shell Oil's Offshore Oil Exploration Plans, Russia Shutters International Memorial, Which Chr…
(2021-12-29). A Case Study of Japanification: Reverse Wrestle with Inflation. moderndiplomacy.eu Japan has been an intriguing case study in the scope of macroeconomic policymaking. Since the burst of Japan's economic bubble in the early 1990s, inflation has been frustratingly low, and growth has been modest at best. In 2021, Japan's inflation rate stood at -0.174%. In the same period, the United States reported an increase in …
(2021-12-29). Diplomatic Boycott of the Beijing Olympics is Washington's Self-inflicted Wound. journal-neo.org 
The confrontation with China taken by Washington in recent years is being pursued not only on the economic front, with numerous sanctions against Chinese companies, but in politics as well, with the US creating various anti-Chinese blocs, such as AUKUS, provoking Taiwanese separatism, launching an information campaign criticizing alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang …
(2021-12-29). Religious Narratives and Conservative Views on Sexual Violence Cases. moderndiplomacy.eu Millions of girls are not in school today, either due to poverty or natural disasters, discrimination and violence, or a lack of educational access. Girls were also absent from school for nearly two years as a result of the pandemic. In fact, these young ladies have hopes and dreams of being free and receiving a …
(2021-12-29). Chaos, poverty and hunger — The U.S. legacy in Afghanistan. mronline.org The U.S.-led mission fled the Afghanistan front of their so-called "war on terror," leaving nothing but trash, extreme poverty and universal unemployment.
(2021-12-29). UK HGV drivers' health and lives endangered by "epidemic" levels of fatigue. wsws.org The government has significantly weakened safety restrictions protecting HGV drivers and other road users in response to a labour shortage created by decades of declining pay and conditions.
(2021-12-29). Migrant workers face discriminatory policies in New Zealand. wsws.org The Labour Party-led government has deported more than 850 people over the last two years, including to countries like India where the COVID-19 pandemic has killed millions.
(2021-12-29). Jeremy Corbyn and the North Shropshire Conservative Defeat. orinocotribune.com By Fra Hughes — Dec 24, 2021 | In undermining Corbyn in a Machiavellian-type coup, the new Labour leader Keir Starmer was supported by the establishment, supported by the mainstream media, supported by Tony Blair, and supported by Zionist "Israel". |
(2021-12-29). National Labor Relations Board agreement expands union access to Amazon workers. wsws.org The NLRB ruling is the latest effort by the Biden administration to install a union at Amazon, which can be relied on to contain worker unrest in this critical industry.
(2021-12-29). How Can Workers in "The Great Resignation" Harness Leverage Long-Term? zcomm.org If we don't organize and either get living-wage laws passed, or minimum wage drastically increased, [all] of these gains, especially adjusted for inflation, are just going to be lost."
(2021-12-29). Online Radicalization in India. moderndiplomacy.eu Radicalization, is a gradual process of developing extremist beliefs, emotions, and behaviours at individual, group or mass public levels. Besides varied groups, it enjoys patronization, covertly and even overtly from some states. To elicit change in behavior, beliefs, ideology, and willingness, from the target-group, even employment of violent means is justified. Despite recording a declination …
(2021-12-29). Podcast Ep 48: Gaza, cyberwarfare and resistance. electronicintifada.net EI editors discuss some of the most impactful stories of the year.
(2021-12-29). A Soft Civic-Military Coup in Argentina? libya360.wordpress.com Germán Gorraiz López The Pacific Alliance was born in 2011 with Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia as founding States, the USA and China as observers and Australia and Canada as future associated States and currently represents 41% of Latin America's GDP and 57% of its foreign trade with a potential market of about 230 million…
(2021-12-29). Apple employees mount one-day strike on Christmas Eve to demand COVID-19 protections and better working conditions. wsws.org Employees at the tech company Apple launched a one-day strike on December 24 to demand improvements in their wages, benefits and working conditions.
(2021-12-29). San Diego sanitation workers continue strike for wages and safe working conditions. wsws.org San Diego waste management workers went on strike against Republic Services the day after the Teamsters union shut down another strike by Republic workers in Orange County.
(2021-12-29). Australian SEP supporters: "The only force that can free Assange is the international working class" wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party is today publishing further comments from WSWS readers and supporters of the fight to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
(2021-12-28). Longshore Workers Get Blamed For Delays, As Contract Fight Looms. popularresistance.org If you ordered a teddy bear or a designer picture frame as a holiday gift, you know that it likely took a lot longer to get here than in past years. | There have been problems getting things from point A to point B since the pandemic started. At one point in October, 77 percent of the world's ports were experiencing long delays. | More than most Americans, Longshore Union (ILWU) members grasp what supply chain problems are and how they come about. Many come from multigenerational families of port workers who understand both their militant union's storied history and its role in the global economy today. | ILWU me…
(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…
(2021-12-28). Inegalitarian growth or just degrowth: the IPCC has opened the debate. mronline.org 
Twenty-five years ago, "degrowth" was conceived by its proponents as a "buzzword" carrying a vague ideological charge: Serge Latouche and his supporters said they wanted to "change the way people think" in order to "get out of the economy and development"… Today, degrowth is once again being debated, but on the basis of more rigorous premises.
(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 …
(2021-12-28). Israel attacks Syria's Latakia port for the second time this month. peoplesdispatch.org The strike on Latakia on Tuesday caused a fire and damage to containers. The port is a major source of food and other supplies to the war-ravaged Syrian people and the country's economy…
(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.
(2021-12-28). The Collapse of Afghanistan's Economy. zcomm.org More Afghan people may die from sanctions than from 20 years of war…
(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…
(2021-12-28). The Radical Legacy Of New York's Winter Rent Strike. popularresistance.org From 26 December 1907 to 9 January 1908, 10,000 tenants, predominantly Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe living in New York City's Lower East Side, took part in a historic rent strike. During an economic depression causing mass unemployment and grinding poverty, landlords tried to hike rents by thirty-three percent. With their cry to 'fight the landlord as they had the Czar', the tenants won a partial victory, with rents significantly reduced for 2,000 households. The movement established a tradition of militant working-class housing campaigns that eventually contributed to winning vital rent controls that st…
(2021-12-28). Can Democrats Break the Midterm Curse? scheerpost.com 
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) | By Matthew Rozsa / Now that Joe Manchin has sounded the death knell — at least for the moment — for Joe Biden's Build Back Better package, Democrats are doomed in the 2022 midterm elections. | Or, wait: Are they? Sometimes the "laws" of politics (or economics) are characterized as immutable, akin to the laws of physics. They're not, of course. Not a single ballot has b…
(2021-12-28). World Bank Loan Will Support Vietnam's Economic Recovery. moderndiplomacy.eu The Government of Vietnam and the World Bank has signed an agreement for financing of US$221.5 million to support Vietnam's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through policy reforms aimed at improving financial inclusion and spurring greater environmental resilience. "In the spirit of our long-term, trusted and productive partnership, we are proud to support Vietnam at …
(2021-12-28). France: Ambassador Warns Switzerland About EU Negotiations. telesurenglish.net Frédéric Journès, the ambassador of France in Switzerland, stated in an interview with the Le Temps newspaper on Tuesday that the previous agreement rejected by the country last May would be back on the table for the next six months. | RELATED: | The negotiation was expected to be restored at the World Economic Forum (WEF), postponed for the following summer in 2022, given the fast spread of the Omicron variant…
(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, …
(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.
(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 …
(2021-12-28). The Oligarchy's Ultimate Political Weapon (Video). scheerpost.com 
Robert Reich / If you're discouraged by what's happening in the country, that is by design. The forces undermining our democracy, polluting our planet, and stoking hatred are counting on you to give up. But we must not let them. | They use their allies in political office to grind the gears of government to a halt, so people see government as the problem, not the solution. But if there's one thing we learned from this wretched pandemic, it's that government intervention can reduce poverty and suffering, and we can afford to pay for it. | They want us t…
(2021-12-28). Unemployment Rate in Gaza Exceeds 50 Pct: Palestinian Official. telesurenglish.net Maher al-Taba'a, director of the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza, said in a statement that an earlier World Bank report showed that the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, has the world's highest unemployment rate. | RELATED: | The unemployment rate has soared to even 78 percent among graduates aged between 20 to 29 who have a certificate with an intermediate diploma or a bachelor's degree, al-Taba…
(2021-12-28). After Years Of Setbacks, US Labor Demonstrates Its Power. popularresistance.org 2021 was a historic year for labor in the US. An eruption of strikes, major contract wins, and workers quitting low-wage jobs in unprecedented numbers all signaled that workers en masse are ready to reclaim their power. Workers organized union drives across nearly every industry, pushed for union reforms, and elected new union leadership, speaking volumes to their desire for a more democratic workplace. | For many workers, the pandemic revealed the cruelty of capitalism. Mainstream media and politicians campaigned for a return to business as usual during this second year of COVID. In particular, workers, called "
(2021-12-28). Labor Unions, Environmentalists, And Indigenous People Unite To Defeat Mining Interests In Argentina. popularresistance.org The people of the southern Argentinian province of Chubut are celebrating more than just the holidays this December. After a fierce struggle against a recently enacted zoning law that would have opened the province up to large-scale silver, copper, and lead mining by multinational corporations like Canadian Pan American Silver, the governor was ultimately forced to backtrack. The law in question, which was approved on December 15, was repealed last Tuesday, just five days later.
(2021-12-28). Labor, Environmentalists, And Indigenous Unite To Defeat Mining. popularresistance.org The people of the southern Argentinian province of Chubut are celebrating more than just the holidays this December. After a fierce struggle against a recently enacted zoning law that would have opened the province up to large-scale silver, copper, and lead mining by multinational corporations like Canadian Pan American Silver, the governor was ultimately forced to backtrack. The law in question, which was approved on December 15, was repealed last Tuesday, just five days later. | From the night of the approval until the afternoon of December 21, the movement against the law spread rapidly throughout the province…
(2021-12-28). 'TPLF's regime was throughout supported by US, EU financially, militarily, and politically'. peoplesdispatch.org Why have the western powers supported TPLF all this time? What has been the history of TPLF's rise and fall from power in the country? Elias Amare, editor of Horn of Africa TV, explains.
(2021-12-28). A Few Amazing Progressive Wins That Happened in 2021. scheerpost.com 
Former Chilean student leader Gabriel Boric will be Chile's next left-wing president. [ By It would be easy to survey the end of 2021 and see another year in wreckage. There's the pandemic that won't end. Rising inflation. Climate disasters. A democracy that looks creakier by the day. | And that was before West Virginia Senat…
(2021-12-28). USAID Is Running Out of Money for COVID Vaccines While Pentagon Got $778 Billion. truthout.org 
Sharply contrasting with the $778 billion in new military spending
(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 …
(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.
(2021-12-28). How Has Corporate Training Changed After The Pandemic. moderndiplomacy.eu The training and development of employees is an integral part of the working pedagogy of any organization. Right training and development are enough to propel any company to the path of success and enhanced profitability. When employees are equipped with the right skills and up-to-date knowledge, they are better able to navigate through their jobs, …
(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.
(2021-12-28). Minnesota: Ramsey County AFSCME workers demand raises and respect. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN — Chanting their demand for "raises and respect," close to 200 members of AFSCME members braved the snow, December 28, for an informational picket to bring attention to the county's proposed plan to freeze wages and raise health insurance costs on workers during the ongoing global pandemic. AFSCME Locals 8, 151, 707, 1076 and 1935 took part in the picket, and were joined by other workers in solidarity.
(2021-12-28). UAE's reasons for cancelling the agreement for purchase of F35. moderndiplomacy.eu Days after the UAE's decision to cancel the agreement regarding purchase of F35 jets from the US, a CNN report (December 23, 2021) stated that assessments of senior US officials suggested that transfers of sensitive ballistic missiles had taken place between China and Saudi Arabia. One of the reasons for UAE to cancel the deal …
(2021-12-28). Guatemala: 25 Years of Peace Accords, 25 Years of Neoliberalism. libya360.wordpress.com Ollantay Itzamná Mayan peasant women harvesting sesame seeds. OI In the Christmas atmosphere, and the day after the feast of the "Holy Innocents", the groups that took up arms in the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) and the Creole State of Guatemala, after 36 years of "internal war", signed the firm and lasting Peace Agreements….
(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…
(2021-12-28). Are Nonbank Mortgage Lenders Good For Minority Borrowers? popularresistance.org A loan officer at a mortgage company questions a Black loan applicant about household debts, but subsequently invites a less creditworthy white borrower to fill out an application with "no inquiry about credit standing or debts." He then offers to walk the same white homebuyer through the loan application and preapproval process and follows up with personal emails. The Black borrower receives neither offers of extra help nor emails from the lender. | This unequal treatment played out in Seattle, Washington, and was part of a study in which testers with white and Black-sounding names and similar credit and asset p…