(2022-01-11). Omicron variant drives COVID surge to record levels in the Philippines. wsws.org The paramount concern of the Duterte administration, like capitalist governments around the globe, is not public health but keeping the economy open.
(2022-01-11). Workers' safety should not be sacrificed for the sake of the economy. greenleft.org.au The new exemptions to Public Health Orders which can force sick workers to work represent a serious attack on workers' rights and their health and safety. Sarah Hathway argues that workers and their unions need to draw a line.
(2022-01-11). Afghanistan: The Taliban is in Power, What Now? journal-neo.org 
The finance minister of Afghanistan in the new government of the Taliban (banned in Russia) has prepared a national budget which, for the first time in two decades, will be financed without foreign aid. This comes as the country becomes mired in an economic crisis and confronts an incipient humanitarian catastrophe, which the United Nations …
(2022-01-11). The Continuing Phony Debate on "Free Trade" cepr.net The national debate on free trade is one where honesty has no place. The purpose of our trade agreements, which were not free trade, was to reduce the pay of manufacturing workers, and non-college educated workers more generally, to the benefit of more highly educated workers and corporations. This was the predicted (by standard economics) …
(2022-01-11). Iran, Cuba stress strengthening ties to counter US sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 11 (MNA) — In a meeting with the Cuban president, the Iranian Vice-President for Economic Affairs Mohsen Rezaei stressed the need to strengthen bilateral relations to counter Washington's sanctions.
(2022-01-11). Republicans Only Extend Unemployment When It Protects Anti-Vaxxers. truthout.org 
U.S. politics these days is all too often an Alice-through-the-looking-glass absurdity. | Over the last few weeks, at least
(2022-01-11). Antitrust Suit Alleges 16 Elite Universities Colluded to Limit Financial Aid. scheerpost.com 
By Julia Conley / Common Dreams Sixteen elite universities were sued in federal court late Sunday over an alleged price-fixing scheme in which plaintiffs say the schools formed a "cartel" to limit the amount of financial aid they would each offer to low- and middle-income prospective students—breaking antitrust laws. Five students who previously attended some of …
(2022-01-11). Home care workers in Spain call for better wages and end of subcontracting. peoplesdispatch.org The committee of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) in Andalusia has demanded recognition and adequate pay for home care workers and an end to privatization and subcontracting of services…
(2022-01-11). Wednesday 1/12: Protest Amazon Union Busting. indybay.org Whole Foods | 774 Emerson St. | Downtown Palo Alto…
(2022-01-11). Second Starbucks Location Unionizes as Union Wave Sweeps Stores Across the US. truthout.org 
Starbucks workers successfully unionized another store on Monday, making the Genesee Street store in Buffalo, New York, the second corporate-owned Starbucks location in the U.S. to form a union. | The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) certified the results for the Genesee Street store in Buffalo after reviewing ballots that had been disputed by the union. The final count
(2022-01-11). Australia Post workers oppose criminal "let it rip" COVID-19 policies. wsws.org The PWRFC calls on postal workers to reject the "opening up" drive by governments, both Coalition and Labor, backed by the unions, which puts working people at risk of infection every day.
(2022-01-11). Djovokic versus the Australian Commonwealth. greenleft.org.au Binoy Kampmark writes that the federal government has done its bit to conjure up a monster of its own making and that the Novak Djokovic episode of pandemic bureaucracy ranks high among its inglorious achievements.
(2022-01-11). Knighthood won't rehabilitate blood-soaked Blair. greenleft.org.au Former British prime minister Tony Blair should be on trial at The Hague rather than parading the medieval trappings of wealth and power, argues Lindsey German.
(2022-01-11). Mega merger in peril over EU energy fears. rt.com 
Brussels concerned that $2 billion shipbuilders' tie-up will drive up LNG prices in Europe | The European Union's antitrust regulator is getting ready to stop a $2 billion merger between two of the world's leading LNG cargo shipbuilders, citing anti-competitive behavior. | The decision on the proposed merger between Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industries is likely to be announced this week, people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times. The two South Korean companies dominate the market for making ships that carry super-chilled liquified natural gas. They are significa…
(2022-01-11). Ivy League schools acting like 'price-fixing cartel,' lawsuit says. rt.com 
Lawsuit alleges that 16 major US universities are 'conspiring' to limit financial assistance packages for needy students | Sixteen top US universities, including a number of prestigious Ivy League schools, have been accused of violating antitrust laws by working together to decide how much financial help should be awarded to prospective students. | The
(2022-01-11). Cuba shows an alternative to Big Pharma hegemony through global solidarity. mronline.org 
Cuba puts people before profits — showing the world an alternative to the monopolistic practices of Big Pharma. It promotes a public health system, state-funded research and shows global solidarity through tech transfer and vaccine delivery to developing countries.
(2022-01-11). Winter of death: Two deadly housing fires in less than a week expose the reality of American capitalism. wsws.org New York City and Philadelphia saw their deadliest housing fires in decades amid a climate of official indifference to death as the COVID-19 pandemic has been allowed to rage out of control.
(2022-01-11). Chile: Will we see an end to the neoliberal healthcare system? greenleft.org.au After the victory of Gabriel Boric in Chile's presidential elections, the country awaits much-needed changes to its health system, writes Mario Parada Lezcano.
(2022-01-10). US War Lobby Fuels Conflict In Russia, Ukraine, And Syria. popularresistance.org Douglas Macgregor, a retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor, analyzes the US-Russia standoff in Ukraine; the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan; Trump's failure to act on 2016 campaign anti-interventionist rhetoric, only to surround himself with neocons; and the ongoing, overlooked US military occupation of Syria after the decade-long CIA dirty war. | "The Military Industrial Congressional Complex," Macgregor says, "seems to be more powerful than anyone who occupies the office of the presidency."ffice of the presidency."
(2022-01-10). Nina Khrushcheva: Putin Could Be Kingmaker in Kazakhstan Power Struggle as Russia Helps Quell Protests. democracynow.org 
Kazakhstan's authoritarian President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described last week's protests as an attempted coup and defended his call for Russian-led troops into the country to put down the unrest. Demonstrations were triggered by a rise in fuel prices and widened to broader anti-government protests. Over 160 people were killed in the violence, including a 4-year-old girl, and thousands were detained. "The Russian troops will probably get out, but Tokayev, if he keeps power … probably will be somehow in debt of Putin, and Putin may have [the] position to decide, or help decide, certain moves in Kazakhstan,"
(2022-01-10). Behind the protests in Kazakhstan. greenleft.org.au What's behind the protests in Kazakhstan? Aynur Kurmanov, a leader of Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan, discussed the situation in this interview.
(2022-01-10). Kazakhstan, Libya supply cuts push oil higher. rt.com 
Crude price rally initiated by riots and maintenance operations continued on Monday | Oil prices were up on Monday following days of supply shortfalls in Kazakhstan and Libya. | Global benchmark Brent crude gained 35 cents, or 0.4%, rising to $82.1 a barrel at 08: 00 GMT. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was also up 37 cents, or 0.5%, trading at $79.27 a barrel. | Overall, oil prices jumped 5% last week following protests in Kazakhstan, which disrupted train lines and triggered a production plunge at the country's major oilfield, Tengiz. According to a note to Reuters from Chevron, Kazakhstan's Tengizchevro…
(2022-01-10). Kazakhstan crisis 'attempted coup' — President. rt.com 
Tokayev thanks Russia for assistance in dealing with worst incident "in the history of the country" | Last week's unrest throughout Kazakhstan was an attempted coup that had been planned in advance, and was not simply a spontaneous protest against rising fuel prices, the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev claimed on Monday. | Speaking to an online meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), made up of six former Soviet republics, Tokayev also stated that constitutional order had been restored. | "Kazakhstan has experienced the worst crisis in the history of its 30-year independence,"
(2022-01-10). Kazakhstan reflects determination of capitalist oligarchs to hold onto their wealth. peoplesworld.org 
(2022-01-10). Venezuela: From Resistance to Recovery in Production and Social Welfare. orinocotribune.com By Jesús Faría — Jan 1, 2022 | Balance 2021-Outlook 2022 | Imperialist blockade and socio-economic crisis | The economic blockade is a genocidal crime against our people. The economic cost of the illegal sanctions applied by Washington alone exceeds 120 billion dollars and has affected the entire nation, but fundamentally the oil industry, the heart of our economy, provider of foreign exchange for imports and income for productive and social investments of the State. | The oil industry is suffocated by these brutal sanctions as it is prevented from investments, marketing and financing essential for its devel…
(2022-01-10). As Job Gains Slow, the Fed and Congress Apply the Wrong Medicine. scheerpost.com 
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on By Robert Reich / Friday's jobs report from the Department of Labor was a warning sign about the US economy. It should cause widespread concern about the Fed's plans to raise interest rates to control inflation. And it should cause policymakers to rethink ending government supports such as extended unemployment insurance and the child tax credit. These will soon be needed to keep millions of families afloat.
(2022-01-10). Piketty says it's 'Time for Socialism,' but has no time for class struggle. peoplesworld.org 
Thomas Piketty has a new collection of essays, entitled, Time for Socialism: Dispatches from a World on Fire, 2016-2021. It is not possible to understate the positive impact that the French author's masterwork, Capital in the 21st Century, has had on the economics profession. The book, and the massive data collection projects on global and …
(2022-01-10). Civil society and rights groups in Afghanistan demand release of professor Faizullah Jalal. peoplesdispatch.org Dr. Jalal, who teaches political science and law at Kabul University, has been critical of the Taliban and the previous administrations in Afghanistan. He has publicly criticized the Taliban government's sole focus on security and demanded action to alleviate people's economic problems…
(2022-01-10). Gremios de Ecuador protestarán contra Gobierno de Lasso. telesurtv.net El Gobierno dictó varias medidas económicas como aumento de precios de combustibles y privatización que perjudican a la clase obrera.
(2022-01-10). Gremios de Ecuador protestarán contra Gobierno de Lasso. telesurtv.net El Gobierno dictó varias medidas económicas como aumento de precios de combustibles y privatización que perjudican a la clase obrera.
(2022-01-10). Economist names major risks for Asia. rt.com 
The region's emerging markets are well positioned but facing headwinds | Asian countries should brace for three major challenges in the year ahead, according to Carlos Casanova, senior Asia economist at Swiss private bank UBP. | "We have rising Omicron cases. We have priced in slower growth in China at around 5%. And now, the Fed meeting minutes suggest that the pace of the tapering will be faster-than-expected," he told CNBC, adding that those factors "pose a threat for the region as a whole." | According to Casanova, despite the fact that Asia's emerging markets are well positioned, they will be more impacte…
(2022-01-10). After centuries of oppression, asylum is the least U.S. could offer Haitians. peoplesworld.org 
The American understanding of Haiti is stained with poverty, natural disasters, and political turmoil. As a result, some Americans think Haitians just need to figure it out and stop putting their hands out, while others take a paternalistic approach and think the United States should interfere and "help" even if that is not what Haitians …
(2022-01-10). Imperialism Isn't a Question: We Gotta Get Organized, and Mobilized now! anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion about some of the things facing a lot of people right now, poverty, houselessness, and other struggles. I also hit on the need to understand all of the contradictions that exist under the Capitalist-Imperialist system, how they manifest, who they affect, who's doing the suffering and who's doing the exploiting, and then we have to learn, listen and teach one another how to do something about this. By that I mean we must organize to overthrow the capitalist-Imperialist system, now.
(2022-01-10). Job market stumbles to end 2021. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Friday, January 7 the U.S. Department of Labor released its last report on the 2021 job market. There were only 199,000 new jobs created, less than half of what economists and the business media expected. Most types of jobs showed slower growth, and there were 10,000 jobs lost by local governments. Despite strong job growth in 2021, there were still 3.6 million fewer jobs in December as compared to February 2020, right before the last recession began. | The official unemployment dropped 0.3% to 3.9%. Normally this would be getting close to full employment, which has only happened five times in t…
(2022-01-10). New Zealand government to reopen schools despite Omicron threat. wsws.org With the Omicron variant of COVID-19 threatening, the Labour-led government is ignoring the advice of scientific experts and preparing to fully re-open schools.
(2022-01-10). Building Communities For A Fascist-Free Future. popularresistance.org On August 17, 2019, a coalition of antifascist and progressive groups in Portland, Oregon organized a rally to protest a Proud Boy event planned in the city. The rally had a carnivalesque atmosphere created by PopMob — an antifascist group of concerned Portlanders which seeks to "resist the alt-right with whimsy and creativity" — and brought on a diverse range of organizations, from labor and religious groups and civil rights groups like the NAACP to more militant organizations like Rose City Antifa. | During the protest, the latter, along with autonomous black bloc organizers, acted as a buffer betwe…
(2022-01-10). Repeal, not reform, U.S. abortion law. cpusa.org 
It took a movement analyzing our conditions and studying our history to say, "Restrictions on abortion and birth control are deliberate actions taken by people who are benefiting at our expense. They're part of a larger pattern of oppression and exploitation aimed at making our reproductive labor cheap or free." But instead, our movement …
(2022-01-10). Widespread Discontent Drove Labor's Advances in the Private Sector in 2021. zcomm.org The resurgence of the U.S. union remains nascent, but it's apparent that — however tentatively — working-class power is beginning to find its footing once again…
(2022-01-10). California Democrats Want To Fund Universal Healthcare With Higher Taxes: 3 Things To Know. moguldom.com Could universal healthcare be coming to California? Democrats in the state have proposed providing free health services to every resident, paid for by new taxes on the wealthy and on businesses. Here are three things to know. 1. Assembly Bill 1400 The proposed bill is called Assembly Bill 1400 and it would create "CalCare," a …
(2022-01-10). Inflation And Rate Hikes Hurt High-Growth And Low-Profit Tech Companies The Most: Here's Why. moguldom.com Investors expect the Federal Reserve to fight inflation by raising interest rates as many as four times in 2022. Rising interest rates — and the resulting higher bond yields — hurt tech stocks. That's because many technology companies are unprofitable or barely profitable, Harry Robertson wrote for Business Insider. "If bond yields are higher, then investors …
(2022-01-10). Venezuela Officially Exits Hyperinflation — Central Bank of Venezuela. orinocotribune.com Caracas, January 9, 2022 ( The BCV indicates on its website that the country maintained single-digit inflation rates for the last four months of 2021, despite the fact that the last quarter of the…
(2022-01-10). More Than Ever, Food Not Bombs Needs To Become A Reality. popularresistance.org Food Not Bombs was founded in 1980 to provide direct aid to people while educating about the perversion of spending so much on the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) while tens of millions of people do not have the basic necessities. It has turned into a global movement to build food sovereignty and organize systems outside the establishment. Clearing the FOG speaks with Keith McHenry, the co-founder of Food Not Bombs, about the criminalization of homelessness, their recent legal victory in Florida and why we must be concerned about increasing homelessness in the United States and the overall direction the country…
(2022-01-10). Profits before lives: Germany's federal and state governments shorten quarantine time despite massive Omicron wave. wsws.org The ruling class is reacting to the explosive spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant not with the necessary protective measures but with an escalation of its herd immunity policy.
(2022-01-10). Cognitive Warfare: Imperialist Psyops, Social Control, & Making Reality Malleable. libya360.wordpress.com Rainer Shea Since capitalism reached its highest stage, the stage where the imperialist countries export capital in order to perpetuate their dominance, the bourgeoisie have been aware that this system is crucial for more than merely gaining profits. It lets them project social control. Within the core imperialist countries, where capitalism's most brutal and extreme…
(2022-01-10). Nothing natural about this disaster. mronline.org 
Profit over people kills workers in the Midwest.
(2022-01-10). Holmes verdict: In the US, it is fine to lie to consumers, but not investors. peoplesdispatch.org Hyper-capitalism has systematically weakened regulations to help capital at the cost of consumers. The verdict on Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos simply illustrates the growing post-90s disregard for consumers…
(2022-01-10). Tehran province's exports up by 40% in 9 months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 11 (MNA) — Head of Tehran's provincial industrial office said that during the first nine months of the year 1400 in Iranian calendar (March 21, Dec 21, 2021), Tehran's exports increased by 40% in comparison to the same period last year.
(2022-01-10). Goldman Sachs Says Bitcoin Could Hit $100,000 As A 'Store of Value' Competitor To Gold. moguldom.com Goldman Sachs analysts say Bitcoin could reach $100,000 in coming years if more investors begin to view the cryptocurrency as a store of value, making it a direct competitor with gold as a safe haven. Bitcoin currently has a 20 percent share of the store-of-value market and a $700 billion market capitalization, compared to around …
(2022-01-10). Australia agrees on new weapons deal. rt.com 
Australia commits to purchasing tanks & other armored vehicles from US suppliers | Australia has agreed on a AU$3.5bn (US$2.5bn) deal with the US to upgrade its army's armored vehicle fleet. The news comes months after the country signed a security pact with the US and UK amid heightened tensions with China. | Canberra agreed to buy 75 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks to replace the 59 M1A1 tanks it purchased in 2007. | "Teamed with the infantry fighting vehicles, combat engineering vehicles, and self-propelled howitzers, the new Abrams will give our soldiers the best possibility of success and protection from ha…
(2022-01-10). Cruise ship doctor exposes shipboard conditions amid Omicron crisis. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site has closely followed the crisis facing thousands of cruise ship workers and passengers across the world in the wake of the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.