Daily Archives: February 15, 2022

2022-02-15: News Headlines

Montreal Counter-Info (2022-02-15). Report on Mobilization Against the Convoy in Montreal. itsgoingdown.org Report on antifascist mobilization against the far-Right convoy in so-called Montreal. Originally published to Montreal Counter-Info. Screenshot: @LRsocialiste We were more than 150 on Saturday morning gathered to oppose the far right, which is currently riding the wave of anger at health measures to advance its political agenda. Among the demonstrators we were confronted with, if…

Leonardo Flores (2022-02-15). "It Can't Be Illegal to Help a People": The Persecution of Alex Saab. mintpressnews.com Saab is virtually unknown in the United States, where he is currently languishing in a Miami prison, but he has been vital to Venezuela's ability to survive the brutal economic war being waged by the U.S.

WSWS (2022-02-15). UK university staff strike in defence of pensions. wsws.org Under the employers' proposal, the average higher education staff member would lose 35 percent of their retirement income.

Walden Bello (2022-02-15). Walden Bello: Why democratic socialism is the answer. greenleft.org.au National elections are due in the Philippines on May 9. The Partido Lakas ng Masa (Party of the Labouring Masses, PLM) and Laban ng Masa (Fight of the Masses) are jointly fielding a slate of candidates. Vice presidential candidate and Laban ng Masa (Fight of the Masses) chairperson Walden Bello spoke at the PLM/LNM election platform launch on February 8.

WSWS (2022-02-15). The political dead end of Britain's Stop the War Coalition: For a socialist anti-war movement, not opportunist manoeuvres. wsws.org What determines the STWC's stance is the political imperative of the petty-bourgeois stratum orbiting around the Labour and trade union bureaucracy to defend the interests of British imperialism.

_____ (2022-02-15). Puerto Rico: March Of Indignation Against 'Shakedown Plan' Of More Austerity. popularresistance.org Tens of thousands of teachers and other public workers have taken to the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a March of Indignation to protest a debt restructuring plan given the green light by Judge Taylor Swain of New York. Puerto Ricans call it the "Shakedown Plan" because it will enforce more austerity on a land where disinvestment in education and health care and privatization of the energy system have already caused great hardship. A National Strike has been called for February 18. Clearing the FOG speaks with Monisha Rios, a Puerto Rican social worker and psychologist, about who and what are behind the pro…

Olujimi Alade (2022-02-15). Black History and the ongoing struggle for liberation. workers.org February, as we all know, is Black History month: a time to celebrate Black Americans and their accomplishments. Corporations and the bourgeois establishments will no doubt pay lip service to the African American experience by hawking items with Black historical figures on them, likely as another way to profit off . . . |

WSWS (2022-02-15). As COVID-19 surges, Sri Lankan apparel workers support Global Workers Inquest. wsws.org The Rajapakse government's "profits before lives" policy has resulted in thousands of apparel workers being infected with the coronavirus.

David Swanson (2022-02-15). Talk World Radio: Jonathan Katz on What You Don't Know About Smedley Butler. warisacrime.org AUDIO: Talk World Radio is recorded as audio and video on Riverside.fm. Here is this week's video and all the videos on Youtube. VIDEO: This week on Talk World Radio we're talking about Smedley Butler with the author of a terrific new biography called Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and …

Pip Hinman (2022-02-15). Photos: Nurses and midwives strike outside NSW parliament. greenleft.org.au The New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association went on strike on February 15, defying the Industrial Relations Commission's order to cancel its action, write Pip Hinman and Viv Miley.

WSWS (2022-02-15). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Workers at an industrial park in the Haitian Capital of Port Au Prince are striking over pay while workers in the Dominican Republic have mobilized against rises in the cost of fuel and other basic necessities.

Canadian Tire Fire (2022-02-14). Canadian Tire Fire #29: Anti-Convoy Counter-Protests Spread; Truckers Win Back Stolen Wages; Montreal Fights Eviction. itsgoingdown.org photo: Chris Dixon This week, we provide an update on the status of far-Right "Freedom Convoy" protests across so-called Canada and actions folks have taken to counter them. We also take a look at some more inspiring truckers and their comrades, organizing with the Naujawan Support Network in the Greater Toronto Area. Finally, we cover…

_____ (2022-02-14). On Contact: The Precarious State Of The US Economy. popularresistance.org A bipartisan group of senators are crafting legislation to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia if it engages in what they consider hostile action of any kind against the Ukraine. New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, calls the legislation "the mother of all sanctions bill." The bill led in the House by Gregory Meeks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, like Menendez a Democrat, demands that the administration "not cede to the demands of the Russian Federation regarding NATO membership or expansion." This cuts off the ability to discuss Moscow's core demands, includin…

teleSUR (2022-02-14). Rising Oil Prices in the Middle of Geopolitical Tensions. telesurenglish.net 3.22 U.S. dollars, or 3.6 percent, was added for March delivery by The West Texas Intermediate (WTI), which stands for 93.10 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In like manner, 3.03 dollars, or 3.3 percent, was added for April delivery by Brent crude, to settle at 94.44 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. | RELATED: | The issue over tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border hasn't been resolved yet, despite the di…

Editor (2022-02-14). "My pink socialism became red as a wound": Impossible interview from Ukraine. mronline.org In 2000s Ukraine, Anatoli Ulyanov co-made online media dedicated to art, culture, and politics, and became recognized for his provocative writing style.

Editor (2022-02-14). The Black Alliance for Peace condemns the "America COMPETES Act" passed in House of Representatives. mronline.org On Friday evening, February 4th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act of 2022 (H.R. 4521). The stated intent of the legislation is to strengthen "America's national and economic security and the financial security of families, and advance our leadership in the world."

Editor (2022-02-14). US vs. China in Laos: Two Nations, two approaches, one obvious difference. mronline.org The United States has elected to lock itself in a zero-sum conflict with China, attempting to stop China's inevitable rise as the world's largest, most powerful economy and thus nation.

Kim Petersen (2022-02-14). Western Media Continues to Flog a Dead Anti-China Horse. dissidentvoice.org When it comes to the ever ascending techno-economic colossus of China, it is year-round open season in the West for monopoly media and government officials to invoke whatever opprobrium, throw it against the wall and hope it sticks, if not repeat the defamation. Evidence does not matter. It can be cooked up. And the same …

Editor2 (2022-02-14). Israel to Establish 'Triangle of Relations' with UAE, India. orinocotribune.com In addition to the normalization deals between Israel and several Arab and Gulf states, Israel is looking forward to developing relations with India, hoping to establish a "triangle of Israeli-Indian-Emirati relations," Israeli sources reported. | In the first meeting of its kind held in October 2021 between the foreign ministers of India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and the US, it was decided to establish an international forum for economic cooperation. | t.co/ada0JECRiu | — Muhabarishaji News Agency (@Muhabarishaji) Ediz Tiyansan (2022-02-14). Super Bowl brings in big bucks to LA. america.cgtn.com See how the economic benefits of the Super Bowl are helping the region amid COVID pandemic.

imperial.ac.uk (2022-02-14). Report estimates economic and social benefits of booster roll-out in Indonesia. imperial.ac.uk Rolling out a booster vaccination campaign would benefit Indonesia by US$381 billion in the next year according to the latest Imperial report.

Ellen Brown (2022-02-14). Rather Than Sink Main Street by Raising Interest Rates, the Fed Could Save It: Here's How. dissidentvoice.org Inflation is plaguing consumer markets, putting pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to tighten the money supply. But as Rex Nutting writes in a MarketWatch column titled "Why Interest Rates Aren't Really the Right Tool to Control Inflation": It may be heresy to those who think the Fed is all-powerful, but the honest answer …

Anonymous Contributor (2022-02-14). Police Continue Harassment and Repression as Tent Protest Enters Week Four in Boise, Idaho. itsgoingdown.org Report on continuing police harassment and repression of ongoing tent protests in Boise, Idaho. Today marks 4 weeks of ongoing protest across from the Capitol building in so-called Boise, Idaho. The state and city continue to prove their insistence on criminalizing poverty and doing all they can to crush resistance. Another raid occurred, with tons…

Prabhat Patnaik (2022-02-14). Why capitalist governments worry more about inflation than unemployment? mronline.org Capitalist governments invariably seek to control inflation by enlarging unemployment.

_____ (2022-02-14). Cost Of Living Protesters Around The Country Say Enough Is Enough. popularresistance.org Protests were held in several regions on Saturday 12 February to highlight the injustice of of the cost of living crisis. | In Newcastle, a placard referred to "Tory tricksters". Meanwhile another sign held next to a baby said "I can do a better job than Boris". | Laura Pidcock, national secretary of the People's Assembly, said there's "real anger" at what she described as a "growing crisis". | The former Labour MP added: | Working people could not be working harder and yet life is getting so much more difficult.

_____ (2022-02-14). Despite Public Support, Southern Unions Still Face Barriers To Growth. popularresistance.org Public support for labor unions in the United States is at an all-time high. According to a Gallup survey last fall, 68% of U.S. residents approve of unions — the highest level of support the polling firm has registered since 1965. Pew Research similarly found last summer that 55% of U.S. adults believe unions have a "positive effect" on the country, including 69% of adults under 30. | But the latest federal data on union membership shows the share of workers belonging to unions actually declined in 2021. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of unionized workers declined by more than 240,…

Darrell Rankin (2022-02-14). Canadian labor movement united against reactionary trucker insurrection. peoplesworld.org WINNIPEG, Manitoba—Canadians are increasingly fed up with the reactionary big rig trucker protests blockading U.S.-Canada trade routes and closing major streets in several cities. Factories are closing on both sides of the border, leaving tens of thousands of workers without a job. By now it is clear that Justin Trudeau's Liberal minority government treats the …

Karen Arana (2022-02-14). NUWH workers at Kaiser strike on MLK Day. liberationnews.org On Jan. 17, while millions of workers across the country had the day off to honor Martin Luther King Jr., Kaiser health care workers in California were denied the day, prompting swift action from the National Union of Healthcare Workers. A hundred people gathered outside the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center to picket the health industry giant forcing its overworked health care professionals to work this holiday honoring a man who held the power of labor in such high regard. Close to 200 workers went on strike, joined in solidarity by labor organizers and community members.

Mark Gruenberg (2022-02-14). All readers invited to massive solidarity event for striking Alabama miners. peoplesworld.org BROOKWOOD, Ala.—Forced to strike since April 1, some 1,100 United Mine Workers at Alabama's Warrior Met mine are gaining solidarity around the U.S. and abroad and new visibility in the Nation's Capital. The national solidarity will come to the fore when People's World, the South Dakota AFL-CIO and the Coalition of Labor Union Women and …

Peoples Dispatch (2022-02-14). Anti-fascists in Bulgaria counter neo-Nazi 'Lukovmarsh' procession. peoplesdispatch.org Progressive sections in Bulgaria have been opposing the 'Lukovmarsh' torch processions organized in honor of the Nazi collaborator Hristo Lukov. These processions have been held in Sofia since 2003…

Brian Mier, Benjamin Norton (2022-02-14). From Canada to Brazil, rich right-wing elites are astroturfing 'trucker' protests. multipolarista.com Supported by wealthy right-wing elites, so-called "trucker" protests (led by non-truckers) have paralyzed the capitals of Brazil and Canada in less than six months. The campaigns have many similarities – including some of the same well-funded conservative networks.

Tom Engelhardt (2022-02-14). Tomgram: Belle Chesler, Teaching in a World No Student Deserves. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Honestly, it's been hell on earth for grown-ups. Thanks largely to Donald Trump and crew, we're in the country with by far the highest Covid-19 death rate of any wealthy nation on earth. The U.S. has already left …

Jake Johnson (2022-02-14). Biden Urged to Cancel Student Debt During Super Bowl at "Student Debt Stadium" truthout.org Of the many commercials and advertisements displayed during Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, perhaps the most prominent was for the personal finance company with naming rights to SoFi Stadium, the game's multibillion-dollar venue in Inglewood, California. | SoFi offers a range of financial products and services, but what drew the most attention — and ire — during Sunday's game was the company's role in the lucrative student loan refinancing business, which is set to receive a major boost…

Moderator (2022-02-14). Hedges: Democrats, the More Effective Evil. scheerpost.com "Let's Make a Deal," an original work by Mr. Fish. | By Chris Hedges / Original to ScheerPost | When all else fails, when you are clueless about how to halt a 7.5% inflation rate, when your Build Back Better bill is gutted, when you renege on your promise to raise the minimum wage or forgive student debt, when you can't halt the Republican suppression of voting rights, when you have no idea how to handle the pandemic which has claimed 900,000 lives — 16% of the world's total deaths although we are less than 5% of the world's population — when the stock market fluctuates on wild rollercoaster rides…

Antonio C.S. Rosa (2022-02-14). Rather Than Sink Main Street by Raising Interest Rates, the Fed Could Save It. Here's How. transcend.org Today's price inflation was triggered not so much by "too much money" as by "too little supply," due to U.S. lockdowns and mandates. The Fed can help restock consumer supplies using tools that include Open Market Operations to counteract speculation, and the Discount Window to purchase loans from local banks willing to fund Main Street businesses if they had some help from the national Lender of Last Resort.

Alan Macleod (2022-02-14). 1 in 3 Big Defense Contractors Profit from US Prisoner Suffering. mintpressnews.com There exists a situation whereby prisoners earning pennies per hour are making multimillion-dollar weapons fired by individuals being paid barely $20,000 per year at civilians who might not make that much in their lifetimes.

Dana Sanchez (2022-02-14). Knowing The Probabilities: Actual Facts And Research On Day Traders Mostly Losing Money. moguldom.com The lure of being your own boss and making potentially unlimited profits while working in your pajamas proves irresistible but unachievable for 95 percent of day traders trying to make a living on very short-term price movements, and that may be generous. Day trading is defined as buying and selling on small price movements throughout a trading day, …

teleSUR (2022-02-14). Kenyan Traders Leverage E-Commerce To Boost Valentine's Sales. telesurenglish.net The downtown section of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, was a burst of the classic red color Sunday as traders strewed their wares on every available empty space, eager to profit from Valentine's Day sales. | RELATED: | "Before moving to the digital space last year, I sold from my store in Nairobi's Westlands district. When the health crisis came upon us, the importance of an online presence became apparent," said Mercy Mwend…

Editor (2022-02-14). 'Friedrich Engels and the Dialectics of Nature', by: Kaan Kangal. mronline.org Friedrich Engels' Dialectics of Nature has been arguably the most polemic 'book' within the corpus of classical Marxist literature.

Fight Back (2022-02-14). Minnesota public defenders, support staff, taking strike vote. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Public defense workers in Minnesota are ready to strike. The negotiating committees of both the lawyer bargaining unit and the support staff bargaining unit voted unanimously to reject a "last best final offer" from management. That unanimous vote carries with it a recommendation to strike if better terms are not reached. The membership of Teamsters Local 320 will begin voting on the offer next week, with ballots counted March 7. | At issue are wages and working conditions. Public defense workers in Minnesota are both underpaid and overworked. Pay parity with those who work in prosecutors' offic…

Editor (2022-02-14). Teachers in Puerto Rico strike for wages, benefits. mronline.org On Wednesday, February 9, teachers across Puerto Rico called for a national strike to protest the government and the Fiscal Control Board's (FCB) cutting of wages and pensions.

Staff (2022-02-14). V-Day to Earth Day: How Women in 70+ Countries Are Rising to End Violence Against Women & Our Planet. democracynow.org Valentine's Day kicks off a campaign by feminist leaders in 70 countries across the world to celebrate One Billion Rising, an initiative by V-Day to end violence against women — cisgender, transgender and gender nonconforming — girls and the planet. "COVID has ushered in a very strange and perplexing time for women. We are on the frontlines everywhere," says V-Day founder V (formerly Eve Ensler). The campaign seeks to resist "the broken systems of capitalism and neoliberalism," as well as the fascist governments upholding these broken systems, says Monique Wilson, global…

Ann Brown (2022-02-14). How The Feds Used A Cloud Warrant And Walmart Gift Card To Track Down $4B In Stolen Bitcoin. moguldom.com Netflix is already on it, making a docuseries about how federal agents nabbed the alleged masterminds behind the notorious $4.5 billion crypto heist by using a cloud warrant, as well as by tracing a Walmart gift card purchase. The Justice Department arrested the married couple on Feb. 8 and recovered 94,636 of the 119,754 Bitcoins …

Staff (2022-02-14). Argentine Patagonia Threatened by British, Israeli & US Citizens. orinocotribune.com By Stella Calloni — Feb 11, 2022 | While the Argentine government maintains its protest against its British counterpart over the extension of the military base located in the Malvinas Islands archipelago, colonially occupied by Great Britain since 1833, a serious incident between civil guards of a foreign businessman who illegally purchased more than 12,000 hectares in the Patagonian province of Río Negro, Argentina, and protesters who rejected the usurpation of Lago Escondido, a paradisiacal site and a reserve of drinking water, exposed the alienation and occupation of the extremely rich territory of Argent…

Pip Hinman (2022-02-14). Socialist candidate calls for support for NSW nurses strike. greenleft.org.au Paula Sanchez, who is running for the Socialist Alliance in the NSW Senate, has called on the public to back the nurses' strike on February 15. Pip Hinman reports.

Petrina Harley (2022-02-14). Socialist senate candidate: 'This bill was never about protecting lives — Christian or otherwise'. greenleft.org.au If we needed more proof that the "religious discrimination" bill was anything more than an attempt to discriminate against the LGBTIQ community, the Australian Christian Lobby provided it, argues Petrina Harley.

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2022-02-14). The Science of Socialism and Socialism as a Science. libya360.wordpress.com Olga Pérez Soto The debates on contemporary national and global social issues, in our realities, become very complex. At the same time, determinations of diverse paradigms coexist in the academic, political, governmental, institutional, militant, individual and collective spheres. It is vital in the debate to achieve a dialogue that allows us to advance in the…

Janet Parker (2022-02-14). Socialists announce WA candidates. greenleft.org.au Climate activists Petrina Harley and Alex Salmon are running for the Socialist Alliance in the WA Senate while Sam Wainwright is standing for the House of Representatives seat of Fremantle. Janet Parker reports.

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