International notes
Palestinians protest forced isolation of West Bank communities/China comments on NATO-Russia Council/Argentina: Protests vs. gov’t handling of crisis/Protests set for South Korean unionists/Metalworkers vow to continue strike/Long-term dangers from India-Pakistan war
Who pays the costs of empire
New military spending is coming so fast, and in so many forms, it is difficult to know the total cost. The administration is officially proposing an increase of $46 billion, bringing the total to $437 billion – but we can assume that this is a minimum figure. The U.S. is now spending almost as much on arms as the rest of the world combined!
Whats behind Justice Dept. lawsuits in Fla.?
A year and a half after the “battle of Florida” ended with the installation of George W. Bush in the White House, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) is charging that “voter irregularities” marred the 2000 election in at least three Florida counties.
Execution of juvenile offender draws criticism
The May 28 Texas execution of Napolean Beazley drew sharp criticism from many human rights groups. Beazley, an African American man, was 17 when he shot and killed John Luttig, a wealthy white businessman whose son is a federal judge. Texas is one of seven states that has carried out an execution of a juvenile offender.
1,000 protest health insurance privatization
LANSING, Mich. – Nearly 1,000 union retirees and seniors gathered here May 28 to protest a scheme to privatize Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS). Republican state legislators and lame duck Republican governor John Engler are pushing for privatization of the insurance company.
High school students protest Rehnquist award
SHOREWOOD, Wisc. – About 250 students, community leaders and supporters gathered around the knapsack-strewn lawn at Shorewood High School on May 24 to protest the presentation of an “excellence award” to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a graduate of the school. For the entire article, click on the headline. For more information, visit the homepage of Justice-Watch-Wisconsin.
Auto workers elect new leader
In his final State of the Union address, outgoing United Auto Workers (UAW) President Stephen P. Yokich called on UAW members to get actively involved in union organizing campaigns and political action and to build on the UAW’s tradition of fighting for social and economic justice.
Labors search for a new, independent foreign policy
Foreign policy is too important to be left in the hands of the State Department. U.S. transnational corporations and the Bush administration have very different world interests than American labor. In the era of capitalist globalization, “Workers of the World Unite,” is not just a good idea, it is critical to the very survival of the labor movement. For the entire article, click on the headline. To view a press release from the United Steelworkers on this topic, click here.
