People Before Profit blog

China’s green power plan

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:13:00 +0000

The energy's always greener on the other side...of the world, that is. Particularly, in China.

In fact, according to the Environmental Defense Fund's Tony Kreindler, China is "already beating the U.S. to clean energy jobs" and "is quickly becoming the global powerhouse in clean energy manufacturing and innovation, dwarfing the efforts of America."

China wants to employ a massive renewable energy development plan. Part of it calls for non-fossil fuel energy production to reach and remain above 11 percent of total energy production in the country by 2015. China also intends to put a million electric vehicles on the market by that same year.

In the wake of the nuclear disaster in Japan, countries everywhere are rethinking the nuclear equation - especially China. And the country has ideas in the works for all aspects of alternative energy.

Solar

China Briefing reported that China is a "major player" in the international solar power market, in terms of both production and consumption. In 2010, the country was responsible for manufacturing the most solar panels in the world.

Perhaps the greatest prospect on the horizon in regard to solar power is a new approach by scientists that, according to Energy Biz, would combine current fission technology with fusion, which is essentially a similar process to that which gives power to the sun. Though this particular idea still involves nuclear power, scientists believe it would be a safer approach.

Wind

Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said in 2010, "China has become the single largest driver for global wind power development."

Indeed, China produces more wind energy that any other country in the world, with a total installed wind power capacity of 44.5 gigawatts.

Hydro

Again, China leads the world in total hydropower capacity. The initial phase of the Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, renewing government interest in the energy.

The hydroelectric dam is located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province. While producing electricity, the dam also increases the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and reduces the potential for flooding by providing "storage space" for excess water.

However, the dam has been a controversial subject, as 1.24 million Chinese residents were relocated in June 2008 due to the dam's construction.

The bottom line seems to be that China needs to find ways to avoid risking a Fukushima-type tragedy. In order to do this, precaution, China seems to feel, ought to be coupled with progress.

In regard to alternative energy, more and more Americans seem to be advocating it. A new survey conducted by RC International for the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute said that the majority of people in the U.S. would freeze new nuclear power construction. They would also stop more federal loan guarantees for reactors, and move away from nuclear power altogether, instead seeking out solar and wind power.

This majority opinion is especially relevant not only after Japan's nuclear meltdown, but during a time in which a wildfire in Los Alamos, N.M. is threatening a local nuclear weapons laboratory. If the fire reaches barrels of waste stored in aboveground tents, CBS News reported, the result could be a plume of radioactive smoke.

The difference, however, between the U.S. and China, is that the latter has taken further steps in its pursuit of renewable energy.

According to DIY Green Energy, the cost of solar power, for example, was falling there.

Dr. Hao Guoqiang, Vice President of Shanghai Solar Energy Research Center, was confident that "In 2015, the cost of supplying solar electricity will be about the same as" current U.S. electricity fees. "The cost of solar energy," he added, "is reducing over these past few years. The drop is about 10 percent to 20 percent each year."

Photo: Spain's PS10 is the first solar thermal power plant in the form of a tower that generates electricity in a commercial way. Japan is expected to move forward with solar power. Wikipedia // CC 2.0

Amidst massive strikes, Greek Parliament votes for austerity

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:15:00 +0000

Much of Greece was shut down Tuesday and Wednesday by a two-day general strike by all major union federations, and enraged protesters filling Athens' Syntagma Square, some clashing with police. But on Wednesday the Greek Parliament did what the European ruling class demanded of them and approved the general terms of a crushing austerity program.

The vote went 155-138 in favor of the austerity program, with five legislators voting "present" and two absent from the chamber. All but one member of Prime Minister George Papandreou's Pan Hellenic Socialist Party (PASOK) majority voted yes, and the one defector was quickly expelled from the party. All but one deputy of the right-wing opposition New Democracy Party voted against the measure, and that deputy was also quickly kicked out by the party leadership. The left-wing opposition, consisting of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and others, voted solidly against the austerity program.

Prior to the vote, New Democracy argued that the austerity program was too harsh. Prime Minister Papandreou angrily accused New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras of hypocrisy, pointing out that the previous New Democrat government of Kostas Simitis bears much of the blame for creating the current situation, because, in order to get Greece into the Euro zone, it concealed Greece's real fiscal situation of huge debts that were in violation of Euro zone rules.

Greek workers and others who will be hurt by the austerity program, and are already being hurt by the crisis which has raised unemployment to 16 percent, do not care about the finger-pointing between PASOK and the New Democrats, or the finger-wagging of the European elites. Their demand is that the austerity measures be cancelled and that the rich be forced to pay for the damage caused by the irresponsibility of the politicians they control.

Last year, Greece got the "troika" of leading financial institutions, consisting of the European Union, the Central Bank of Europe and the International Monetary Fund, to come up with a large bailout loan which was conditioned on getting the budget deficit under control. A $17 billion installment on last year's loan is supposed to be delivered to Greece in early July, when, also, a massive payment on Greece's sovereign debt is due. And further economic help for Greece going forward has also been made contingent on the enforcement of austerity measures which include raised taxes (even on minimum wage earners), cuts in public payrolls, salaries and pensions, and a $72 billion program of privatization of many key government institutions including the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki plus electric companies and other things.

In the general strike which started Tuesday, electrical workers cut power, causing rolling blackouts, to protest the plan to privatize their industry.

Greece has a population of about 11.2 million, and a gross domestic product of $356 billion according to the Economist magazine's "Pocket World in Figures" for 2011. Although it is a small country, if it defaults completely this could destabilize the whole European banking system.

Although Wednesday's protests were mostly peaceful, the "black bloc" once again made its appearance, as it has in protest demonstrations in Europe throughout the last several years. These are masked, black-clad, supposedly anarchist youth who show up at demonstrations and goad the police into reacting with violence against the main groups of protesters. This time, some of these people broke up marble paving stones in Syntagma Square and turned them into missiles to hurl at the police, who responded with massive tear gas attacks and vicious beatings of peaceful protesters. Amnesty International also accused the police of overreacting and using excessive violence against protesters.

While this was going on in Greece, the International Monetary Fund announced that it has chosen French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde to be its new managing director, replacing Dominique Strauss-Kahn who is awaiting trial in New York on charges of sexually assaulting a hotel employee. Lagarde beat out Mexican Central Bank Director Augustin Carstens, the only other candidate being seriously considered for the position. Lagarde's victory was clinched when the United States, China, Russia and Brazil announced their support for her. In fact, Lagarde and Carstens have very similar political and economic philosophies, both being strong supporters of neo-liberal policies of free trade and privatization. Lagarde quickly announced that she would take a firm line with Greece.

The only good news for Greece was that some of its French private creditors are now saying that they may be willing to accept that payments owed to them could be stretched out over a longer period.

Photo: Greek workers in an earlier strike. Solidnet // CC 2.0

Serbian refugee situation still a big problem

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:48:00 +0000

UN data for 2010 show Serbia harbors more refugees than any other European country.

At a press conference in Belgrade marking World Refugee Day on June 20, a coalition of refugee groups critiqued the European Union for its glossing over of the human rights record of Croatia, a candidate for EU membership. At issue for them is the continued suffering of Serbians displaced in the 1990s wars that dismembered Yugoslavia.

The conflicts led to 700,000 Serbians - 10 percent of the population - gaining refugee status at one time or another. Some 65,000 of them still lack Serbian citizenship. UN official Eduardo Arboleda says that 45,000 poverty stricken Serbian refugees need help urgently, as do 28,000 similarly afflicted refugees in other remnants of the former Yugoslavia. Lack of pensions and housing are major problems.

On June 15, EU representative in Serbia Vincent Degert announced preparatory steps toward the creation of a "joint regional body" to deal with refugees.

For more information see Global Research, Radio Serbia and Focus Information Agency.

Communists assess India election defeat

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:17:00 +0000

NEW DELHI - Following the defeat of the Left Front government in West Bengal state elections, the Communist Party of India met last month to assess the results. The Communist Party of India - Marxist held its deliberations on June 11-12.

A.B. Bardhan, CPI general secretary opened his after assessment press briefing by underlining the party's commitment to the will of the voters and the need for change.

"We are committed to Indian Democracy and the need for social change in the country has assumed urgency. The change cannot take place without the help of the Left and therefore we have decided to prepare the party for that. We wish that our partners and friends in the Left Front will also do the same exercise."

Bardhan said despite the severe attack on the Left Front government in West Bengal and elsewhere, the performance in the Indian states "Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry is good."

Though the Left Democratic Front lost in Kerala, it was very close, "very near a majority," 68 seats out of total 140. CPIm has emerged the largest party in the LDF with 45 seats, CPI got 14. The Congress party was hoping for a rout.

Communists have a reputation for attending to people's economic needs with extreme care and providing an honest administration. The former chief minister, now opposition leader, has a reputation for intolerance for corruption.

In West Bengal where 90 million people had Communist rule for 34 years, Bardhan said, "It will be wrong to term the verdict there as a mere electoral set back, it is a political defeat."

The editor of CPI's weekly newspaper, New Age, gave historical political context to the Communist defeat, challenging commentators that assert the end of India's Communist Parties. He said, "India's Congress party, as early as 1967, was uprooted in nine states. In contrast, the Left Front ruled for over three decades [compared to 20 years of Congress rule since 1947] and created a record in the history of multi-party democracy, that will remain so till it reasserts itself in the future electoral battles and creates new records."

Former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, a leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, "broke his silence" last month.

We are "taking lessons from the rout, " he said, yet emphasized the still sizable vote the Left did get. The Left garnered 41 percent of the vote, nearly 19.5 million people cast their ballot for the Left Front.

This in the face of unprecedented organized violence and attack on the CPI-M, which continued after the elections.

"Hundreds of our party offices have been destroyed, [our] flags removed and [the opposition's] flags put on. Many have been killed. It is our fault we lost, but does that mean we should be killed?" Bhattacharya said.

"Five thousand of our workers fled their homes due to fear, were compelled to donate funds [to opposition], our village-level elected members are attacked and compelled to join other parties or die. We cannot tolerate these killings. Do they think people of West Bengal are blind? The people very well know what is true and what is not.They cannot fool the public," he said.

"We will take our lessons, and go back to the people. People will decide for us which path to take," he said.

Defeat after 34 years of being elected has emboldened anti-communist doomsday predictors, writing off the Left. But analysts note that had there been a single defeat in the 34 years of Left Front's electoral victories, and a re-election, as what has happened in Kerala, then they wouldn't be so quick to write off the Left.

The Left parties still have a strong, massive cadre base and trade union strength.

The Left parties are also looking forward to organizing on vital issues of the day that affect millions of India's people.

The CPI said it will mobilize on five areas: soaring prices on food and essentials, strengthening the food security law, changing how poverty is measured to a more accurate and scientific basis, guaranteeing land reform laws are for the people and, finally, ending government and corporate corruption, which has reached "Himalayan proportions," due to the economic neoliberal policies that emphasize deregulation, privatization and maximum profit above all.

For the Left, the parties say, power comes out of its fighting spirit through mass struggles.

Photo: CPI's A.B. Bardhan, center, stands with a representative from the Israeli Communist Party, left, and the Palestinian ambassador to India, right at the CPI convention in 2008. (Teresa Albano/PW)

19 political prisoners on hunger strike in Iran

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:25:00 +0000

The UK-based Committee for the Defense of the Iranian People's Rights (CODIR) has called on labor and progressive movements and people across the world to join the movement of solidarity with a group of prominent political prisoners who are on hunger strike in Iran against the maltreatment and murder of political detainees.

The 19 hunger strikers include a former deputy foreign minister, a number of well known progressive journalists, a former general secretary of the student movement in Iran and several reformist politicians.

Twelve political prisoners in section 350 of Tehran's Evin prison began their indefinite hunger strike on June 18 in protest against the murder of two political prisoners, Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber, earlier in the month. On June 23, six further political prisoners from Rajaei Shahr prison in Karaj joined the hunger strike.

Mohsen Amin Zadeh, a former deputy foreign minister during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, who was on temporary release from prison when the hunger strike began, was called back to Evin prison after attending Hoda Saber's funeral. Before returning to prison, he announced that he also would join the hunger strike.

Emadoldin Baghy, one of the first political prisoners to begin the hunger strike, was released after serving his term. He has vowed that he will nonetheless continue his hunger strike until the demands of the protesters are met.

Mohammad Javad Mozafar, another of the political prisoners on hunger strike, was given three days' temporary leave from the prison to attend a relative's funeral. He too indicated that he would stay on hunger strike during his temporary release.

Mehdi Karimian Eghbal, another political prisoner, has also joined the hunger strike in place of Emadoldin Baghy until he returns to custody.

According to reports from Iran, the physical condition of prisoners on hunger strike in Evin prison is deteriorating and on June 22, the fifth day of their hunger strike, Abolfazl Ghadyani (who also has a heart condition) and Abdullah Momeni were transferred to the prison infirmary. As a result of the hunger strike, Mohsen Amin Zadeh's blood pressure has increased severely but the prison authorities have refused to transfer him to the prison infirmary or an outside hospital.

In their statement, after describing the brutal ways in which Haleh Sahabi and Hoda Saber were murdered, the 12 political prisoners wrote of Saber's detention and treatment:

"Two points make his (Saber's) martyrdom a big challenge to the legitimacy of the current system. First, his detention for 10 months without conviction or any legal ruling, completely arbitrary and tyrannical ... Second, casual and malicious conduct in dealing with the effects of the hunger strike, along with the beatings, which, as described in the testimony of the political prisoners in section 350, caused his oppressed martyrdom."

"The testimony of the political prisoners" refers to a letter signed by 64 political prisoners in Evin prison immediately following Saber's death, describing the verbal abuse and beatings that he received in the prison infirmary immediately preceding his death.

CODIR campaigns against the abuse of human and democratic rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The organization notes that the Iranian regime has been condemned internationally for its complete disregard for international norms relating to the treatment of political dissent and promotion of personal rights and freedom.

CODIR therefore calls for:

* the immediate release of all political prisoners in Iran
* an end to the maltreatment, abuse and torture of political detainees in Iran
* an end to the extra-judicial murder of political opponents of the regime
* abolition of the death penalty in Iran
* respect for all international conventions governing human and democratic freedoms, freedom of press and the activities of political and trade union organizations.

CODIR asks that letters be sent as a matter of urgency to all Iranian embassies and consulates, protesting against the inhuman conditions and practices that political detainees in the Islamic Republic of Iran are subjected to, and calling for the demands of the hunger strikers to be met immediately and in full.

For further information contact codir_info@btinternet.com

Image: Photos of 12 hunger strikers in Evin prison in Tehran. They were joined by six additional hunger strikers in another prison. CODIR

Indonesian domestic worker is beheaded in Saudi Arabia

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:32:00 +0000

World Note

Jakarta stopped workers from traveling to Saudi Arabia after the beheading there of a 54-year-old Indonesian migrant worker June 17.

Domestic worker Ruyati Binti Sapubi is said to have killed her employer because of abuse. A government spokesperson stated that to be allowed to receive Indonesian migrant workers, countries would henceforth have to meet human rights standards.

Indonesia objected to not having been officially informed of the execution and recalled its ambassador in response. Currently, 22 Indonesians are on death row in Saudi Arabia, with 316 others jailed on a variety of charges.

In a related development, the International Labor Organization member countries meeting June 16 in Geneva adopted an unprecedented Domestic Workers Convention, which recognizes rights for domestic workers rights long enjoyed by other workers. Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia earn $160 - 400 per month.

For more information, see the Jakarta Globe and by the UK Guardian.

Best things in life are free: studying medicine in Cuba

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Who would have ever believed that one of the best medical programs in the world is free, in a third world country and primarily filled with people of color?

I, future doctor Chasiti I. Falls, am a rising fifth year medical student in Havana, Cuba. Under full scholarship to a six-year medical degree program, my room and board, my books and study material are all free. Even my simple mandatory uniform is free. I have to say the cherry on this sundae is that health care in Cuba is universal and free.

ELAM (Escuela Latino Americana de Medicina) or Latin American School of Medicine in 2009 accepted students from Asian, Mediterranean and more than 50 African counties that sent representatives to be trained in Cuba as physicians for them to return to their countries to provide services in the most medically neglected and impoverished regions.

Background

During a Congressional Black Caucus delegation visit to Cuba in June 2000, Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi remarked to the former President Fidel Castro that there are large areas in his district that do not have a single physician. President Castro responded with an offer of full scholarships for young adults from Mississippi to study medicine in Cuba.

In time, the unbelievable offer was extended to young adults from the working-class and underserved areas throughout the U.S., who cannot afford to pay the $200,000 it cost to study medicine in the United States.

Annually on average, six percent of black students in the U.S. are accepted into medical degree programs, while in Cuba 80 percent of my classmates are of color or the African Diaspora. The only condition of Cuba's offer is that graduates of the program return to the U.S. to practice in underserved communities. Recruitment for the program began in 2001.

The program

ELAM is located on the site of a former naval academy. During the six years of study, all the courses at ELAM are taught in Spanish. The optional pre-med curriculum includes introductory courses in health sciences, chemistry, biology, math, physics and a 12-week intensive Spanish language program. Thus, it is not mandatory that a student speak Spanish to apply.

One of my classmates from California was not even able to say hello when we arrived in 2006, however, today he is thriving in his studies and fluent not just in Spanish but Medical Spanish.

Personally, that was my decision maker. I shadowed a physician at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, who was well prepared and highly qualified, but on the other hand when she was faced with relaying medical information through an intermediary to her Spanish-only speaking patient, the channels of communication were rocky. I learned that this could lead to a diminished doctor-patient relationship.

The first two years are on the ELAM campus, and students take a combination of basic science courses compiled into a "Morphology" curriculum.

The next three years entail clinical rotations (i.e. gynecology, internal medicine and surgery). The training model combines theory with practice and focuses on primary care and community medicine. The last year is a one-year fully-loaded, rotating, hands-on internship, which responsibilities include teaching underclassman.

The ELAM program is designed to help every student succeed. The U.S. students even receive a modified curriculum that promotes USMLE (United States Medical License Exam) preparation.

As a student, I am allowed to perform surgeries, deliver newborns and attend everyday people and issues while on call in the emergency room.

American in a foreign land

I am a mother, daughter, aunty and Fort Wayne native who decided to pack up everything and go to a third world country to fulfill a dream. I always had aspiration of being a doctor and, like for so many others, the dream seemed far away. Until one day, an unidentified man approached me and said, "You look like I should tell you this: There is a school in Cuba that is training people of color to be doctors for free. Call this New York phone number if you are interested."

Of course, my first impression was not one of belief, until after one long, hard, single-parent day. I sat down that evening to talk with God about what I could do to benefit my family's well being, when I recalled that strange day. I dug out the number and called it, which to my surprise worked. A secretary answered my questions and filled my ear with useful information and made arrangements to send an application packet to my home.

I touched down in Havana in 2006 and have been blessed to sit with renowned men such as Minister Louis Farrakhan, Danny Glover, countless American doctors and activists of the past and present. I have been featured in Essence Magazine and a BBC News Media Exchange advocating the program. Cuba has turned out to be a beneficial yet testy experience.

At this stage of my educational career, I am living in a dorm on hospital grounds in Central Havana where I share a room with 11 Latin American students. I rotate through several hospitals depending on their specialty. We eat beans and rice, and complete patient evolutions daily. At times I study by candlelight and go days without running water.

I have a travel license, but despite the fact of our new leadership, I am still subject to travel regulations and restrictions put in place by the Bush administration. For example, I have to travel to another country before I can travel home. Don't believe the hype: Sure I can fly to Miami, but it is an expensive charter flight that would entail a thorough customs check.

In 2009, I was even subject to having my bank accounts frozen. As a 2007 and 2008 Cuban Friendship Caravan participant (delivering humanitarian aid to Cuban people), I never thought of myself as an activist. I just know that to change the world, I have to be active and I am not able to tear down the master's house with the master's tools.

Truthfully, it is a trying experience; however, I am learning everyday and live by the motto "be cool, stay in school." I can honestly say that this is the first time other than elementary school I have been able to dedicate all my time to my studies without having to work. I decided to trade the false riches and amenities of the U.S. for six and a half years to fulfill a void in my community and my life path of becoming an obstetrician/gynecologist. I made this great sacrifice with vision and determination.

For details and applications, contact he IFCO (Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization) recruitment office is in New York at (212) 926-5757 or via e-mail atifco@igc.org. The website is www.ifconews.org.

This article was originally published by Frost Illustrated, published here with permission from the author.

Bahrain: Military tribunals hand down long sentences

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:31:00 +0000

Condemnation is mounting in response to severe sentences handed down June 22 against 21 leaders of ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

Religious leader Sheikh Issa Qasim in particular denounced the eight life sentences handed out, saying, "We are all feeling pain, suffering and a sense of depression from the sentencing."

The largest opposition group, the Islamic National Accord Association, "received these sentences with shock, especially as they contradict the call for national dialogue" with Bahrain's king.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay equated the sentencing with "political persecution," while UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called upon the monarchy to allow judicial appeals to proceed. UN data indicate military courts have sentenced more than 100 protesters to jail, many having engaged in demonstrations only minimally. Almost 1,000 Bahrainis have been detained, and four prisoners have died from torture.

Further information is available at Presstv and through the UN News Center.

African Union ramps up efforts for ceasefire in Libya

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:40:00 +0000

Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Ugandan ambassador to the United Nations, presented June 15 the African Union's official view of the conflict in Libya to the United Nations Security Council. Dr. Rugunda emphasized the demand for a ceasefire and a negotiated solution to the conflict between Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi and insurgents, and sharply chastised the UN's leadership for brushing aside the AU's concerns. The presentation came two days after a speech to the African Union by Hillary Clinton, who demanded that the organization and its member states break relations with the Libyan regime.

The AU was founded in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity. It has 53 member states, whose total population is nearly 1 billion. The only African state not a member of the AU is Morocco, which has stayed out in protest of the admittance of the Sahrawi Republic, whose territory Morocco claims, by the OAU. The Moroccan armed forces have been battling Sahrawi guerilla forces led by the Polisario Front.

Supporters of the Libya War accuse the AU of being bought and paid for puppets of Gadaffi, but the real situation seems to be more complicated. Although it is true that Libya has paid for many of the expenses of the AU and provided a large amount of development aid to some of its member countries, not all of them approve of the Libyan leader.

Even before the present conflict broke out, there were strong disagreements between some important AU countries and Gaddafi. These disagreements have involved Libyan intervention in some civil wars, plus Gadaffi's proclaimed aim of creating a "United States of Africa" under Libyan leadership, a goal the government of South Africa, for example, considers quixotic. The fact that Gadaffi has made a practice of showing up at international events in the company of African kings and princes, whom he proclaims to be the continent's "natural" leaders, is an annoyance for African leaders who regard such figures as being potentially divisive troublemakers.

The main current goal of the AU is integration, i.e. development of political and especially economic ties among African nations that can act as a counterweight to the financial power of former colonizers, especially France and the U.K., as well as the United States. The attacks on Libya are seen by many in Africa and beyond as part of a plan to consolidate the economic and political power of France especially within the African continent, perhaps also to pre-empt growing Chinese influence.

Libya has plentiful oil, natural gas and underground water reserves, and has been playing a large role in banking and finance within the African continent, which potentially undercuts the might of former colonial powers such as France, as well as that of international monopoly capital, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

In remarks at a meeting between the Security Council and the African Union High Level ad hoc Committee on Libya, Dr. Rugunda criticized both Gadaffi and the NATO powers, who began a bombing campaign against Libya on March 18 under the cover of a Security Council resolution that authorized creation of a no-fly zone to protect civilians in rebel held areas. Rugunda reminded the Security Council that the AU had, from the start, called for dialog, and that continued "ignoring the AU for three months and going on with the bombings of the sacred land of Africa has been high-handed, arrogant and provocative. This is something that should not be sustained ... Certainly, no constellation of states should think that they can recreate hegemony over Africa."

Rugunda questioned the stance of the rebels and the NATO powers that Gadaffi must go before any ceasefire and dialogue can commence.

However, Rugunda did not let Gadaffi off the hook completely. "Gadaffi can not ignore the fact that the rebels took over Benghazi and his authority melted away before NATO came in to confuse the picture. The pre-NATO uprising in Benghazi was, mainly, internal. Gadaffi may say that they were organized by Al Qaeda. Even if that is so, it is a fact that some Libyans in Benghazi threw out Gadaffi's authority. Therefore, Gadaffi must think and agree to reforms, resulting into [sic] competitive politics."

Rugunda reiterated the demand for a ceasefire and talks, and proposed the good offices of the African Union to provide a venue and peacekeeping forces.

The NATO intervention, supposedly to protect civilians from air attacks by the Libyan military, has morphed into a full-scale attack, with objectives many see as regime change or even the killing of Gadaffi.

NATO bombs have killed not only Gadaffi troops but also civilians and even some rebels. In addition to UN Security Council members who abstained from voting for the enabling resolutions (China, India, Brazil, Russia, Germany), many other states and groupings, including Cuba and the ALBA group of Latin American states, have now stepped forward with demands for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement.

At writing, an AU delegation was once again in Libya talking to both rebels and pro-Gadaffi representatives.

Photo: Norwegian F-16 flying over Suda Bay as part of the enforcement of the No-Fly Zone. Courtesty NATO.

Chilean Communist freed as Colombia drops charges

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:22:00 +0000

Chilean communist Manuel Olate says he may seeking civil damages against the Colombian government for defamation. Accused of rounding up money for the leftist military group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, he was detained for three months as a preliminary step to extradition.

But on June 17 Colombia withdrew the extradition request, and four days later the Chilean Supreme Court freed Olate, ruling, however, that the state need not pay defense costs.

Colombia's backpedalled because its Supreme Court recently discredited evidence against Olate, particularly material taken from computers belonging to FARC leader Raul Reyes, killed earlier by the Colombian military.

Olate had previously told a reporter that the case against him "condemns and delegitimizes communists' international solidarity, which is part of our way of doing politics."

For more information see TeleSur or the Communist Party of Chile.

Future still far from rosy as Greek leader gets his vote of confidence

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:01:00 +0000

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou managed to get a parliamentary vote of confidence Tuesday, June 21. This makes it more likely that Greece can receive a $17 billion installment on an emergency $156 billion bailout loan that was agreed on by its European trading partners last year, and get a new bailout this year. However, these things are not certain; the only thing that is certain is that Greek workers will take a hit and there will be intensified class struggle in the months to come.

The vote in parliament was called by Papandreou, because the troika of institutions that are in charge of the bailouts, namely the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, demanded it as a condition for continuing payments on the 2010 bailout and considering another.

It was a foregone conclusion that the opposition, including both the right-wing New Democratic Party and the Communist Party (KKE) and others on the left would vote "no". The only thing that was in doubt was whether Papandreou's own Pan-Hellenic Socialist Party (PASOK) would hold together under party discipline, or whether enough PASOK deputies would defect and vote against the measure, possibly triggering elections that the right opposition would surely win, and also putting the bailout arrangements in severe doubt.

At any rate, the vote went 155 to 143 with two abstentions, in the 300-member parliament. The PASOK caucus voted along strict party lines, and no opposition deputy from either left or right voted for the confidence resolution. It had been thought that some of the more left-leaning PASOK deputies might break with Papandreou on the vote. However, at the last minute, he gave them an excuse for voting for the measure by means of what many feel was a largely cosmetic cabinet reshuffle. Next week, he will ask for another parliamentary vote on specific austerity plans. To get the $17 billion, he has to get approval for these measures by July 3.

Now what? In the weeks leading to the vote, tens of thousands of Greeks were in the street demonstrating against the austerity program. Protests have been led by the Communist Party and the PAME labor federation in which it plays a leadership role, but also by other unions, including ones affiliated with the government's own party, student organizations and increasingly by masses of people connected up through social media. Greek labor has announced a two-day general strike for next week, with more actions to come.

Greek workers see the PASOK government as selling out their interests in favor of their country's own tax evading super-rich as well as wealthy foreign bankers. They are angry that their own politicians and business elites, with the connivance of Wall Street's Goldman Sachs, contrived to conceal the degree to which the country's sovereign debt was getting beyond what Euro zone rules permit, until it was too late, and now they, the workers, have to pay for the damage.

The austerity program includes a fire sale privatization of many important government assets, to the tune of more than $70 billion, which were built up over the years at great cost to the Greek people, including the key seaport facilities of Piraeus and Thessaloniki, plus railways and other public properties. Pensions and government wages will be slashed. Public services will be drastically reduced. Taxes will also be increased, with the Value Added Tax going up a colossal 23 percent. The goal is to reduce expenditures by $40 billion in a country of 11.2 million people with a 2010 Gross Domestic Product of $356 billion.

And nobody is certain that these austerity measures will not worsen instead of improving the situation. Taking money out of the pockets of ordinary Greeks, and laying them off by the thousands, seems to be a strange way of reviving the nation's economy. But alternatives, such as a restructuring of the debt by stretching out payments over a longer period of time or forcing major bondholders to accept reduced returns, are excluded by the attitudes of the lenders. Although the German government, nervous about the implications of a possible complete default by Greece, has shown some signs of flexibility, the French government and the European Central Bank have been adamant in insisting that austerity is the only condition under which credit will continue to be extended. French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who is the front-runner to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn as head of the IMF, also hinted that she would take a hard line. And it is not a foregone conclusion that Greece will be able to pay its next installment on its debts, in mid July. It may yet default.

Another alternative would have been to sharply devalue the national currency, which would have made Greek exports and also the key sector of tourism more attractive. But Greece cannot do that, having abandoned its own currency for the Euro, which it shares with 26 other countries, including much wealthier ones, who have no desire to devalue.

The bond-rating agency Standard and Poor's, meanwhile, cut Greece's rating to CCC, the lowest of any Western European country.

Good jobs tour kicks off in Minneapolis

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:54:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS - The Wesley Church was host to the kickoff of the Congressional Progressive Caucus's "Good Jobs" tour in the Twin Cities last weekend.

The caucus's co-chair, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., welcomed the crowd to the public hearing, saying, "America should work again for people who work for a living." He continued, "Americans have to use their strength in numbers to counter corporate dollars."

The tour is being used to promote public support for addressing the unemployment crisis.

Ellison was flanked by caucus co-chair Reps. Raul Grijalva, D-N.M., Alan Grayson, D-Fla., Jared Polis, D-Colo., and former Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy of Columbus, Ohio.

Rep. Grijalva charged that the Republicans have shifted U.S. policy from concern for "the greater good to the good of a few."

Speaker after speaker testified at the hearing on the effect of the economic crisis on their lives. Several female Wal-Mart employees spoke about the company's alleged unfair business practices. The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a class action suit brought by Wal-Mart's women workers. Some of the women had been involved in a group of Wal-Mart employees who recently took their complaints directly to the Walton family at Wal-Mart corporate headquarters.

Many of those testifying were women: a student spoke to her fear that a desired career in social work is now threatened by government cutbacks; another hotel worker related poor working conditions; an older worker explained the effects of being laid off without adequate training to find work.

The panel suggested to those gathered that there was a way to change things through activism and the upcoming elections. They urged the crowd to write their own stories and send it to Congress via the tour's website, or to call the Capitol switchboard and talk to their representatives directly to support the call for good jobs for American workers.

Public hearings will also take place in Milwaukee, New York, Miami, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and many more locations. A full list of stops can be found online.

Photo: Jordan Farrar/PW

Ukraine reds: still resisting despite the odds

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:06:00 +0000

This week in many places across Ukraine, red flags will fly beside the country's blue and yellow to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nazi invasion.

They will fly as a challenge to those in the Ukrainian parliament who have sought to impose a legal ban on symbols of the Soviet period.

Last weekend's congress of Ukraine's Communist Party heard its secretary Peter Symonenko stress the political importance of resisting what he described as the threat of nationalistic fascism, the attempt to link national sentiment to fascist and White Guard episodes in the country's past.

In circumstances where the heirs of the discredited orange revolution have suffered serious setbacks electorally, they are now resorting to cruder methods. In those regions and districts where they still have political control, those who collaborated with the Nazis are being honored. Streets and squares are being renamed after them. Neo-fascist organizations are given freedom to operate. Hostility to Ukraine's large national minorities, Russian, Jewish, Russian-German, is growing.

That was why, argued Symonenko, it was so important to reassert the progressive, multinational traditions of working people in Ukraine, of the heroism of their resistance to Nazi invasion and the achievements of the Soviet period.

The congress reflected the difficult yet pivotal position that the Communist Party holds within Ukraine's politics. In 2006-7, its 26 deputies played important part in the consolidation of a parliamentary coalition which ended nationalist rule. In 2010, they gave support to the current President Viktor Yanukovych on the basis of commitments that he would defend the rights of working people, protect national minorities and strengthen international ties with Russia and countries of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization.

Politically, however, Ukraine's Communists have no easy task. Restored capitalism is brutal.

About a dozen oligarch groups control an economy that has been radically privatized - including 90 per cent of state enterprises, almost all utilities, housing and agricultural production. These forces control the media and exert a dominating presence within government and over the state apparatus. And privatization continues. A new system of compulsory private insurance is being prepared for a health service that already operates largely for payment. Unemployment remains massive. Premature mortality, especially among working-age men, together with mass emigration has seen the population shrink by over 10 per cent. Over 40 per cent of those under 24 are without work, and the trade union movement is correspondingly weak.

In these circumstances, Communists have to fight against the odds. Banned in 1991, the party was reformed in 1993 but remains barred from organizing in the public sector, state enterprises and among civil servants.

Yet, surprisingly, the party is growing fast. A third of its 112,000 members have been recruited over the past four years. Young people are becoming increasingly involved and women now make up almost 40 per cent of members.

This is largely because the party has refashioned itself. It is now much more a mass campaigning party rooted locally and taking up the immediate issues that affect working people - unpaid wages, denied pensions, the swindling of compensation due to former members of collective farms.

Two years ago, 6,000 engineering workers occupied Ukraine's biggest agricultural machinery complex. Its second post-privatization owner had gone bust. Their jobs were on the line. After a wider political campaign, in which Communists played a major role, parliament passed a motion taking the factory back into public ownership.

However, these successes do not blind Communists to the perilous imbalances of Ukrainian politics. At the congress, the party's elder statesman Georgii Khryuchov quoted a statistic to highlight the dangers. He drew out the negative conclusions from a recent poll, which indicated that around 40 per cent of the population favored the restoration of socialism in some form or other.

The first conclusion concerned the 60 percent who did not hold this view. Passively or actively, they have been influenced to accept the inevitability of the existing order and, more dangerously, were susceptible to nationalist propaganda and policies that, under the previous government, included support for NATO and the EU. The second conclusion concerned the disparity between the 40 percent support for socialism and electoral support for the Ukrainian Communists, which generally runs at below 10 per cent.

The party, Khryuchev argued, had to further "radicalize" its work and, through much more direct engagement at the grassroots, dispel the distrust that was ceaselessly promoted by the mass media, whether nationalist or not.

Hence the importance attached to combating the rewriting of history concerning the Soviet Union and the war against fascism.

This was not a matter of nostalgia. It represented a real and essential engagement with present-day politics. Ukrainian Communists are mindful, as should all progressives in Britain, of the country's front-line position within current shifts in the balance of world forces.

The orange revolution resulted in Ukrainian troops being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, heavy penetration by U.S. agencies and preparation for NATO membership. These steps have been halted, but the pressure remains. Concrete alternatives need to be offered for a better future.

The new party program adopted at the congress advances perspectives for economic development based on the progressive restoration of social ownership and planning. This in turn is seen to require a new international orientation that does not subordinate such development to monopoly-controlled market forces - ultimately the restoration of democratically planned economic relations between the countries currently within the Commonwealth of Independent States. Other moves are also possible.

In 2010, Yanukovych visited China in a presidential delegation that included Peter Symonenko as leader of the Communist Party parliamentary fraction. This weekend, at the close of the congress, other red flags were flying in the streets of Kiev to welcome the first visit to Ukraine by President Hu Jintao.

John Foster is international secretary of the Communist Party of Britain. This article originally appeared in Morning Star. Photo: A delegate to the recent 44th Congress of the Communist Party of the Ukraine speaks. Via CPU website.

Afghanistan most dangerous place for women

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:39:00 +0000

World Note

With U.S. war costs in Afghanistan exceeding $425 billion, that country has become the world's most dangerous country for women, a new Thomson Reuters Foundation poll says.

Over 200 of the world's "gender experts" - aid professionals, academics, health workers, policymakers, journalists and development specialists - were asked to rank countries according to six risk factors: "health threats, sexual violence, non-sexual violence, cultural or religious factors, lack of access to resources and trafficking."

The survey placed Afghan women at the bottom in three categories: lack of health care, non-sexual violence and diminished economic resources. Al Jazeera reports Afghan women experience "violence, dismal healthcare and brutal poverty."

One in 11 women die in childbirth and 87 percent are illiterate.

Photo: United Nations Photo // CC 2.0

World’s domestic workers win historic victory

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:58:00 +0000

Domestic workers received some much-needed support June 16, when representatives of governments, workers and employers, meeting in Geneva under the auspices of the International Labor Organization formulated a new set of rules, or "convention," calling for their rights - which have been swept under the rug in many countries, including the United States - to be protected by law.

Under the direction of the Obama administration, U.S. representatives backed the new rules.

According to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, "The people who perform this work-overwhelmingly women, migrants and people from historically marginalized communities-are indeed workers, and thus entitled to the same rights and protections that all other workers enjoy." In that respect, the AFL-CIO teamed up earlier this year with the National Domestic Workers Alliance, saying that the fight for domestic workers' rights was part of the fight for all workers' rights.

The term "domestic workers" applies to those who are under the employ of a household: maids, butlers, nannies, children's caregivers and so on.

"We are moving the standards system of the ILO into the informal economy for the first time, and this is a breakthrough of great significance," said Juan Somovia, director-general of the ILO, upon the adoption of the rules.

The convention passed with 90 percent approval. Even many on the right wing of the world political scene hailed the tentative gain in workers' rights. According to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, of the center-right Christian Democratic Union, "[I]t is ... vitally important ... that you have now adopted this convention on domestic workers. This is an area which has often lain in the shadows of official employment and for which standards are now being established, step-by-step, which fully uphold the principle that all human beings have an equal right to protection of their dignity."

According to an ILO press release, the rules call for domestic workers to enjoy the same labor "rights as those available to other workers: reasonable hours of work, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, a limit on in-kind payment, clear information on terms and conditions of employment, as well as respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining."

Further, the "Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers," which must be ratified by at least two countries to come into effect, calls for national governments to ensure that discrimination is ended and that child and forced labor be abolished outright.

In addition, the conference passed a series of "recommendations" for national governments to follow.

The scope of domestic labor is huge. After surveying 117 countries, the UN-affiliated organization determined that there were at least 53 million domestic workers around the world. However, given that many of these workers operate "under the table," are undocumented migrants or in some other way are part of the informal economy, that number could be closer to 100 million.

Additionally, in developing countries, up to 12 percent of workers are domestic, and, around the world, 83 percent of them are women or girls.

In the United States, domestic workers were exempted from the National Labor Relations Act, which enshrined into law the rights of most other private workers. According to the NLRA, employers must respect the right of employees to form unions. The law also authorizes workers to strike and bargain collectively. As a result of their exemption, domestic workers often work in the shadows, without even a guarantee of minimum wage.

In some countries, their situation is better, but in many, the situation is even worse. At the conference, a number of governments signaled that they would ratify the convention.

Pre-empting the world body's action was New York, which passed in 2010 the first American law enshrining the rights of domestic workers. Now, California is considering a law modeled off of New York's.

For the law to become binding in the U.S., Congress must ratify it.

Photo: National Domestic Workers Alliance stock photo. Robert B. Livingston // CC 2.0

Cuba: U.S. anti-government payouts continue

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:14:00 +0000

World Note

U.S. Senator John Kerry has raised questions as to waste and corruption in distributing U.S. funds to anti-government groups in Cuba.

But despite Kerry's insisting on cutting the amount to $15 million, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is asking for $20 million to fund subversive activities, and is seeking proposals for future projects, due prior to July 18.

According U.S. journalist Tracey Eaton, cited by Granma newspaper on June 15, $6 million will be available to contractors targeting young people, ages 12 - 18. USAID anticipates "more distribution of laptops and [other means] to promote their concept of 'freedom of expression.'"

Another $9 million directed to "groups of neighbors, cooperatives, sports clubs, [and] religious groups" will target "marginal populations" including blacks and rural youth. "The other five [million] will be spent in some other way," which the source cited by reporter Jean Guy Allard did not specify."

Nicaraguan economic trends are positive

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:12:00 +0000

World Note

Highlighting good economic news, presidential spokesperson Paul Oquist emphasized a drop in unemployment from 8.2 percent in January 2010 to the present 6.8 percent, with 325,000 new jobs created.

Most are in the informal sector, yet formal sector jobs are up from 420,000 in 2006 to 547,000 now.

Rural areas have benefitted especially from a new microcredit program, directed primarily at women entrepreneurs, and from delivery of livestock, fruit trees and seeds to subsistence farmers. Markedly increased exports generated $2 billion last year, with total foreign investment now exceeding $1 billion annually. According to el19digital.com, the government is projecting a 4 percent growth rate, with inflation remaining below 10 percent.

50,000 Canadian postal workers locked out

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:48:00 +0000

World Note

On June 14, Canada Post, state owned yet independent, reacted to 12 days of rotating strikes by locking out 50,000 postal workers led by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).

In justification, the company cited $100 million in losses the strike has caused and CUPW refusal to cooperate in dealing with declining mail volumes and a $3.2-billion pension deficit.

CUPW spokesperson Gerry Deveau alleges the corporation is pushing the government "to legislate us back to work and legislate some type of unfavorable collective agreement." CUPW had offered to suspend further walkouts if Canada Post restored a lapsed agreement on employment conditions ("collective agreement"). The union, reports CBC News, objects to proposed mail-processing technology and reduced wages for new hires.

Iran: Turmoil at the top

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:25:00 +0000

On the surface, the recent turmoil in Teheran looks like a case of the clerical elite, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, slapping down an independent minded President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, though the battle is couched in vocabulary that does more to obscure than to reveal: accusations of "sorcery" and "witchcraft" get equal billing with charges of corruption and violations of the constitution. But if the language can at times seem odd, the players and the stakes are hardy abstruse.

There is, indeed, a struggle between Ahmadinejad and the clerics around Khamenei, and while it may play out in arguments over obscure religious issues - one critic of the President accused him of recruiting an army of genies - at its heart the fight is over political and economic power: who wields it and to what purpose? Some of the players, like the president and the Supreme Leader, perform in the spotlight. Others, like the powerful Revolutionary Guard and an increasingly restive population hammered by economic difficulties, maneuver in the wings.

The current crisis was sparked off when Ahmadinejad dismissed his Minister of Intelligence, apparently because the latter was tapping his chief-of-staff's phones and gathering intelligence on the president's plans for the upcoming round of parliamentary elections in 2012 and the presidential election in 2013. Khamenei forced Ahmadinejad to rehire the minister, which caused the President to boycott cabinet meetings for 11 days, what Iranians are calling the "long sulk."

What followed were a series of maneuvers by both sides. The president reorganized his cabinet, dropping several ministries, fired the Oil Minister, and put himself in charge. The Majilis, or parliament, claims the act was illegal and, by an overwhelming vote, sent the matter to the Iranian judiciary. No one is talking about impeachment yet, but that straw is in the wind.

There is, indeed, a conflict between Khamenei, the clerics and Ahmadinejad. While not mentioning the Supreme Leader, the president told a Teheran press conference on June 7, "It is very clear now that we are 180 degrees away from them. We are actually on opposite sides." In a political system dominated by Ayatollahs, it was a bold statement and reflects Ahmadinejad's judgment that the clerics are no longer all-powerful, and that the Supreme Leader - old and unwell according to most sources - has less authority than the late Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the first leader of the Islamic Republic.

Presidential confidant and advisor Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, currently under fire and accused of "deviancy," once remarked, "The era of sovereignty of religion is over," and that "An Islamic government is not capable of running a vast and populous country like Iran." Mashaei, a former intelligence officer in the Revolutionary Guard, has a strong nationalist streak in him-"Iran first" as opposed to "Islam first""-and word is that Ahmadinejad was maneuvering to pass on the presidency to him or another non-cleric in 2013, thus marginalizing the religious establishment.

The clerics are also suspicious that the president's prediction that the "hidden Iman," who disappeared in the ninth century AD, would soon emerge was actually an effort to sideline them and shift power to Ahmadinejad's clique of ultra-nationalist veterans from the 1980-88 war with Iraq.

Certainly, removing a mullah from control of the Oil Ministry would have amounted to a public slap down of a cleric at a time of unprecedented tension between the president and the clerical establishment. While Ahmadinejad was eventually forced to give back the ministry, he ended up appointing an ally, Mohammad Aliabadi, the former head of Iran's Olympic Committee.

So far, the Revolutionary Guard has come down on the side of Khamenei and have even issued a veiled warning to the President that the Guard might consider releasing records from the disputed 2009 election that saw Ahmadinejad re-elected. However, the Guard is being discreet about how it intervenes, concentrating instead on gathering greater economic power.

The Guard recently acquired control of two large natural gas fields in Fars Province, and its engineering and construction firm, Khatam-ol-Anbia, has become the largest contractor for government projects. The guard also has major interests in mining, telecommunications, dam building and trade. The sanctions leveled at Iran over its nuclear program prevent outside companies from investing, thus allowing the Guard to expand into the energy field. Iran has 150 billion barrels of oil reserves, third largest in the world, and 948 trillion cubic feet of gas, second only to Russia.

According to the Green opposition, the Guard also smuggles goods in and out of Iran to the tune of $12 billion a year.

While the Guard is currently backing Khamenei, according to the trade union activist Homayoun Poorzad, "The Guard is an independent force and not in the pockets of the clerics. They [the Guard] would love to see Ahmadinejad and Khamenei fight it out" while they gather more power.

The sanctions have taken a bite, but the main cause of economic turmoil are the policies of the Ahmadinejad government, which has systematically cut up to $100 billion in yearly subsidies for everything from gasoline, food and water, to education and electricity. Many Iranians see half their paychecks go to pay utility and gas bills.

Coupled with the austerity drive has been the brutal suppression of the trade union movement and the shift from a stabilized workforce to temporary, contract labor. The percentage of workers with benefits has gone from 70 percent of the workforce to 30 percent over the past 15 years. The law provides for unemployment benefits, but only for permanent employees.

While suppression is a major reason for the lack of widespread strike activity, the 14.5 percent unemployment rate also plays a role. "The jobless rate makes it easier to break strikes," says Poorzad, adding, "Last year was the worst year for the working class since World War II."

The lack of widespread, organized response is partly due to the government's repression, including firings, arrests, torture and the occasional execution of leaders. But it is also a testament to Ahmadinejad's ability to funnel money to the poor. "He is almost a genius," says Poorzad, "and he is always looking to build his social base and weaken his rivals." The labor activist says that cutting the subsidies means that "now the President has tens of billions of dollars " to hand out. It is not clear how long he can continue to do that.

While much of the U.S. media has begun to write off Ahmadinejad, "I don't see him as being on the ropes," says Jamie Webster, a consultant for PFC Energy.

But the economic situation is inherently unstable. So far the government has managed to keep unrest under control by cash outlays and forcing the merchant class - many of whom support the Green opposition - to keep prices artificially low. This forces many merchants to operate at a loss. "Eventually prices will have to be allowed to float," says Poorzad, "and when that happens inflation will go up sharply."

The "Greens" opposed Ahmedinejad in the 2009 elections and mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to protest what they charged was widespread fraud in the outcome.

Will the situation explode?

According to Poorzad, the trade union movement is just trying to keep its head above water. "Unions are facing the worst repression in many years," he says, "we are just trying to stay out of prison. It is very dangerous."

So far, the government has managed to drive a wedge between the more affluent and middle-class Green opposition and the urban and rural poor. But if the economy worsens and living standards continue to plummet, that wedge may give way, as it did in 2009, when the urban working-class made common cause with Teheran's middle class. Ultimately, "things are going to get out of hand," says Poorzad.

It is important to remember that Iran is the only country in the Middle East that changed its ruling class through mass demonstrations. It may end up that Egypt and Tunisia will do so as well, but so far both countries have simply deposed their rulers.

Iran's government has enormous repressive powers at its fingertips, from the million-member Basij militia to the powerful Revolutionary Guard and the secret police. But its centers of power are hardly united, and it harbors a large population with a memory of what it accomplished in 1979 by taking to the streets.

This article originally appeared in Dispatches from the Edge.

Political prisoner dies in Iran jail

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:40:00 +0000

As protests in opposition to repressive regimes across the Middle East continue to make the headlines, the ongoing struggle for human rights in Iran continues. Widespread arrests, coupled with the death in custody of opponents of the regime and political activists, remain the order of the day in Tehran.

Hoda Saber, a prominent Iranian politician and a member of the Meli-Mazhabi Council, the progressive national-religious organization in Iran, died on the ninth day of his hunger strike in Evin prison on Saturday June 11. He was in prison on political charges.

Mr. Saber was one of the editors of the respected monthly, Iran Farda (Iran of Tomorrow). He was first imprisoned 11 years ago and spent a month in jail. On that occasion, he was released after providing bail. Three years later, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years "denial of civil rights." Later, the appeals court reduced his term to five and a half years.

Hoda Saber and Amir-Khosrow Dalir Thaani, together with a number of other progressive political prisoners, started a hunger strike on June 2 to protest the murder of Haleh Sahabi by the regime on June 1. Haleh Sahabi was a women's rights campaigner, an active member of Mothers for Peace and an official member of the Meli-Mazhabi Council. She was murdered while on temporary leave from prison when the regime's security forces attacked her father's funeral which she was attending.

According to reports from Iran, Hoda Saber complained of severe chest pains at 4.30 p.m. on Friday June 10. However, the prison authorities in section 350 of Evin Prison ignored his screams for six hours. Then, at 10.30 p.m. on Friday night he was rushed to the nearby Moddaress Hospital where he died on Saturday of a heart attack.

According to testimony published on Monday June 13, 64 political prisoners who had seen Hoda in Evin prison have testified that when he first complained about his health in early hours of morning on Friday June 10, he was transferred to the prison's hospital. But when he was returned to his cell two hours later he was in pain, in a state of shock and very agitated. He told the other prisoners that while in the hospital, he had been physically and emotionally mistreated, insulted and then thrown out. Later in the day when his conditions worsened, the prison officials after extensive delays agreed to transfer him to Moddaress Hospital outside Evin.

As was the case with Haleh Sahabi, to prevent any independent autopsy, security forces have denied Hoda Saber's family access to his corpse. Security forces moved his body to pathology where he was formally identified by his sister. Reports from Tehran indicate that following the release of the news of his death, many family members, friends and civil activists gathered outside Moddaress Hospital in protest. Hoda Saber's body was then driven away in an ambulance as his widow, relatives and friends pleaded with the hospital staff to give them his body.

The treatment of both Hoda Saber and Haleh Sahabi is, sadly, not unusual in Iran. The victimization of human rights activists continues to be a key part of the strategy of the Iranian regime to keep the population in fear following the upsurge in opposition following the events of the June 2009 presidential election.

With the Iranian economy in freefall, the lives of the Iranian people remain blighted by unemployment, inflation and uncertainty. The removal of subsidies on fuel, food and other daily essentials continues to result in unrest.

The driving down of the minimum wage combined with the elimination of subsidies has put immense strain upon ordinary Iranian families. However, the launch of the so-called "grand economic surgery" was combined with a wave of arrests of political and social activists and journalists in Tehran and other cities which began on December 19 last year. The latest arrests, resulting in the deaths in custody, are an extension of that process.

The combination of economic austerity measures and the clampdown upon activists across Iran are no coincidence. The government has remained deeply unpopular since the stolen election of June 2009. It is clear that the leaders of the Islamic Republic are taking no chances as they bow to the pressures of the IMF and World Bank to tighten up on the limited social programs available to ordinary Iranians.

As the economic crisis in Iran worsens there is growing evidence that the population is turning to more open ways of expressing their anger against the regime's policies. As the repressive machinery of the state moves into higher gear, with the approach of the parlimamentary election next March and the 2013 presidential election, the means of opposition will also diversify.

The winds of change are blowing across the Middle East from Tunisia to Egypt to Yemen. Clearly the flame of resistance still burns on the streets of Iran as the current cuts bite. Having shown the way in taking to the streets following the 2009 election, the people of Iran may yet feel inspired by events elsewhere to once again put
pressure upon their leaders.

Against this background the solidarity of labor movement activists in other countries is more vital than ever. The Committee for Defence of the Iranian People's Rights (CODIR) strongly condemns the regime's murderous disregard for the safety and security of political prisoners in Iran and their inhumane treatment. CODIR calls for an end to the detention of any person on political grounds and calls for the release of all political prisoners in Iran.

Jamshid Ahmadi is assistant general secretary of the Iran solidarity campaign, Committee for Defence of the Iranian People's Rights (CODIR). For further information on Iran and CODIR's activities, visit www.codir.net or contact codir_info@btinternet.com