Taking global poverty seriously
Scatter-shot efforts, no matter how innovative, will not suffice to reverse the awful trends now evident around the world. New plagues — AIDS, drug-resistant tuberculosis and hospital-acquired “superbugs” of all sorts — sweep rapidly across vast swathes of land, blurring national boundaries.
At Bush-Calderon-Harper summit Security, prosperity for whom?
Last month’s summit in New Orleans brought together President Bush, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, all right wingers, for the fourth meeting of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of the Americas (SPP), which is a tri-national grouping designed to coordinate strategy to create a corporate friendly atmosphere.
A peoples surge that could reshape our country
A people’s surge is heaving its way across the country with unexpected force. And in doing so, it is confounding pundits, challenging conventional wisdom and reconfiguring our nation’s politics. Only one thing is for certain: it could well prefigure a triumphant victory for peace, economic security and equality in November.
Immigration: myths vs. facts
In the buildup to the 2008 elections, the right-wing Republicans have decided to make immigrants the scapegoat for the failure of the Bush administration and the shortcomings of the capitalist system. Right-wing personalities on cable TV, on talk radio and in newspapers are fueling this process. Vicious lies are being told about immigrants.
Chilean general speaks of dirty deeds
Like a terrible figure from a recurring nightmare, former Chilean Gen. Juan Manuel Contreras has once again thrust himself into the limelight of U.S.-South America relations.
On the road again: Challenges and opportunities in the 2008 elections
Not every struggle carries the same political significance. Some leave little trace on the political landscape; others rearrange it extensively.
Who is Ron Paul?
It is relatively easy to see why far-right presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas is driving some of the other Republicans crazy. He clearly won the straw poll after their first debate.
Communists call for ouster of far right
NEW YORK — Members of the Communist Party USA national committee meeting here Nov. 10 heard Sam Webb, the party’s chairman, say that “in the struggle against the ultra-right we are at the cusp of a political conjuncture which could shift things in favor of the working class.” After “a quarter century of domination,” he said, the right is finally losing momentum.
A look behind the housing crisis
Close to a million families lost their homes last year. This year, it will likely be 2 million. There were 25,000 layoffs in the mortgage industry in the first 3 weeks of August. With home construction 25 percent below last year and falling, hundreds of thousands of building trades workers could lose their jobs. The word recession is back in the media. This time, all the happy talk from business leaders and administration flaks won’t make it go away.
Autoworkers see tough fight ahead
United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger says the union is not entering the upcoming contract talks with Detroit automakers with givebacks in mind. “We’re not going into negotiations in a concessionary mode, I’ll tell you that,” Gettelfinger said July 11 after speaking at the NAACP national convention in Detroit.
