Ecuadorians struggle to reshape government
It would seem that formal democracy, which began in Ecuador nearly 30 years ago, and which has been much bragged about by fans of “Western Hemispheric representative democracy,” has definite limitations.
Are you feelin the love yet?
My fellow workers — are you feeling the love? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have called for a march on Washington in support of workers’ rights! Has the class struggle ended? Or is it still about the money?
Immigration reform returns to Congress
As Congress returns to the subject of immigration, the Bush administration has stepped up arrests and deportations of immigrants. Meanwhile, in his State of the Union message, Bush once again stressed the creation of a new guest worker program. Both have to be countered by the immigrant rights movement.
EDITORIAL: Mortgaging our future
It’s an oft-repeated truism: our children are our future. By that measure, however, our country could be heading for a pretty dismal time, according to a UNICEF report released earlier this month.
EDITORIAL: History matters
For casting a vote in the 1872 presidential election, women’s rights pioneer Susan B. Anthony was arrested, tried, convicted and fined $100 (which she never paid). In a famous 1873 speech to the court titled “On Women’s Right to Vote,” Anthony drew a profound connection between the struggles for African American rights and for women’s rights.
States mull privatizing lotteries
Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s staffers have been cooking up a scheme for six months with former Sen. Phil Gramm to sell the state’s lottery. Texas’ efforts can be seen as part of a larger effort to privatize public assets, not only scandalous, but also a response to the financial crises that many states are facing.
Spitzer administration presents new challenges
New York’s new Democratic governor Eliot Spitzer has pledged to reform state government, and that’s widely welcomed. But Spitzer has already shown himself to be a very mixed bag — no surprise, given his background and his relationships with some Democratic Party centrists and in the corporate world. Still, he’s an improvement over Pataki.
Cheney leaves country in midst of Libby trial
In his Washington Post column, Eugene Robinson writes, “If you’ve been following the … Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby perjury trial, I can understand how you might confuse Dick Cheney with Tony Soprano. Cheney’s office is beginning to sound a lot like the Bada Bing, minus the dancers.”
The Struggle for African American Freedom Continues
The fight against racism is even more urgent today. There is nothing more important on the agenda of the progressive forces worldwide than the fight to end the scourge of racism from our planet.
Yugoslavia: a historic view
When the term “balkanization” is used, it has long meant to break a territory or a region up into hostile, unmanageable parts. The Balkans has long been portrayed by imperialist ideology as a region filled with colorful, violent, backward people — the “hillbillies” of Europe
