WORLD NOTES
South Africa: Public workers go on strike China: Don’t waste energy, says new task force Belgium: European nations complicit in CIA crimes Venezuela: Puerto Rican independence leader honored Pakistan: Schools for girls under siege
Italys Communists grapple with political realities
RIMINI, Italy — The recent general elections here resulted in a defeat for the ultra-right Silvio Berlusconi, former prime minister, and his supporting parties. But the government, now run by a coalition of center-left parties and headed by Prime Minister Prodi, won by the barest of margins. Italy is a divided country.
Communists lift every voice for Black equality
ST. LOUIS — Eighty activists, including trade unionists, elected officials, religious leaders and workers of all races, ages and genders gathered here June 9-10 for an extraordinary Communist Party conference on African American equality.
Turning the tide of reaction in Texas
HOUSTON — The recent meltdown of the Texas Legislature, dubbed “the Austin Tea Party,” may be the opening shot of a resurgence of the power of Texas progressives.
Oaklanders demand local control of schools
OAKLAND, Calif. — Parents, teachers, elected officials, students and community leaders gathered June 1 at Oakland Unified School District headquarters to demonstrate their support for returning the schools to local control and halting the school closings and reorganizations that have affected nearly half of the city’s 98 schools during the last five years.
Proud soccer girls united as one
CHICAGO — On May 12, the lives of 16 young women changed forever. After long months of training, sweating and working hard, the Little Village Lawndale High School women’s sophomore soccer team celebrated an undefeated, unscored-on season and headed into the playoffs.
Governor Spitzer and the police state
Gov. Eliot Spitzer is proposing a major expansion of New York’s bank of DNA samples. Currently, New York state collects DNA from those convicted of serious crimes. Spitzer is proposing to include people convicted of most crimes (including those found guilty of any misdemeanor, such as drug offenses, harassment and unauthorized use of a credit card).
Green socialism is necessary
I read with interest Wadi’h Halabi’s article “Healthy planet a low priority for capitalism”. While I agree strongly with the argument implied by the title and the statement that “the capitalist class is incapable of reversing the destruction of humanity’s environment,” I am skeptical of the assertions made about “the genuine environmental accomplishments that have followed socialist revolutions.”
Quote of the week
“This type of action by labor leaders was very important. If labor leaders all across the country would do this we would make a lot more progress on health care and many other issues.”
