The post-abundance era
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, foreign policy analysts have struggled to find a term to characterize the epoch we now inhabit. I propose a term that captures the defining characteristics of the current period: the Post-Abundance Era.
Making connections on terrorism
Charged with possessing deadly weapons, Santiago Alvarez of Florida plea-bargained, dodged a potential 50-year sentence, and now goes to jail for four years. Alvarez, like some other right-wing Cuban Americans, has paid for, organized and carried out deadly attacks against Cuba.
Shameful anti-Semitism
“Shameful!” That summarizes reactions — in Iran and around the world — to the Tehran-hosted conference debating whether the Holocaust happened or not. Iran’s Jewish community called it a “huge insult.” Iranian student protesters called it “shameful” and many “ordinary Iranians were embarrassed,” news reports said.
Death of a mass murderer
The death of Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, criminal dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1990, aroused mixed feelings among human rights defenders. While rejoicing that this incredibly evil person is gone from this Earth, they also wanted this mass murderer tried and convicted in a Chilean court.
EDITORIAL: Human Rights Day
Many urgent opportunities for action vie for attention on the eve of International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10. Besides speedily ending the Iraq war, two areas where the new Congress can make major progress are passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, and ending the Bush administration’s vile treatment of post-Sept. 11 detainees.
Eyewitness Venezuela: We saw it all
CARACAS, Venezuela — When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez trounced his U.S.-backed opponent to win a second six-year term on Dec. 3, we were there.
Building people-to-people solidarity
SALEM, Mass. — It was in April of 2002 that a group of people here first learned that our power plant was importing coal from the Cerrejón mine in Colombia, then owned by Exxon.
Colombia: blood on the coal
LA GUAJIRA, Colombia — Cerrejón, the world’s largest open pit coal mine, materialized 25 years ago in the midst of the Afro-Colombian and indigenous Wayuu peoples living in this northeast corner of Colombia. The region is named after La Guajira peninsula, which juts into the Caribbean Sea.
Brazilian communist holds presidency for 24 hours
SAN PÃULO, Brazil — At 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, the government of the Federative Republic of Brazil was headed by Aldo Rebelo, a parliamentary deputy and a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB). It was the first time a communist has held the presidency in the nation’s history, albeit only for one day.
Movie REVIEW: Bamako: An African indictment of the World Bank
From the cinema of the Third World comes “Bamako,” a fascinating and thought-provoking exposé of the World Bank and the effects of its policies on Africa
