Howard Zinn, in his column for “The Progressive” (March 2008), has written a political analysis that deplores the current “election frenzy.” In its place he offers a guide to action based on the understanding that presidential elections, in and of themselves, do very little to solve social problems. Unfortunately, his overall argument is flawed by … Continue reading Untangling the Election Madness: A Reply to Howard Zinn
Month: March 2008
Turmoil Erupts in Tibet
by Adam RitscherTibet is again the topic of conversation around the world. And this time it’s not the result of some Hollywood movie, but rather the bloody clashes that have broken out there between Tibetan protesters and Chinese police. While a lot of details are still hazy as a result of a systematic attempt by … Continue reading Turmoil Erupts in Tibet
Mumia’s Appeal for a New Trial Has Been Rejected!
In a shocking decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected all Mumia Abu-Jamal's demands for a new trial. The state of Pennsylvania now has a 180 day window to file for Mumia’s death sentence to be re-instated. Socialist Action calls on all our readers and supporters to throw themselves into organizing … Continue reading Mumia’s Appeal for a New Trial Has Been Rejected!
Mumia on Prisons
Mumia on the Prisonhouse of Nations
With the release of the Pew Center on the States report, comes news that proves, without question, that the U.S. is the world's champion when it comes to incarceration rates. One out of 100 American adults are in prison today. According to news reports detailing the Pew Center research, the year 2008 began with 2,319,258 … Continue reading Mumia on the Prisonhouse of Nations
Mumia on the Cost of War Crime Myths
I caught a brief snippet of the news a few days ago, of Delaware Senator Joseph Biden's apology for writing, introducing, and sponsoring passage of a 1986 crime bill that heightened federal penalties for crack usage and possession.Sen. Biden said he recognized now that the bill was based on myth—much of it hyped by the … Continue reading Mumia on the Cost of War Crime Myths
The First Casualty
by Joe AucielloA good way to discover the truth is to compare the mis-truths and lies. Recently, the likely Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, let slip a prediction that the American military would remain in Iraq “for a hundred years.”The Democratic candidates and their supporters gleefully pounced on this unusually candid remark to prove … Continue reading The First Casualty
Israel Threatens War on Gaza
by Gerry Foley “We know that the Gaza Strip is a small area. It is open for Israel—they can kill most of the Palestinian people and destroy everything. The job of the international community is to stop the Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip.”This was the response of Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas representative in Gaza, … Continue reading Israel Threatens War on Gaza
Is Obama an “Anti-War” Candidate?
by Joe AucielloCredit Senator Barack Obama and his staff for running an enormously successful primary campaign. Shrugging off a disappointing defeat in New Hampshire, he has, by late February, beaten former frontrunner Hillary Clinton in 11 straight primary and caucus elections and is poised to capture his party’s nomination for president.Within a short time, Obama … Continue reading Is Obama an “Anti-War” Candidate?
Mass Upsurge Exposes the Crisis in Leadership in the Immigrant Rights Movement
by James FrickeyDANBURY, Conn.—The lights in Main Street storefronts are back on. The boycott is over. The roar of street protest has diminished to an anxious silence. Nothing is resolved.A month ago, a crowd of 8000 people—almost all immigrant workers from Danbury—surrounded City Hall here to oppose a motion to deputize police as local proxies … Continue reading Mass Upsurge Exposes the Crisis in Leadership in the Immigrant Rights Movement
Celia Hart on the Resignation of Fidel Castro
by Celia Hart [Celia Hart is a Cuban journalist and political activist. The translation is by Socialist Action.]Yesterday, under the most beautiful February moon, at the 17th annual Havana Book Fair, in which it seems that everything is possible, we presented the edition of Trotsky's “Revolution Betrayed” put out by the Spanish publisher Fundación Federico … Continue reading Celia Hart on the Resignation of Fidel Castro
First Open U.S. National Antiwar Conference
First Open U.S. National Antiwar Conference:The Challenge Before the U.S. Antiwar Movementby Jeff MacklerThe U.S. war and occupation of Iraq is the central issue in world politics today. The war exposes in bold relief the fundamental contradictions in U.S. and world capitalism. It is, simultaneously, an imperialist war of conquest and a geopolitical war for … Continue reading First Open U.S. National Antiwar Conference
A Look Back at the Fight Against the Arrowhead-Weston Line
by Adam Ritscher, Douglas County Board SupervisorThis winter the switch was flipped on for the Arrowhead-Weston transmission line. It was a sad event for the thousands of farmers, environmentalists and other activists who had fought against the building of the line for the past several years.The Arrowhead-Weston is a bulk transmission line that was built … Continue reading A Look Back at the Fight Against the Arrowhead-Weston Line
Neo-Stalinists Oppose the Kosovo Albanians’ Right of Self-Determination
[by Gerry Foley] The Serbian chauvinist protests against the Feb. 17 Kosovo government declaration of independence and the subsequent recognition of a very limited form of self-determination of the Kosovar people by the major Western powers have had exactly the opposite political effect from what the post-Stalinist Serbian politicians and state authorities that organized them … Continue reading Neo-Stalinists Oppose the Kosovo Albanians’ Right of Self-Determination