By JEFF MACKLER Capitalism, the system—Chinese, American, or European style—has struck yet another devastating blow against all humanity. One of the world’s largest solar-panel manufacturing plants, employing 10,000 Chinese workers at the city of Wuxi on China’s east coast, has declared bankruptcy—a victim of its own “success” and capitalism’s inherent drive to destruction. The Wuxi … Continue reading Capitalism damns the environment
Month: March 2013
NYPD guns down another Black youth
By MARTY GOODMAN The African American community is reeling from the cop murder of Kimani “Kiki” Gray. The killing has sparked outrage resulting in street protests from New York City to San Francisco. Kimani was shot dead on March 9 in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, when two NYPD cops fired 11 shots at the 16 year … Continue reading NYPD guns down another Black youth
Inside Israel’s killing machine
By GAETANA CALDWELL-SMITH “The Gatekeepers,” a film directed by Dror Moreh, who also conducted the interviews. “The Gatekeepers” is a riveting documentary film that reveals the behind-the-scenes actions of one of Israel’s key tools for maintaining its repressive rule over the Palestinians—the Shin Bet (appellation for Israel Security Agency or ISA, formerly Mossad). The film … Continue reading Inside Israel’s killing machine
Activists discuss how to stop frack attack
By CHRISTINE FRANK Three hundred grassroots activists met in Dallas the first weekend in March to share information, network, and strategize over how to end the hydro-fracturing of shale gas in their rural and suburban communities. The Marcellus, Utica, Eagleford, and Barnett shales were well represented, the latter two being in Texas. It was in the Barnett … Continue reading Activists discuss how to stop frack attack
Public workers see women’s pay inequity
By ANN MONTAGUE SEIU 503 announced it supports a living wage for its workers in Oregon, and is taking the issue to the bargaining table and possibly to the streets. While President Obama has proposed an increase in the Federal Minimum Wage to $9 an hour, SEIU doesn’t believe that is the solution. Oregon's minimum … Continue reading Public workers see women’s pay inequity
Climate movement must tackle profit system
By DANIEL ADAM The struggle against climate change is registering real signs of progress. The rise of indigenous struggles in Canada, including the “Idle No More” movement, and the two national mobilizations against the Keystone XL pipeline in the U.S. are particularly significant. Bipartisan backing for the acceleration of the most vile extraction methods in … Continue reading Climate movement must tackle profit system
A new Arab revolt?
By ANDREW POLLACK In recent weeks the masses of Egypt and Tunisia have re-entered the streets and taken workplace action in significant numbers, boldly defying their rulers out of dissatisfaction with how the latter are throttling the promise of their revolutions. In response the parties in power in each country—bourgeois populist parties with an Islamist … Continue reading A new Arab revolt?
Issues for movement against sexual violence
By CHRISTINE MARIE Book Review: Kristin Bumiller, “In An Abusive State: How Neoliberalism Appropriated the Feminist Movement Against Sexual Violence” (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2008). On Feb. 14, the streaming videos of the flashmobs of young women determined to claim a violence-free life set my feminist heart to humming. But the hum quieted a … Continue reading Issues for movement against sexual violence
Congress makes workers pay for crisis
By JEFF MACKLER In today’s era of U.S. and worldwide capitalist austerity, not a day or month passes when the corporate media do not inform us that the nation faces yet another economic crisis. From the deficit crisis, in which the U.S. budget falls short $1 trillion yearly; to the “fiscal cliff” crisis, wherein “across-the-board” … Continue reading Congress makes workers pay for crisis
SF City College threatened by privatization
By DON HARMON and KAREN SCHIEVE City College of San Francisco (CCSF), with 85,000 students on seven campuses, is under attack from powerful and monied forces, such as JP Morgan Chase, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Goldman Sachs, and Lumina Foundation. These corporate giants are in collusion with the layer of secondary bureaucrats who are doing … Continue reading SF City College threatened by privatization
Mass climate change protest in DC
By JAMES THOMAS On Sunday, Feb. 17, as many as 50,000 people rallied and marched in winds and near freezing temperatures in Washington, D.C., to protest Transcanada's proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. The demonstration, dubbed Forward On Climate Change, is believed to have been the largest climate change action in U.S. history. The Sierra Club, 350.org, … Continue reading Mass climate change protest in DC
NY school bus strike ends in defeat
By MARTY GOODMAN NEW YORK—Some 8800 school bus drivers and helpers (called “matrons”) returned to their jobs on Feb. 16 after losing a bitter month-long strike over the city’s cancellation of job security guarantees, known as Employee Protection Provisions (EPP). The EPP includes seniority-based hiring, training, health care, and benefits. Now when private bus companies, … Continue reading NY school bus strike ends in defeat