By JOE AUCIELLO “In my career, my only training in the Constitution was how to get around it,” (Sue Rahr, former sheriff, executive director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, and member of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing). Drivers on their way to work, zipping by one of the predominantly … Continue reading Cops dispense racially defined “justice”
Month: July 2015
Racist attacks on Muslims in Myanmar
By MARTY GOODMAN The military regime and fascist monks within the Buddhist clergy in Myanmar (Burma) have been waging an ethnic war against the Rohingya, a mostly Black Muslim minority living in the southwest of the country. Violence against the Rohingya erupted in 2012, leaving villages torched, up to 300 dead, and 140,000 fleeing their homes … Continue reading Racist attacks on Muslims in Myanmar
Newark: The Million People’s March
March against police brutality, racial injustice, and economic inequality: Saturday, July 25, 12 noon. The march begins at the Lincoln Monument, Springfield Ave. & W. Market St., Newark, N.J. Below are articles about the march by Lawrence Hamm, chairman of the People’s Organization for Progress, and Glen Ford, executive editor of Black Agenda Report: By … Continue reading Newark: The Million People’s March
Greek Syriza folds to EU demands
By MARTY GOODMAN (Updated Aug. 5) The new $93 billion (86 billion euros) economic bailout deal in Greece is a shameless act of international capitalist piracy. The July 13 proposal—approved by the Greek parliament two days later—wielded cuts to pensions, including special aid to the poorest; a hike in taxes on food and other goods … Continue reading Greek Syriza folds to EU demands
$15 wage movement makes gains
By ANN MONTAGUE June was a good month for the fight for a $15 minimum wage. On June 13, Los Angeles, the second largest city in the country, saw the mayor sign the bill passed by the city council that raised the minimum wage from $9 to $15 over the next five years. This will … Continue reading $15 wage movement makes gains
Film: Mad Max Fury Road
By GAETANA CALDWELL-SMITH I liked “Mad Max Fury Road” much more than I thought I would. Critics seemed to focus on only the action, of which there was scads—relentless, spectacular, and loud. Cirque du Soleil gone gritty: Men clinging to the tops of swaying poles attached to souped-up speeding cars while blasting with automatic weapons. … Continue reading Film: Mad Max Fury Road
Dominican gov’t expels Haitians
By MARTY GOODMAN In a clear attempt at ethnic cleansing, hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent have been rendered stateless under Dominican law. A series of racist court rulings on immigration in 2004, 2010, and 2013 paved the way for a dragnet based on race that might result in mass expulsions. A 2013 … Continue reading Dominican gov’t expels Haitians
Court blocks Texas anti-abortion law
By STEFANIE LEVI The struggle for women’s right to choose gained an important, if temporary, victory in the state of Texas. On June 29, in a five to four vote, the U. S. Supreme Court blocked HB2, a portion of Texas’ new abortion laws that would have forced the July 1 closure of many of … Continue reading Court blocks Texas anti-abortion law
Interview with Greek socialist
As we go to press, on Sunday, July 12, Greece’s Syriza government has just submitted a new proposal to EU leaders and financial institutions that contains significant concessions to their demands for austerity. This proposal follows by days the referendum vote by the Greek people that strongly rejected any further austerity measures. As background to … Continue reading Interview with Greek socialist
Greece votes against austerity
By OKDE-SPARTACOS The class struggle has sharply intensified in Greece since June 27, when Greek Prime Minister and Syriza Party leader Alexis Tsipras called on the people to vote NO in a referendum against blackmail and humiliation by Greece’s capitalist creditors. On Sunday, July 5, nearly 62% voted NO, and only about 38% voted YES. … Continue reading Greece votes against austerity
Same-sex marriage victory
By ANN MONTAGUE and ANNETTE GAGNE On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a sweeping and historic decision that grants gay and lesbian couples the legal right to marry. The ruling invalidates discriminatory laws in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee that had been upheld by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. It requires all … Continue reading Same-sex marriage victory
Greece: NO! End the negotiations
By OKDE-Spartacos — ATHENS, June 28 — The Greek government, despite its persistent efforts, failed to win the confidence of the institutions (EU, IMF) and the favor or the hegemonic bourgeois classes of Europe. The vows of loyalty to the repayment of the debt “fully and timely” and the renunciation of unilateral actions, as well … Continue reading Greece: NO! End the negotiations
Jill Stein: ‘A Green New Deal’
By JOE AUCIELLO As Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign gains increasing public support and respectful media attention, physician and Green Party activist Dr. Jill Stein has announced her own candidacy for president. Speaking on “Democracy Now” on June 26, Stein, the Green Party candidate in 2012, vowed to run on a “Power to the People” platform … Continue reading Jill Stein: ‘A Green New Deal’