“ZERO JOB GROWTH LATEST BLEAK SIGN FOR U.S. ECONOMY,” reads the lead headline of the Sept. 3 New York Times. The article expresses the deep pessimism of the U.S. ruling rich that no solutions are in sight.The government’s new report on hiring—a better term would be “firing”—released the day before, according to The Times, “provided … Continue reading Obama, Fed offer no solutions as capitalism’s crisis deepens
Tag: Obama
Documents reveal Gadhafi ties with U.S. government
Documents show that the Bush and Obama administrations were intent on developing firm “military to military” ties with the Libyan regime of Col. Muammar Gadhafi. This was revealed in transcripts of diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks on Aug. 24. In addition, Human Rights Watch has released copies of papers found in Libya’s office of External … Continue reading Documents reveal Gadhafi ties with U.S. government
Imperialist Victory Is No Gain For Libyan People
Tragically, Libya’s short-lived February 2011 “Arab Spring” was rapidly transformed into a six-month imperialist-led onslaught that wrought death and destruction on the Libyan people. The U.S. and other NATO countries are seeking to establish a beachhead in Libya that can be used to derail the mass revolts that have taken place throughout the region and … Continue reading Imperialist Victory Is No Gain For Libyan People
Victory to the Syrian People’s Uprising! US/NATO, Hands Off!
<!--[if !mso]> <![endif]--> Below is a speech delivered on August 20th by Socialist Action Political Committee member Andrew Pollack to a rally of 300 in New York City in defense of the Syrian uprising against Bashar al-Assad:Sisters and Brothers,It is an honor to speak today, and if I stumble over my words it is out … Continue reading Victory to the Syrian People’s Uprising! US/NATO, Hands Off!
Workers in Egypt: Key to Saving the Arab Spring
Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the U.S. is using every weapon in its arsenal—military, diplomatic, financial, etc.—to try to turn the Arab Spring into a Washington Winter, an endless night of continued poverty enforced by dictatorships.But Egypt’s workers, who initiated the process leading to the mass Arab revolt with their strikes five years … Continue reading Workers in Egypt: Key to Saving the Arab Spring
SlutWalks: confronting the attacks on women’s rights
Feminists across the globe were angered as they learned last month that the former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and French presidential hopeful, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, would likely be exculpated from the charges of attempted rape of a Guinean immigrant working as a maid due to questions about her credibility. Regrettably, Strauss-Kahn’s defense and … Continue reading SlutWalks: confronting the attacks on women’s rights
WikiLeaks lifts lid on U.S. role in Haiti
Documents released by WikiLeaks to the left-of-center Haitian weekly Haiti Liberté, in partnership with The Nation magazine, unveils a cozy U.S. relationship with Haiti’s reactionary, corrupt elite. They also offer insight into the bipartisan U.S./UN occupation mislabeled a “humanitarian intervention.” The revelations show that U.S. policy has changed little since the founding of the world’s … Continue reading WikiLeaks lifts lid on U.S. role in Haiti
Budget Deal: Bosses win, workers lose
Following many weeks of staged political wrangling in Congress, President Obama signed “emergency legislation” on Aug. 2 that projects more than $2 trillion in budget cuts over the next decade. The law also raises the ceiling on the government’s immediate borrowing abilities by $400 billion, with $500 billion more assured in the autumn.Under the new … Continue reading Budget Deal: Bosses win, workers lose
Obama prepares re-election bid by posing as antiwar candidate
“Ladies and gentleman, the horses are arriving at the starting gate,” says the announcer at the Kentucky Derby, the first of three famous races that rivet the attention of racing fans around the country in the spring of every year. The “Sport of Kings,” which Congress funds with $128 million yearly in tax breaks, is … Continue reading Obama prepares re-election bid by posing as antiwar candidate
UNAC plans protest at NATO summit
The illusions of many Americans that Obama would turn out to be an “antiwar president” were definitively shattered early last year when he sent 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Since that time, the Obama administration’s attempts to convince the public that the war would soon wind down have proven hollow. Instead, Washington is expanding its … Continue reading UNAC plans protest at NATO summit
No recovery in sight for the jobless
The jobs and unemployment numbers released on June 3 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) paint a grim picture of the situation facing unemployed workers in the United States. According to some capitalist economists, the “Great Recession” supposedly ended in 2009 but the economy remains weak—with the housing, manufacturing, and construction sectors still flat … Continue reading No recovery in sight for the jobless
Bring the War Dollars Home!
The economic crisis continues to strain our city and town budgets. Layoffs, concessions, and budget cuts have become familiar words in many homes. Yet our federal government and President Obama seek to keep the wheels of the war machine grinding on at any cost. Including new wars in Libya and Somalia, our tax dollars fund … Continue reading Bring the War Dollars Home!
Greece in Revolt
ATHENS—The social resistance against the policy of the “Memorandum” in Greece, which has been imposed on the country since the beginning of last year by the “Troika”—a kind of committee of the ruling classes of the major countries of the EU and the USA, represented by the Brussels Commission, the ECB and the IMF in … Continue reading Greece in Revolt
Mass(ey) Destruction
“The Last Mountain,” a documentary film directed by Bill Haney, featuring Robert Kennedy, Jr.As I walked into the theater to see “The Last Mountain,” the ticket taker said, “Enjoy the movie!” then added, “Oh, well, I guess that’s not the right thing to say about this film.” You don’t go to a movie about the possible … Continue reading Mass(ey) Destruction
From Palestine to Perama: Struggle Crosses the Mediterranean
The Greek government has acted to extend Israel’s blockade of Gaza all the way to its own shores by blocking the departure of boats in Freedom Flotilla 2 from the ports of Perama and Piraeus. In this, the Greek ruling class and its “Socialist” Prime Minister George Papandreou demonstrate their class solidarity with the rulers … Continue reading From Palestine to Perama: Struggle Crosses the Mediterranean
What’s behind the supposed Obama-Netanyahu dispute?
At the State Department on May 19, Obama gave a long-awaited speech addressing the moribund “peace process,” i.e., the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Despite weeks of speculation that Obama and aides were coming up with a “bold, new peace plan” to present to the parties concerned, no such plan was in evidence, … Continue reading What’s behind the supposed Obama-Netanyahu dispute?
Obama counsels Arab nations to ‘follow Poland’
On his visit to Warsaw at the end of May, President Obama cited Poland as a ‘living example” for Arab nations that are currently in revolt. The U.S. sees Poland as the most successful case of an Eastern European country in which capitalism has been restored.Poland was the only EU country that did not fall … Continue reading Obama counsels Arab nations to ‘follow Poland’
FBI escalates witch hunt against antiwar activists
In an escalation of their McCarthy-style witch hunt of antiwar and trade-union activists, on May 17 the FBI and Los Angeles County Sheriffs raided the home of veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes. Sheriff SWAT teams broke down the door of Montes’ house at 5:00 a.m.Sheriff’s deputies rushed into the house with automatic weapons while Montes … Continue reading FBI escalates witch hunt against antiwar activists
Public Workers Under Attack
This article is based on a presentation by the author to a recent Socialist Action forum in Philadelphia. Marty Goodman is a transit worker in New York City, and a longtime activist in Transport Workers Union Local 100. On May 26 a Wisconsin judge voided the infamous legislation that would have radically restricted union bargaining … Continue reading Public Workers Under Attack
‘New Jim Crow’ exposes U.S. racial control policies
“The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” by Michelle Alexander. New York, The New Press. $28. “A human rights nightmare is occurring on our watch,” declares Michelle Alexander in her excellent (and first) book, “The New Jim Crow.” In a highly accessible presentation, Alexander challenges us to admit that the policies … Continue reading ‘New Jim Crow’ exposes U.S. racial control policies
The Assassination of Osama bin Laden
Statement by the United National Antiwar CommitteeThe U.S. government has used the pretext of finding Osama bin Laden to justify their invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. Now that bin Laden is dead, they can no longer claim this motive. Our demand remains the same: Bring the troops home NOW!The Obama Administration does not intend to … Continue reading The Assassination of Osama bin Laden
French, UN forces install new president in the Ivory Coast
by Michael Schreiber Weeks after Alassane Ouattara replaced Laurent Gbagbo as president, the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivroire) remains in chaos. The capital city, Abidjan, has been wracked by looting and gun battles by rival armies professing loyalty to Ouattara. The discord came to a head on April 27, when Ibrahim Coulibaly, commander of the so-called … Continue reading French, UN forces install new president in the Ivory Coast
Gulf Oil Spill: One Year Later
by Christine Frank On April 20, the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Rig explosion, Gulf Coast residents held sunrise memorial vigils for the 11 workers who were killed as a result of the criminal negligence of British Petroleum. Others held similar actions elsewhere around the country in solidarity. One year later, the media has been … Continue reading Gulf Oil Spill: One Year Later
Japan nuclear crisis continues unabated
by Christine Frank On March 11, Northeastern Japan was struck by a Magnitude 9.0 megathrust earthquake, followed by a powerful tsunami from which the nation is still struggling to recover. The human-made part of the disaster is also still in progress at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant One, where three of its six reactors … Continue reading Japan nuclear crisis continues unabated
Malcolm X biography marred by political confusion
by Clay Wadena“Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention,” by Manning Marable. New York, Viking Press. $30.As a student of Malcolm X’s life and powerful ideas, I eagerly waited for Manning Marable’s new biography “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention.” Here, I thought, would be an exhaustive presentation of Malcolm by an academic heavyweight out of … Continue reading Malcolm X biography marred by political confusion