STATS OF THE WEEK
Figures for USA
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace" – Charles Sumner
"O for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade; Where rumor of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful or successful war, Might never reach me more". – William Cowper – Source: Task (bk. II, l. 1)
"Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime": Ernest Hemingway
"The weight of evidence clearly indicates that sanctions caused massive human suffering among ordinary Iraqis, particularly children. We, the US and UK governments, were the primary engineers and offenders of sanctions and were well aware of the evidence at the time but we largely ignored it and blamed it on the Saddam government … effectively denying the entire population the means to live." Memorandum by Mr Carne Ross, Independent Diplomat[1] and former British diplomat http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200607/ldselect/ldeconaf/96/6071104.htm
FEATURES
Who rules the world and how do they do it? By Wayne Hope http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/02/02/who-rules-the-world-and-how-do-they-do-it/
Scientists Reveal the First European Faces Were Not ‘White’ http://politicalblindspot.com/scientists-reveal-the-first-european-faces-were-not-white/
John Pilger: The truth about the criminal bloodbath in Iraq can’t be ‘countered’ indefinitely – The media cover-up has been a weapon in the crimes of western states since the first world war. But a reckoning is coming for those paid to keep the record straight http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/07/west-criminal-bloodbath-iraq-media-cover-up?CMP=fb_gu
Why is Public Ignorance of Iraq Death Toll Not Relevant to Syria “Intervention” Debate? http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/18708-why-is-public-ignorance-of-iraq-death-toll-not-relevant-to-syria-intervention-debate
This Guy Needs A Clue: A Member Of The 1% Declares It ‘Great’ That 3.5 Billion Are In Poverty http://www.upworthy.com/this-guy-needs-a-clue-a-member-of-the-1-declares-it-great-that-35-billion-are-in-poverty?c=upw1
Austerity U: Preparing Students for Precarious Lives http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/932.php
US Foreign Policy in Latin America Leaves an Open Door for China http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/10325
Paul Buhle on a new book about radical Jesus: ‘Why didn’t I hear about this in Sunday School? http://links.org.au/node/3701
Workers Of Self-Managed Factories Gather in Marseille http://www.solidarityeconomy.net/2014/02/06/workers-of-self-managed-factories-gather-in-marseille/
Russell Brand: Philip Seymour Hoffman is another victim of extremely stupid drug laws http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/06/russell-brand-philip-seymour-hoffman-drug-laws
WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS
The Middle Class Is Steadily Eroding. Just Ask the Business World. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/business/the-middle-class-is-steadily-eroding-just-ask-the-business-world.html
Janet Yellen and I were taught to revere capitalism. But it’s a failing system
The growing disconnect between the Fed’s policies and people’s lives means we need to start exploring economic alternatives http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/04/janet-yellen-capitalism-doesnt-always-work
"Karl Marx Was Right": Filmed at the Royal Geographical society on 9th April 2013.
Reports from the Economic Front by Martin Hart-Landsberg: Inequality and Capitalism http://blogs.lclark.edu/hart-landsberg/2014/02/05/inequality-and-capitalism/
Are We In Danger Of Another Global Recession? http://www.social-europe.eu/2014/02/danger-another-global-recession/
LAND, LABOUR AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Ellen Cantarow, The Frontlines of Fracking http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175800/tomgram%3A_ellen_cantarow%2C_the_frontlines_of_fracking/#more
Japan whale ship ‘rams’ Sea Shepherd boat http://www.3news.co.nz/Japan-whale-ship-rams-Sea-Shepherd-boat/tabid/1160/articleID/330685/Default.aspx
Ending the World the Human Way – Climate Change as the Anti-News By Tom Engelhardt http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37537.htm
Cataclysm Has Arrived: Man’s Inhumanity to Nature – ‘The Sixth Extinction,’ on Endangered and Departed Species http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/books/the-sixth-extinction-on-endangered-and-departed-species.html?_r=0
Michael Roberts: Argentina, Paul Krugman and the Great Recession http://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/argentina-paul-krugman-and-the-great-recession/
CULTURAL DISSENT
Pete Seeger: folk activist who believed music could make a difference http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/28/pete-seeger-folk-singer-activist-music-make-difference
The Horror Show of America: ‘We Are Slaves to Profit,’ the Creator of The Wire Tells Bill Moyers http://www.alternet.org/economy/horror-show-america-we-are-slaves-profit-creator-wire-tells-bill-moyers
Pete Seeger. The Power of Song – Video: Seeger went from the top of the hit parade to the top of the blacklist – banned from commercial television for more than 17 years. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37533.htm
John Pilger: It’s the Other Oscars – and yet again the winner slips away http://www.newstatesman.com/2014/01/john-pilger-celebrity-oscars
Where’s The Rage? Kamila Shamsie in conversation with Pankaj Mishra. Kamila Shamsie and Pankaj Mishra discuss the absence of political anger in Western literature and why we shouldn’t be so quick to condemn writers like Mo Yan. http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/wheres-the-rage/
Interview: Akala: “Just because you listen to rap or reggae doesn’t mean you respect black people” http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/akala-interview-ii/
Film: The Sound of Trumpets: ‘Dirty Wars’ and the new killing fields http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/sound-trumpets-dirty-wars-killing-fields/
Film: On ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/wolf-wall-street/
It’s Been Over 100 Years Since An Artist Has Done This In America. About Time Someone Did It Again. http://www.upworthy.com/its-been-over-100-years-since-an-artist-has-done-this-in-america-about-time-someone-did-it-again
Financial Vulture Ratings Agencies ignore history, impose misery by James Ritchie – See more at: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/02/06/financial-vulture-ratings-agencies-ignore-history-impose-misery/#sthash.d5GjkrS5.dpuf
SPORT
Why the Olympics Are a Lot Like “The Hunger Games”- As a luge competitor at the 2006 Winter Games, I saw the dehumanization and corporate domination behind the Olympic ideal. http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article30955
A Portrait Of Maternal Intimacy http://convincingreasons.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/a-portrait-of-maternal-intimacy/
The Kevin Pietersen debacle is a morality tale for our times – The cricketer dropped by England typifies the new breed of neo-liberals who bat only for themselves http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/kevinpietersen/10619585/The-Kevin-Pietersen-debacle-isa-morality-tale-for-our-times.html
Zirin: Corrupt, brutal Games with something for everyone to oppose https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55845
AUSTRALIA
Australian Academics Should Stand Up For Palestine https://newmatilda.com/2014/01/29/australian-academics-should-stand-palestine
Victorian ‘move on’ laws to criminalise protesters https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55766
As Inequality Worsens, Millionaires Are Pulling Up the Drawbridge Behind Them – The 1% evading taxation while choosing to share their anger rather than their wealth. http://www.alternet.org/world/politics-class-warfare-sydney-washington-gulf-deepening
Rich snobs cheating welfare http://redflag.org.au/article/rich-snobs-cheating-welfare
Crime, class, and corruption in construction http://redflag.org.au/article/crime-class-and-corruption-construction
Refugees, burned hands and not making compromises – by Max Lane http://maxlaneonline.com/2014/01/28/comment-refugees-burned-hands-and-not-making-compromises-by-max-lane/
BOLIVIA
U.S. halts economic aid to Bolivia citing expulsion of USAID http://boliviarising.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/us-halts-economic-aid-to-bolivia-citing.html
Bolivia’s Indigenous Future: A Balance of Preservation, Protection and Connection http://boliviarising.blogspot.co.nz/2014/01/bolivias-indigenous-future-balance-of.html
BOSNIA
In Bosnia, Privatization’s Failure Fuels Anger, Growing Protests http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/02/06-5
A Bosnian Spring? http://leftunity.org/a-bosnian-spring/
BRAZIL
Rio fare protesters seize main station and let commuters travel free http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/07/rio-fare-protesters-seize-main-station-and-let-commuters-travel-free
CHILE
Camila Vallejo: ‘They tried to create caricatures of me’ http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/feb/09/camila-vallejo-caricatures-chile-communist
CUBA
“Socialismo o Muerte” – Unforgettable Cuba http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/01/28/unforgettable-cuba/
Professor and Author Piero Gleijeses Sends a Letter to Obama http://tema1tema.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/professor-and-author-piero-gleijeses.html?spref=tw
Economic Policy in Cuba: Balance of the Closing Year (Part 1) http://www.cubanow.net/articles/economic-policy-cuba-balance-closing-year-part-i
Factors for Solving the Racial Question in Cuba http://www.cubanow.net/articles/factors-solving-racial-question-cuba
EGYPT
Egypt to charge al-Jazeera journalists with damaging country’s reputation
EL SALVADOR
Union-Backed Candidate Wins First Round in El Salvador Election – See more at: http://labornotes.org/blogs/2014/02/union-backed-candidate-wins-first-round-el-salvador-election#sthash.XPKZjEJY.dpuf
IRELAND
Ireland finally says sorry to the 10,000 ‘Magdalene Sister slaves’ http://tinyurl.com/mutdjn4
PANTIGATE: BBC NEWS CHANNEL – BBC Trending Presenter Anne-Marie Tomchak tells Chris Rogers about how a huge debate about freedom of speech and gay rights is taking place in Ireland after a speech by the Irish drag queen Panti Bliss went viral on YouTube http://youtu.be/DD-MNiVub9I
ITALY
Which major economy has performed the worst since 2007? http://wp.me/pLequ-2Cl
JAPAN
Fukushima – 50 reasons why we should fear the worst http://www.nationofchange.org/50-reasons-we-should-fear-worst-fukushima-1391444405
MEXICO
The Zapatistas’ legacy of rebellion http://redflag.org.au/article/zapatistas%E2%80%99-legacy-rebellion
PALESTINE
Israel fights back as boycott movment gains strength http://www.smh.com.au/world/israel-fights-back-as-boycott-movment-gains-strength-20140207-326pw.html
The cynical use of Palestinian workers in the SodaStream controversy http://972mag.com/the-cynical-exploitation-of-palestinian-workers-in-scarlett-johanssonsodastream-affair/86698/
5 things I learned from the Scarlett Johansson/SodaStream affair http://972mag.com/5-things-i-learned-from-the-scarlett-johanssonsodastream-affair/86639/
‘FT’ blast on settlements will strike fear at Hasbara Central (if not among liberal Zionists and ‘glitzy blondes’) http://mondoweiss.net/2014/02/settlement-liberal-zionists.html
A Tipping Point? By Omar Barghouti http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/01/03/essay-growth-support-boycott-israeli-universities
Hind Awwad “Six Years of BDS: Success!” http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/hind-awwad-six-years-bds-success/
Ilan Pappé: the boycott will work, an Israeli perspective
http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/ilan-pappe-boycott-work-israeli-perspective/
SodaStream boycott gathers momentum https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55825
Why the Boycott Movement Scares Israel by Omar Barghouti
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/opinion/sunday/why-the-boycott-movement-scares-israel.html
‘Don’t issue visas to Israeli dance troupe,’ BDS supporters urge New Zealand http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.571753
Sentenced to life at birth: What do Palestinian refugees want? http://972mag.com/sentenced-to-life-at-birth-what-do-palestinian-refugees-want/86902/
PHILIPPINES
78 Days After Haiyan: Anger Rises
SOUTH AFRICA
80,000 South African Platinum Miners Strike For A Living Wage http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=11411#.Uu_dqgkkKSQ.twitter
Forging a New Movement: NUMSA and the Shift in South Africa’s Politics http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/933.php
Platinum miners strike in 2013
SPAIN
‘White tide’ wipes out health privatisation plan https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55774
Popular Resistance Delivers Results http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/934.php
THAILAND
Fresh right-wing violence as vote fail to resolve crisis https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55783
Thailand’s Deep Divide By Walden Bello http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/thailands-deep-divide/
TURKEY
Turkey, the Erdogan Government and the Left Today – An Interview with Oguzhan Müftüoğlu http://www.newpol.org/content/turkey-erdogan-government-and-left-today
UK
Patriotism – A False Religion -I Will Not Fight For Queen and Country Video http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37539.htm
Did an undercover cop help organise a major riot? http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/03/undercover-officer-major-riot-john-jordan
Where will we live? James Meek writes about the housing crisis http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n01/james-meek/where-will-we-live
Here’s what a real ‘Marxist diatribe’ about the UK housing market looks like
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/04/marxist-diatribe-uk-housing-market
Who owns all the land? http://inequalitybriefing.org/brief/briefing-17-who-owns-all-the-land
Orwell was hailed a hero for fighting in Spain. Today he’d be guilty of terrorism http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/10/orwell-hero-terrorism-syria-british-fighters-damned
UKRAINE
In Ukraine, fascists, oligarchs and western expansion are at the heart of the crisis http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/29/ukraine-fascists-oligarchs-eu-nato-expansion
USA
Chris Hedges: The Menace of the Military Mind http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_menace_of_the_military_mind_20140203
Kids For Cash: Inside One of the Nation’s Most Shocking Juvenile Justice Scandals http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/4/kids_for_cash_inside_one_of
Women Watched, Strip-Searched, Raped by Male Prison Guards: How Can We Have Real Reform? http://tinyurl.com/luvp6ed
Tens of Thousands in “Mass Moral March”- Pushing back against rightwing legislation http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/02/08-0
Chilling legal memo from Obama DOJ justifies assassination of US citizens http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/05/obama-kill-list-doj-memo
President Obama: Deporter-in-Chief http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/02/05-3
Inequality in America – The inaudible majority http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2014/02/inequality-america
USA – WORKERS REVOLT
Obama, Marx, And The Minimum Wage http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2014/01/obama-marx-and-the-minimum-wage.html
NYT Editorial: The Case for a Higher Minimum Wage http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/opinion/sunday/the-case-for-a-higher-minimum-wage.html
Dominos workers declare victory by organizing – Carlos Rodriguez Herrera and Hollis Fitch discuss the Domino’s delivery workers lawsuit that resulted in a $1.3 million settlement over stolen wages. http://www.msnbc.com/now-with-alex-wagner/watch/we-got-this-victory-by-organizing-141653571779
The case for a higher minimum wage – New York Times Editorial! http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/opinion/sunday/the-case-for-a-higher-minimum-wage.html
USA – SPYING SCANDAL
How Edward Snowden went from loyal NSA contractor to whistleblower http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/01/edward-snowden-intelligence-leak-nsa-contractor-extract
VENEZUELA
Maduro determined ‘to make economic revolution’ https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55812
The Bolivarian Process without Chávez: 2013 a year of uncertainty, 2014 a year of definitions http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=30966
Venezuela Speaks Out Against “Colonialism” at CELAC Summit http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/10315
A year since Hugo Chavez’s death — special edition of the AVSN broadsheet http://links.org.au/node/3698
The political economy of inflation and investment strikes http://links.org.au/node/3705
‘Strengthen communal economy’ says national conference https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55840
GPJA 