Daily News Digest August 27, 2019

Daily News Digest August 27, 2019

Daily News Digest Achives

Since World War I, ‘the war to end all wars’, there have been perpetual wars for perpetual peace, this Laura Gray’s cartoon from the front page of The Militant August 18, 1945, under banner headline: “There Is No Peace” Could Still Be Published Today!

During This Economic Crisis, Capitalism’s Three Point Political Program: Austerity, Scapegoat Blacks, Minorities, and ‘Illegal’ Immigrants for Unemployment, and  The Iron Heel.

Democracy?:  As the Capitalist Robber Barons Steal from the 99%: Only the 1% Voted For Austerity — The 99% Should Decide On Austerity — Not Just The 1% Who Profit From Austerity!  Under Austerity, All of the World Will Eventually Be Pauperized, Humbled, and Desecrated Like Greece and Puerto Rico.    Socialism Means True Democracy — The 99% Will Rule! — Not the Few!

Images of the Day:

Signe Wikenson: Political Cartoon: Philadelphia law enforcement working together for a safer city 

Quotes of the Day:

You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace, unless he has his freedom.—Malcolm X

Videos of the Day:

The crumbling United States Infrastructure:  Newark’s Water Crisis is One of Thousands That Are Worse Than Flint’s  Newark is the latest community to grab the headlines about the ravages of lead poisoning. Newark, Flint, Baltimore, South Bend, Indiana, across this nation, there are at least 3,000 communities with lead poisoning rates that double Flint’s, that match well beyond Newark’s, but they’re not in the headlines. Each time this comes to our attention, most state governmentsseem to understand that these are public health emergencies. Most of these communities are also ravaged by poverty, and most are communities of color. And as Reuters reported, there are communities like Goat Island, Texas where over 25% of the children had high levels of lead— to Warren, Pennsylvania on the Allegheny River, mostly white working-class community where 35% had levels too high. And in mostly African American communities, that are devastated by abandonment and poverty in cities like Baltimore, Cleveland and Philadelphia, it can be as high as 50% of the people who have been poisoned by lead.

Lula: “US hand” on everything that’s happened in Brazil For former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, events in Brazil since the 2016 coup that deposed President Dilma Rousseff were orchestrated by the US government. “Everything that is happening has the hand of the United States on it…. The US created the Lava Jato investigation to take our oil,” he said, speaking for the first time after Supreme Court (STF) prevented his transfer to a São Paulo prison. Lula’s interview, with veteran journalist Bob Fernandes, aired on TVE, a public television station from Bahia, on Friday, August 16th. The full two hour interview with the Lula can now be seen on YouTube here

Solar Energy Is Renewable, But Is It Environmentally Just (1/2)

The Land Politics of Solar Energy (2/2)

Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl

U.S.:

The United States is not a Democracy (A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly)! Only the 1%, through their ownership of the Republicrats and who profit from war and the war budget, vote for War and the war budget — A policy, which Gore Vidal called a  Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace. — The 99% Should Decide On War — Not Just The 1% Who Profit From War!  Under a Democracy, The 99% would have the right to vote on the policy of Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace! The United States takes from the poor and gives to the Rich!

‘Stop Your Cowardice’: Sanders Calls Out McConnell for Ignoring Protesting Coal Miners and Blocking $15 Minimum Wage“I say to Senator McConnell: Stop worrying about your billionaire friends, they’re doing just fine. Start worrying about the working families of your state and around this country.” By Jake Johnson

New Poll Shows ‘Deep and Boiling Anger’ Towards Political Establishment Still WidespreadMore than half of respondents also said race relations are worsening under Trump and that they feel “anxious and uncertain” because of the economy, f you’re feeling anger the political system being rigged to benefit those at the top, a new poll reveals you’re far from alone.  By Andrea Germanos“Hereby Ordered”: On Trump, Capital, Fascism, and China in a World on FireI am hearing whispers from lefties that “the ruling class is finally done with Trump.” It’s “the China stuff” that’s doing the trick. Sure, the argument goes, the corporate and financial powers that be haven’t been all that happy with Trump’s open white nationalism, racism, narcissism, and sexism. It’s not their style. But they’ve been willing to put up with Trump’s noxious nonsense because he’s rewarded them with plutocratic tax cuts and de-regulation. The presidents’ immigrant-bashing awfulness has kept his “heartland” base loyal to a president who knows (despite all his insanity) which constituency matters most in the American oligarchy: the wealthy Few. By Paul Street
Environment:

Capitalisn and the Climate Crisis— A Crime Against Humanity!:

Jefferson’s words, from the Declaration of Independence, that human rights are unalienable, mean that these rights can never be superseded. At all points of conflict the rights of humanity to survive must supersede the right of the few to make a profit. The right to a safe environment is an unalienable human right!    Since environmental illness and destruction are a global concern, it requires all of humanity to act collectively, in our overall interests for our survival as a species, to correct the problem and to remove the obstacle of capitalism. It requires a society where humanity has social, economic, and political control over the entire environment. Such a society, a socialist society, is needed to ensure that all decisions affecting the environment are under the democratic control of humankind so that the production of goods will be done for the needs and survival of humanity instead of the production and the destruction of humanity and other species for profit.  With common ownership of the means of production, and common control and protection of all property and wealth, science and society will be in harmony with the ecosystem and humanity’s future. — Whither Humanity? The Environmental Crisis of Capitalism

The environmental movement has raised many of these demands. In the past 30 years, many laws have been written incorporating some of these concepts. Yet despite these laws, environmental destruction has been allowed to  proceed because these regulations have always been compromised by the incorporation of the concept of economic feasibility. ‘Economic feasibility’ means that the profitability of an economic enterprise cannot be subordinated to environmental needs. Therefore, environmental and safety laws, under capitalism, have always been a compromise between science and business. In fact, environmental destruction, pestilence, and death are factored into production the same as casualties of war are factored into military battles. The most glaring example is the occupational environment, where workplaces have become “killing fields”. (See my essay The War at the Point of Production: The ‘Killing Fields’ of the United States.) — Whither Humanity? The Environmental Crisis of Capitalism

Trump and the Climate Crisis–a Crime Against HumanityThe President of the United States is a criminal.  I’m not referring to the twenty-odd investigations of him currently underway for violations of the Constitution, obstruction of justice, and collaboration with the Russian election attack, among other misdeeds.  No, I’m referring to his and his administration’s intentional and reckless pursuit of national policies that condemn American and the world’s citizens to environmental destruction and the end of life as we know it. By Mel Gurtov

Pretty Soon They Will Try to Privatise Water and Sunlight!:  Nestlé Plan To Take 1.1m Gallons of Water AaDay From Natural Springs Sparks OutcryOpponents fighting to stop the project say the fragile river cannot sustain such a large draw The crystal blue waters of Ginnie Springs have long been treasured among the string of pearls that line Florida’s picturesque Santa Fe River, a playground for water sports enthusiasts and an ecologically critical haven for the numerous species of turtles that nest on its banks. Soon, however, it is feared there could be substantially less water flowing through, if a plan by the food and beverage giant Nestlé wins approval. By  Richard LuscombeCaptalism Kills!: Fires in the Amazon could be part of a doomsday scenario that sees the rainforest spewing carbon into the atmosphere and speeding up climate change even more

  • The Amazon rainforest provides 20% of the world’s oxygen, but its destruction could cause it to not only stop helping the planet, but start releasing carbon and worsening climate change.
  • In a “dieback” scenario, rising temperatures could dry trees, meaning they absorb less carbon and become more flammable, eventually turning the rainforest into a savannah and releasing billions of tons of stored carbon.
  • Researchers have debated the likelihood of the scenario, but fears have heightened under Brazil’s new president, who has advocated expansion of industry in the region, which involves burning and cutting down trees.
  • A record number of fires have hit the Amazon this year — more than 70,000 — and experts say they are due to human activity.
The Amazon rainforest provides 20% of the world’s oxygen, but its destruction could cause it to not only stop helping the planet, but start releasing carbon and worsening climate change. In a “dieback” scenario, rising temperatures could dry trees, meaning they absorb less carbon and become more flammable, eventually turning the rainforest into a savannah and releasing billions of tons of stored carbon. Researchers have debated the likelihood of the scenario, but fears have heightened under Brazil’s new president, who has advocated expansion of industry in the region, which involves burning and cutting down trees. A record number of fires have hit the Amazon this year — more than 70,000 — and experts say they are due to human activity.

Civil Rights/Black Liberation:

Labor:

Economy:

Shadow Government Statisticss Flash Update No. 5

  • Major Downside Benchmark Revisions Announced for Payroll Employment
  • Payroll Employment Hit by 501,000 (-501,000) Downside Preliminary Benchmark Revision for Year-Ended March 2019
  • Final 2019 Benchmarking Estimate Should Be Even Worse; Publication Due With January 2020 Payrolls
  • Previously Estimated Jobs Gain for Full Year Ended March 2019 Was Reduced by 20% (-20%) from 2.496 Million to 1.995 Million
  • Year-to-Year Payroll Growth Revised from 1.69% to 1.35%, Weakest Since Great Recession
  • Negative Benchmarking Suggested Further FOMC Easing and Weakening GDP in Revision

The Dickensian Tale of the WeWork IPO   The WeWork IPO is hype wrapped in subterfuge. It’s a money-losing commercial real estate company attempting to pass itself off as the Dalai Lama of office space rentals. The company has never made a dime of profits and its losses spiraled to $900 million in the first half of this year.  Here’s a sample of the spin from its IPO prospectus: “We provide our members with flexible access to beautiful spaces, a culture of inclusivity and the energy of an inspired community, all connected by our extensive technology infrastructure. We believe our company has the power to elevate how people work, live and grow.”“We believe that individuals are more productive when they are able to express their full and authentic selves, so we aspire to be as inclusive as possible.” By Pam Martens and Russ Martens

World:

A Marxist History of the Nicaraguan Revolution Stalinism and Castroism made the most strenuous efforts to first limit and then contain the Central American revolution. They attempted to confine each step within the framework of national states imposed by U.S. imperialism. The disarmament of the fighters and the electoral processes were agreed upon by the negotiation committees in which the leadership of the FSLN participated, the leadership of the Salvadoran guerrilla army under the sponsorship of Castro and Soviet diplomacy, and the bourgeois governments of Latin America and the United States.The result is clear: Even after years of heroic combat, during which almost 300,000 fighters died, imperialist “order” prevails in Central America. The extension and triumph of the Central American revolution⁠—and its unity in a federation with Cuba⁠—would have been one of the most terrible blows to U.S. imperialism.Britain: Corbyn’s unity government gambit – victory must come from below With the Brexit countdown ticking, establishment pundits and politicians have been clamouring for ‘moderates’ on all sides of the Commons to put aside their differences and form a government of ‘national unity’ to halt Boris Johnson’s no-deal trainwreck.    But when Jeremy Corbyn came forward with just such a proposal, suddenly the ardent Remainers in Parliament developed cold feet. Corbyn is correct to push for an early end to Johnson’s premiership – and exposing the hypocrisy of right-wing Remainers in the process. But the route to a socialist Labour government cannot run through the backrooms of Westminster.By Joe Attard

Britain: reject class collaboration! Fight for socialism!  There is a lot of chatter these days about cross-party and cross-class alliances. The possibility of a no-deal Brexit has certainly set the tongues wagging, especially amongst middle-class radicals like journalist Paul Mason. By Rob Sewell
We Are All Equal!” Captain Who Saved Refugees Refuses Award From Paris Mayor  Pia Klemp, the former captain of the refugee rescue ship Juventa, who together with her crew saved thousands of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea, is refusing to accept an honorary prize bestowed by the Socialist Party mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. The 36-year-old from Germany announced her decision in a post on her personal Facebook page on Tuesday. She states: Klemp’s post differentiates between the Paris authorities and the population who support refugees. “Paris, I love you for all of the free people and those in solidarity who live there. People who fight for freedom every day … distributing blankets, friendship and solidarity. I love you for those who share their houses … without worrying about the nationality of people or if they have legal papers or not.”  By Will Morrow

Health, Education, and Wealth:

The government of the United States can pass laws in a few days to spend tens of trillions of dollars for war and the bailout of Wall Street and the bankers. Yet, those who ‘govern’, pass universal healthcare for themselves, but they cannot spend even one trillion dollars for universal health for those who are ‘governed’! This is what is considered, by the powers the to be,  a democracy and part of the democratic way. — Roland Sheppard, Let The People Vote on Healthcare!