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During This Economic Crisis, Capitalism’s Three Point Political Program: 1. Austerity, 2. Scapegoating Blacks, Minorities, and ‘Illegal Immigrants’ for Unemployment, and 3. 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 Who Profit From Austerity! Under Austerity, All of the World Will Eventually Be Pauperized, Humbled, and Desecrated Like Greece and Puerto Rico
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One of the best descriptions of the government’s attitude to workers’ health and safety can be found in a paper by Peter F. Infante, former director of standards for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It was presented before the President’s Cancer Panel meeting on Lung Cancer: Societal and Clinical Implications, October 5, 1995, at Tysons Corner, Virginia. And was also published in the Winter 1995 issue of New Solutions with the title: Cancer and Blue-Collar Workers: Who Cares? The government’s anti-workingclass approach has only gotten worse since then.: In this article Peter Infante wrote: . . . In the early 1900s, canaries were routinely taken down into the mines. The men used these canaries to give them the first sign of possible disaster or death. When the canaries passed out or died, the men knew that there was a problem with exposure to carbon monoxide and immediate action was needed. The analogy here is clear. Blue-collar workers appear to be the canaries in our society for identifying human chemical carcinogens in the general environment. The fact that occupational cancer is a sentinel for identifying carcinogenic exposures in the general environment is reason alone to justify an intensified cancer research effort in the workplace. Yet, our efforts to study their exposures to carcinogens, or to develop technology to decrease that exposure, or to develop safe substitutes have been relatively minimal. He sums up his paper in his concluding remarks: Given the obvious benefits to an intensified cancer research effort directed toward the study of workers, I ask myself why it has been given so little attention. In my opinion, this inattention is reflected in the way data on health are gathered in general in the U.S. Health data are published by sex and race, but not by social class. This is no accident. It reflects a social class bias by those gathering the data. I suggest disproportionate death from cancer among blue-collar workers is a social class issue and that the problem is neglected because it is a potentially explosive issue. It raises questions about the control of production and cost of production.In 1992, the Congress of the United States passed legislation entitled the ‘Cancer Registries Amendment Act.’ This Act authorizes $30 million per year through 1997 to fund statewide cancer registries. Yet, not a single cancer registry in the United States requires that a detailed occupational and job history be taken as part of its activity. It is reported that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) allocates $20 million per year (1 percent of its budget) for occupational cancer studies. Why is the amount of funding to investigate cancer in the workplace so disproportionately low in relation to the “success” of confirming human causes of cancer by studying blue-collar workers? . . . . — Roland Sheppard, The War at the Point of Production: The ‘Killing Fields’ of the United States (2000)
Videos
Let Down by Reformists, Working-Class Iranians Join Widespread Protests Thousands have taken to the streets in Iran’s largest and deadliest protests since 2009. Exiled Iranian activist Dariush Arjmandi says demonstrators are challenging economic mismanagement and repressive state control, not pushing the regime change agenda of Iran’s global foes
Nuclear Reactors/Climate Change Lies: Gundersen Busts Nuke Industry’s PR Ploy – NH #338 Arnie Gundersen, Chief Engineer at Fairewinds Energy Education, former nuclear industry Senior Vice President and whistleblower, explains global warming in terms of an apple <!>, then takes apart the nuclear industry’s claims that we “need” 1,000 new nuclear reactors to combat climate change. Brilliant, concise, filled with talking points we all need to know and use.
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Freedom Rider: Who Killed Erica Garner “Obama never gave Eric Garner or his family the justice that he had the power to give.” “I felt the same pain that my father felt on that day when he was screaming, ‘I can’t breathe.” — Erica Garner Erica Garner was only 27-years old when she died on December 30, 2017. She was the mother of two children, one of whom was eight years old and the other just four months old. Ms. Garner became famous when father, Eric Garner, was murdered by New York City police on July 14, 2014. The killing was filmed and the world heard his last words, “I can’t breathe.” — Margaret Kimberley, BAR editor and senior columnist
Congolese President Attacks Peaceful New Year’s Eve Protestors “While the rest of the world celebrates their hopes for the New Year, the Congolese suffer repression and death.” While the Black Agenda Report took a week off for the holidays, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni ordered his army to attack Béni Territory in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) two days before Christmas. Then, on New Year’s Eve, Congolese President Joseph Kabila ordered his military police to attack Congolese peacefully protesting his refusal to relinquish power despite the expiration of his term in office two years ago at the end of December 2016. As of January 2, the death toll among the protesters had risen to 12, more had been wounded, and at least 120 had been arrested. I spoke to Boniface Musavuli, a native of Béni Territory, political exile in France, and author of Les Massacres de Béni and Genocide of the Congolese — From Leopold II to Paul Kagame. By Ann Garrison, BAR contributor, Boniface Musavuli
Cornel West Vs. Coates: A Necessary Debate That Black Agenda Report Has Amplified Since Its Inception “Coates has benefitted from the neo-liberal brand of Black leadership that grew in strength during the era of Obama.” I began writing for Black Agenda Report over four years ago. As a “non-Black” identified person of color, Black Agenda Report’s commitment to the Black Radical Tradition was an inspiration in a period marked by deep political reaction. Black Agenda Report did not betray its political principles in the face of the first Black President at a time when there was immense pressure to do so. Black Agenda Report not only provided a forum for Black left political thought and action, but also advanced necessary debates in service of movements for social transformation in the Black American community and oppressed communities worldwide. The conversation that has emerged from Cornel West’s critique of Coates is one that BAR has amplified since its inception and should not be left in the polluting grips of the Black political class and their white liberal allies. By Danny Haiphong, BAR contributor
What Western Imperialism Is Up to Now in Zimbabwe “The capitalist agenda is to neo-colonize Zimbabwe and appropriate its labor and land.”When the press and media of the so-called Western world adjust their depiction of a nation they had formally demonized to one worthy of cooperation we should pause for a more critical analysis. When it comes to capitalist and white supremacist portrayals of African countries Zimbabwe is no different. It is never about the details or the context and all about the optics and the propaganda. From news outlets like Reuters and across the US and European press in general, the message is: Mugabe out — White Farmers back in, and the poor blacks with bad teeth dance and celebrate the return of the white saviors. Irrespective of the real details behind a given story, the fact that such images are broadcast around the world is a blow against Africans/Black people at home and abroad. The media of white supremacy is a beast. Just as dangerous is the capitalist agenda at the back end maneuvering to neo-colonize Zimbabwe and appropriate its labor and land. By Netfa Freeman
One to three
three on one
Life hanging
on tatted arms
of a windpipe-
crushing Nazi thug
3 little words
12 letters
11 times
Not artful air escaping
sides of a saxophonist’s mouth
NUMSA: The South African Union That Confronts New Forms of Apartheid Through Class Struggle “The massacre of the mine workers in August of 2012 was actually the catalyst for the decision that NUMSA made in the following year to break away from the alliance.” The Dawn News spoke to Phakamile Hlubi of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa about their struggle against the neoliberal government in South Africa, worker’s power and their vision of Pan African socialism. Phakamile Hlubi: NUMSA represents over 350,000 metal workers. We are a trade union that was born from the metal working industry but we have since 2013 expanded our scope, we now represent workers along the value chain of metal working. Its moved from the automotive industry to transportation to mining, and we are now even organizing the energy sector. So for example the power utility ESKOM has NUMSA members, NERSA — National Energy Regulator of South Africa — has NUMSA members. But the bottom line is that the workers we represent mostly are in the metal industry, the automotive industry, and along that value chain. By Phakamile Hlubi
Puerto Rico Homeowners Brace for Another Disaster: Foreclosures “Maybe they believe the land is worth more than keeping people in the homes.” Lenders to Puerto Rican homeowners have kicked foreclosures into high gear in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, skirting local and federal borrower protections. According to attorneys and experts, lenders have ignored federal moratoria on foreclosures; placed notices of default in newspapers where they’re unlikely to be seen; sent files to homeowners in English rather than Spanish; and required residents to complete tasks that are borderline impossible without electrical power yet fully restored, among other abuses. By David Dayen
It’s Time to Nationalize the Internet “Private network providers prioritize only those they expect to provide a return on investment.” Defying widespread popular objection, on December 14 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal net neutrality. The principle regulates broadband as a utility, thus forbidding cable companies and Internet service providers (ISPs) from throttling, blocking or otherwise discriminating against online traffic. While net neutrality was only enacted in early 2015, it swiftly proved a key component of an open Internet. By Julianne Tveten
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America’s Health Care System Is an International Disgrace, and It’s Only Getting Worse Until we confront this reality, we can expect more preventable deaths and unnecessary suffering. A common talking point among American exceptionalists is that the United States is blessed with one of the best health care systems in the world, and that residents of Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand would all trade places with us if they only could. Sadly, their claim couldn’t be further from the truth. While the U.S. does have its share of first-rate physicians, nurses, clinics and hospitals, gaining access to them remains an obstacle for millions of Americans. The reality is that the U.S. still lags behind the rest of the developed world—as well as some developing countries—when it comes to providing quality, affordable health care. And thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, approved by Republicans in both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump, the United States’ troubled health care system is likely to become that much worse. By Alex Henderson
Insurance Companies Will Only Insure If Is Profitable (Low Risk):
Insurers bowing out after wildfires Some homeowners losing policies as risks increase Consumer advocates and local officials across the state say entire communities where wildland meets urban development have seen policy nonrenewals, cancellations or steep premium increases in recent months and years. Some fear that insurance companies are getting apprehensive about the growing frequency and ferocity of California’s wildfires, illustrated by the record-breaking season that sent firestorms into suburban communities such as Santa Rosa. And the die-off of tens of millions of trees, driven by bark-beetle attack and drought, has created ample tinder for the next catastrophe. “These fires consumed areas that were thought to be at lower risk. Now it’s clear they’re not,” state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones told The Chronicle. “We’re looking at a future where there will be increasing challenges of insurance availability for some homeowners in some areas of California. The areas where this is a problem are likely to expand.” By Kimberly Veklerov
