Daily News Digest August 25, 2020

Daily News Digest Archives

Due to Years of Austerity, Cuts to Public Health Care, And An Anti-Science and Profiteering President, The United States Now Leads the World In  Coronavirus Cases and Deaths in the World! And Now the Total Caronavirs Deaths in the United  States are Over 20%  of the Total Deaths in the Entire World!

Another Example Capitalism as a Failed System: World Capilalism Was Aware of the Danger of Cornovavirus Threat 4 Years Ago and Did Nothing!

Under Capitalism — Human Lives Don’t Matter  Capitalism Does Not, and Never Has, Worked for the Masses! In Its Death Agony, Capitalism Is Traveling About The World Like The Four Horsemen of the The Apocalypse, Spreading  Racism,  War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. The very future of Humanity Is Now At stake! By Roland SheppardLaura Gray’s cartoon from the front page of The Militant August 18, 1945, Under the Banner Headline: “There Is No Peace”

During This Economic Crisis, Capitalism’s Three-Point Political Program: 1.Austerity, 2.Scapegoat Blacks, Minorities, and ‘Illegal’ Immigrants for Unemployment, and 3.  The Iron Heel!  Always Remember:  That President Obama, With a Majority Democrat Legislature Supported the Wall Street Bailout and Remember, That he Established, in writing,  the United States Capitalist Austerity Program. —  The Race to the Bottom/Pauperization of the 99%!

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, that the 99% Will Rule, Not the Few!

Images of the Day:

The Distribution of the Bi-Partisan Pandemic Recovery Funds Expose the Priorities of the !%!  The Coronavirus Pandemic Meets ‘The Shining’Quotes of the Day:

. . . Never the less, the constitution was written to allow only white males of property to vote, legalized slavery, and stated that Black People were only 4/5 human. As Noam Chomsky stated in his interview on American History and Democracy:    . . . If you go back to the record of the Constitutional Convention, which took place in 1787, almost immediately after the end of the war, you see that they are already moving in another direction. James Madison — who was the main framer, and one of the Founding Fathers who was most libertarian — makes it very clear that the new constitutional system must be designed so as to ensure that the government will, in his words, “protect the minority of the opulent against the majority” and bar the way to anything like agrarian reform. The determination was made that America could not allow functioning democracy, since people would use their political power to attack the wealth of the minority of the opulent. Therefore, Madison argues, the country should be placed in the hands of the wealthier set of men, as he put it. . . . — Roland Sheppard,  My Forefathers and The 1%’s Forefathers

After blocking rooftop solar on homes and business for years, the condition of PG&E equipment is so bad that this allegedly public utility must rush to get more electricity to the electric grid. Now, PG&E hopes to use public need during a climate crisis as an excuse to receive emergency license changes for inspection requirements for the Diablo Canyon Unit 1 atomic reactor. If granted, this NRC dispensation would allow Unit 1 to run without a critical safety system. Is this a safe decision for Californians? ––– We know PGE’s failure to inspect pipes and power lines resulted in the San Bruno explosion in 2010 and the Camp Fire destruction of an entire community in 2018. Together these calamities resulted in the deaths of at least 90-people followed by PG&Es’ bankruptcy to avoid its responsibilities. Once again, the public will be placed at significant risk by PG&E mismanagement if Diablo Canyon Unit 1 does not close for its essential safety inspection.  Will Californians ever be safe from PG&E and its political cronies? — California: A Climate Emergency Fraught with Nuclear Utility Mismanagement

 Videos of the Day:

“The Damage Has Been Done”: Historian Says Trump’s Postmaster Has Undermined Faith in 2020 Election

United States:

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 Reublicrats 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. Rax the Rich!  — They Can Afford To Pay!

Democratic Platform’s Backtracking On Fossil Fuels Dismays Climate Activists The party has mysteriously toned down language on the climate crisis undermining enthusiasm for Biden’s green policies US climate activists had high hopes for the Democratic national convention, following substantial praise for a recently strengthened plan from nominee Joe Biden and his choice of Kamala Harris as a running mate. But a mysterious decision to dial back the party platform’s language on the climate crisis has deflated morale. A statement opposing the fossil fuel subsidies that are prevalent in US law was removed. The revision drew criticism from as far away as Sweden – from youth activist Greta Thunberg. It marred the otherwise elevated profile that climate was meant to enjoy during three segments totaling more than 10 minutes of prime time on Wednesday night. It also underscored the obstacles ahead to significant US climate action, as advocates argue the party should explicitly demand the dismantling of the fossil fuel industry and issue a more full-throated endorsement of the Green New Deal.

The United States’ Crumbling Infrastructure:  The Logic of Global Warming Denial — Not Being Prepared For Global Warming Disasters!     Why is the U.S. Facing a Federal Firefighter Shortage? The shortage is part of an ongoing dilemma as the government struggles to budget and plan for longer, more severe fire seasons. By The shortage is part of an ongoing dilemma as the government struggles to budget and plan for longer, more severe fire seasons. By  Maxine SpeierCalifornia wildfires: How short is the State on Firefighters As Fires Burn Out of Control? Hard to put a number on California’s firefighter needs California is desperately summoning help for firefighters from across the country and beyond, with everyone from Gov. Gavin Newsom to overwhelmed fire crews complaining about a severe shortage of resources to fight this growing siege of lightning-sparked blazes. By John Woolfolk

Environment:

Could the US and Caribbean be Heading For Their Worst Hurricane Season? Experts say they are concerned as two potential hurricanes head north – and coronavirus is complicating matters wo potential hurricanes are heading towards the northern Caribbean and mainland United States – with a third building in the Atlantic – in apparent confirmation of meteorologists’ predictions that the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season will become one of the worst on record. The largest of the three, Tropical Storm Laura, was named on Friday, breaking the record for the earliest use of the letter L in a storm name in the region. Forecasts said it poses a potential hurricane threat to the US and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba and possibly southern Florida in the coming days. By Alex DickCalifornia: A Climate Emergency Fraught with Nuclear Utility Mismanagement I began the pursuit of my two nuclear engineering degrees in 1967 as a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. That same year the Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album and the New York musical Hair opened on Broadway with the hit song “Age of Aquarius”. Unfortunately, 1967 was not the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius for many of us growing up in America during that time. The Vietnam war was raging, the civil rights act and the voting rights act had passed, and the country was in turmoil over war, voting rights, racial inequality, and feminism. And, in California, against a strong environmental movement, construction began on Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E’s) two large atomic reactors located at Diablo Canyon in California. By Arnie Gundersen

Civil Rights/ Black Liberarion:

Stimulus Checks in Next Coronavirus Package Shouldn’t Penalize One-Parent Households Both the HEROES Act passed by the House in May and Senate Republicans’ HEALS Act announced this week would provide a new round of stimulus in the form of one-time cash payments to most Americans, but with some major differences. One of these differences is in how the bills treat one-parent households with children, the vast majority of which are headed by mothers. Under the Senate Republicans’ HEALS Act  stimulus provision, one parent who lives with one minor child would receive a much lower maximum payment ($1,700) than a married couple with no minor children ($2,400). By contrast, under the House provision these two family types (both consisting of two people) would receive the same maximum amount ($2,400). Similarly, one parent who lives with two minor children would receive a lower maximum payment ($2,200) than a married couple with one minor child ($2,900). By
Shawn Fremstad
snd Nicole RodgersEnding the School to Prison Pipeline This school year will be unlike any other. For starters, school districts across the country are grappling with budget cuts and pandemic safety. But there’s something else, too: In the wake of a national uprising against police violence, many districts are rethinking what constitutes school safety.   After the 2018 Parkland shooting, many districts rushed to put armed security guards and police officers in schools.    That year, states allocated an additional $965 million to law enforcement in schools.   The idea has been to keep children safe. But there’s simply no proof that armed security officers keep children any safer in schools—Parkland itself already had an armed officer on site.    In fact, there’s growing evidence these officers make many students less safe. For instance, Black students are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested at school than white students, despite exhibiting similar behavioral patterns. By Uma Nagarajan-Swenson
Barbara Freese: Something’s Rotten in the Corporate States of America A new book by Barbara Freese explores eight stories about the unfettered corporate greed that has corrupted modern society and led to an astounding loss of life.  Beginning with the slave trade and leading all the way up to the climate crisis, author Barbara Freese’s “Industrial Strength Denial” examines eight of private industries’ most egregious crimes against humanity. On this week’s installment of “Scheer Intelligence,” the author and former assistant attorney general of Minnesota joins Robert Scheer to discuss what the host calls “heinous behavior” on the part of the corporations involved in each case, and, most importantly, how the corporatization of the United States has allowed unfettered greed to cause irreversible harm and an astounding loss of life.Labor:

Economy:

Steve Bannon Is Arrested for Nonprofit Fraud after Using an Octopus of Nonprofits to Help Elect Trump One of the key right-wing architects of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Stephen K. (Steve) Bannon, was arrested early yesterday morning while cruising in the Long Island Sound on a 150-foot yacht owned by the fugitive Chinese billionaire, Guo Wengui, according to law enforcement officials. Bannon had served as CEO of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and as senior counselor and chief strategist to the president for the first seven months of his term. By Pam Martens and Russ Martens

World:

Massive Crowd in Minsk Tells Belarus Dictator: Resign Now! Hundreds of thousands flood the streets of Minsk, Belarus Sunday to demand the resignation of president Lukashenka for stealing lst week’s election. By Common Dreams staffThe Right as Leading the Movement In Belarus to a Dead End: Is There Another Way? As the situation in Belarus unfolds, our comrades once again call on the working class to seize control of their own destinies with independent methods and bodies of struggle.  Despite the fact that Lukashenko has so far managed to retain power, the regime’s position remains extremely precarious. First of all, as we noted earlier, the Belarusian working class entered the arena of political struggle. A vivid illustration of the attitude of workers towards the dictator is an incident this week, after the announcement of the results of the presidential elections, which no one in their right mind can call free and fair. By OlegVenezuela Supreme Court Backs Coup Inside Patria Para Todos Party On August 21, the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) ruled to depose the current leadership within the Patria Para Todos (PPT), giving them legal control of the party to a minority faction. This is yet another scandalous case of state intervention in the affairs of left wing organisations, which can only be interpreted as a response to the formation of the People’s Revolutionary Alternative, which will stand in the December National Assembly election. At the beginning of August, a series of left wing parties and organisations announced the creation of the Alternativa Popular Revolucionaria (Peoples Revolutionary Alternative), amongst those were the Communist Party (PCV), Patria Para Todos (Fatherland For All), the Revolutionary Party of Labour (PRT), the Venezuelan section of the IMT Lucha de Clases and others. The aim was to contest the December 6 National Assembly elections separately from the PSUV on the basis of a program of defence of the interests of workers and peasants and against imperialism. Both the PCV and the PPT had previously been in an alliance (GPP) with the PSUV and stood jointly in the elections, including the 2018 presidential election. . . . The struggle to build a revolutionary alternative in Venezuela, to fight in defence of workers’ rights, for agrarian reform, for socialism and against imperialism continues, regardless of threats and state intervention. By Jorge MartinEducation, Health, Science, and Welfare:

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 ‘:’, 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 to be,  a democracy and part of the democratic way. — Roland Sheppard, Let the People  Vote on Healthcare

We Cannot Expect Capitalists to Manage a Pandemic It is unrealistic to expect capitalists to manage any social crisis. Their goal is to accumulate capital, which they do exceptionally well, as evidenced by their enormous wealth in a world where billions struggle to survive.    Capitalists are highly skilled at sustaining their rule.    They prioritize military spending in order to defend and expand their wealth.   They invest in politicians, scientists, journalists, authors, psychologists, and other ‘experts’ to promote their views and enforce their rules.     They excel at finding ways to profit from disaster.    When it comes to protecting human beings, capitalists are absolutely abysmal.  By Susan RosenthalThomas Ultican: Charter Schools Are a Failed Experiment Thomas Ultican, who retired last year as a teacher of advanced math and physics in California, has studied school reform in many districts. He concludes that charter schools, created supposedly to improve education, especially for the neediest children, is a failed experiment. He reviews the origins of the charter school idea and shows how AFT leader Albert Shanker became disillusioned. The premise of charters, he writes, was based on an illusion. Reagan’s “Nation at Risk” report unleashed a long era of handwringing about public school failure, but as he points out, NPR reporter Anya Kamenetz documented that the conclusions of that report were predetermined.  By Diane Ravitch