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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!
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:
Looking For Jobs and Equality:The jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a disproportionate impact on minorities, with women accounting for almost 60 percent of the more than 4 million Americans who left the workforce in January.
Quotes 0f the Day:
Question: Do you see much evidence of a revolutionary spirit in the America of the 1990s? Chomsky: You didn’t find evidence of it in the America of the 1790s. The Revolutionary War was an important event. But it was in the first place, to a significant extent, a civil war, as most revolutionary wars are. And it was a war of independence, as opposed to a revolution against the social structure. The social structure didn’t really change significantly. There were problems right after the war was done. For example, Shay’s Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion and so on were challenging the social structure, and there were efforts on the part of radical farmers to take seriously the meaning of the words in the revolutionary pamphlets, but that was pretty well quieted down. 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. —Radical Democracy: Noam Chomsky Interviewed by John Nichols
Videos of the Day:
The Forgotten Hero The Father of the Civil Rights Movement, a 30 minute video, about E.D. Nixon, , and his leadership role in the organization of the Montgomery Bus Boycott can be found at: and a shortened version can be found here.
[Video] Dynamite in the Foundations: Alan Woods On the Crisis Of World Capitalism At a meeting of leading members of the International Marxist Tendency at the end of January, Alan Woods (editor of marxist.com) provided an overview of the dramatic events unfolding at the start of 2021. The crisis of world capitalism is causing ruptions, dislocation and class polarisation in one country after another. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to inflict misery and hardship on ordinary people, while the wealthy enrich themselves even further. The ruling class is pumping trillions into the system to keep it afloat, but even if there are short-term recoveries, this will ensure an even-deeper collapse down the line.
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
Environment:
Meat-Eating Creates Risk of Future Pandemic That ‘Would Make Covid Seem a Dress Rehearsal’, Scientists Warn ‘If we could see eating meat as a treat, not a right, we could reduce the speed at which another virus evolves,’ says professor Demand for regular supplies of affordable meat will create future pandemics that will make Covid-19 pandemic look like a “dress rehearsal”, scientists are warning. Producing meat is creating the perfect breeding ground for diseases of the same kind to emerge, according to the South African academics.The risk is created by humans’ interactions with animals and a lack of learning from the past, they say. By Jane Dalton
UNESCO Link ‘Helps to Greenwash Gas Exporters’ EXCLUSIVE: A leading UN agency, UNESCO, is harming action on the climate crisis by partnering with natural gas exporters, critics say. Exclusive: A leading UN agency, UNESCO, is harming action on the climate crisis by partnering with natural gas exporters, critics say. By Mitchell Beer
Civil Rights/Black Liberation:
The New Jim Crow: ‘Downright Scary’: In 2021 Alone, GOP Introduces 100+ Voter Suppression Bills in 28 States “Democrats have a clear choice. They can get rid of the filibuster to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act to stop GOP voter suppression, or they can allow the GOP to undermine democracy for the next decade.” By Kenny Stancil
E. D. Nixon was a long time activist, outspoken organizer in the African American community, and a past president of the Montgomery chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was also a Pullman porter who was greatly inspired by A. Philip Randolph. In fact, Randolph’s union leadership ability and articulatory skills enhanced Nixon’s will to fight more relentlessly for African American justice. . . . In the 1920s and 1930s, he worked closely with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters under the leadership of A. Philip Randolph to organize fellow workers into the union. I hasten to add that Mr. Randolph was the first African American leader to organize a March on Washington; unfortunately, political circumstances impelled him to call it off. Mr. Nixon also assisted many other workers–African American and European American–organize to fight for union wages and better working conditions in Alabama. His uncontrollable courage was also manifested in 1944, when he led 750 African Americans in a march to the Montgomery County Courthouse where they tried to register to vote. . .. (He) “organized the historic Montgomery bus boycott. He was also chairman of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) which was formed to organize the boycott. The MIA was the outgrowth of many previous struggles in Montgomery. Mr. Nixon made this comment: The Montgomery Improvement Association was not started just because someone came to town or someone felt it was the proper thing to do at this time. It was started because there had been a struggle of people for long years. It is fairly well known that it was Mrs. Rosa Park’s refusal to relinquish her bus seat to a Caucasian man that ignited the organized struggle against southern segregation. However, Mr. Nixon pointed out that Mrs. Parks had been the third person to be arrested for defying this customary Jim Crow practice; however, he knew that Mrs. Parks could be depended on for a test case–history would prove him correct. In 1951, several years prior to the bus boycott, a French journalist, Daniel Guerin*, toured the South and met E. D. Nixon. In his book titled Negroes on the March, Guerin discussed the African American leadership hierarchy that emerged out of the labor battles of the previous decades. (Guerin made the following statement: “A living example of this evolution was presented to me by E. D. Nixon of Montgomery, Alabama, a vigorous colored union militant who was the leading spirit in this city of both the local union of sleeping Car Porters and the local branch of the NAACP. What a difference from other branches of the Association, which are controlled by dentists, pastors, and undertakers. Nixon has both feet on the ground. He is linked to the masses. He speaks their language. He has organized the work of race defense with the precision and method of a trade unionist.”) Guerin indicated he had a firm grip on the issue when he alluded to the organizational methods and evolving self-confidence acquired by African American workers in the union movement, which prepared them for key roles in leading and pushing forward the movement. Therefore, it was not happenstance that the civil rights movement began with Mrs. Parks, or that Mr. Nixon would lead and organize her defense and conceive the bus boycott tactic. December 3,1955, was the day that the African American community in Montgomery issued the cry to stay off the buses as a one day protest on behalf of Mrs. Parks. The vast majority of African American riders did just that. Mrs. Parks was convicted and fined ten dollars. As a result of this blatant injustice, the African American community scheduled a mass meeting at one of the local churches. However, because of deep-seated fear, many of the ministers were reluctant to participate. Mr. Nixon expressed his outrage, I almost lost patience with them, he continued, I told them what I thought about and told them, unless you accept this program to continue this boycott this evening, there’ll be more than a thousand people at the church tonight. I’ll take the microphone and tell the people that we don’t have a program because you all are too cowardly to stand on your feet and fight. The reputation of Mr. Nixon as a strong, courageous community leader prevailed; thus, the ministers and more than five thousand people attended the meeting and unanimously voted to continue the boycott. Mr. Nixon also used his influence to encourage Dr. King, who also was hesitant, to get involved. Dr. King was later made chairman of the Montgomery Improvement Association.” 3 December 3,1955, was the day that the African American community in Montgomery issued the cry to stay off the buses as a one day protest on behalf of Mrs. Parks. The vast majority of African American riders did just that. Mrs. Parks was convicted and fined ten dollars. As a result of this blatant injustice, the African American community scheduled a mass meeting at one of the local churches. However, because of deep-seated fear, many of the ministers were reluctant to participate. Mr. Nixon expressed his outrage, I almost lost patience with them, he continued, I told them what I thought about and told them, unless you accept this program to continue this boycott this evening, there’ll be more than a thousand people at the church tonight. I’ll take the microphone and tell the people that we don’t have a program because you all are too cowardly to stand on your feet and fight. The reputation of Mr. Nixon as a strong, courageous community leader prevailed; thus, the ministers and more than five thousand people attended the meeting and unanimously voted to continue the boycott. Mr. Nixon also used his influence to encourage Dr. King, who also was hesitant, to get involved. Dr. King was later made chairman of the Montgomery Improvement Association. 3. On December 13, 1965, on the tenth anniversary of the Montgomery Boycott, E.D. Nixon spoke at the Militant Labor Forum in New York City, since he was not invited to the tenth anniversary celebration in Montgomery. In his speech, he emphasized the value and role of the MIA in organizing and leading the day to day work of the yearlong boycott. He also explained that in organizing the MIA the first two people that he called and who gave support were Rev. Ralph Abernathy and the Rev. H.H. Hubard. The third person he called was Rev. Martin Luther King and King said: “Let me think about it for a while.” After calling fifteen other people, E.D. Nixon again called King, who then came on board. 4 There is no doubt that the Montgomery bus boycott was the pivotal point in the civil rights struggle; it was the first mass action movement of its kind. Inspirationally speaking, there were many others over the ten year period that eventually toppled the Jim Crow system. However, according to some political analysts, none was better organized. This can be attributed to the insightfulness and organizing talents of E.D. Nixon. Interestingly, Mr. Nixon never wanted national attention; he preferred to stay in the background and work. E.D. Nixon did not have much formal education, and he was not always liked by his contemporaries. Nevertheless, he worked incessantly to bring about a change in Montgomery. He strongly believed that a man must stand for what is right, even if it meant standing alone. On February 25,1987, Mr. E. D. Nixon at the age of 87, died of a cardiac arrest. History must never forget this man and what he accomplished. — Adib Rashad, E. D. Nixon, Pioneer Civil Rights Organizer
Labor:
Economy:
Big Oil Hit by Record Losses From Pandemic and Clean Fuel ollowing a “brutal” 12 months for the oil industry, some of the world’s largest energy companies have reported record annual losses, according to the Financial Times. It adds that ExxonMobil made losses of more than $20bn in 2020, the first annual loss in its history, while BP’s reached $5.7bn, its first annual loss since the Deepwater Horizon disaster more than a decade ago. On top of the “devastation” to their revenue resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and last year’s associated price crash, “investors and environmental activists have also assailed the sector with demands that it step up efforts to reduce carbon emissions”, the article notes. The New York Times says such years are likely to become “more commonplace” for the industry, amidst growing concerns about climate change and the rise of electric vehicles, with General Motors “rais[ing] the stakes” last week by declaring it aimed to sell only electric cars by 2035. According to the newspaper, European oil companies are investing “considerable resources” in offshore wind and solar energy, while their American counterparts have been slower to begin moving away from fossil fuels. Even the oil companies that are making the transition are unlikely to see their investments pay off “for years”, it notes. Despite the news, the fossil fuel majors have taken an optimistic tone, with BP chief executive Bernard Looney – who last year made a commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 – telling staff that following a successful vaccine rollout his company “will be ready to really take off”, the Times reports. The Financial Times’ Lex column asks why Looney’s strategy has not yet received approval from the market, noting that since announcing the net-zero goal “the stock market has given him little credit” and “BP’s share price has trailed its rivals in Europe for the past year”.
Michael Roberts Blog The US jobs figures for January were pretty dismal. The no of jobs rose only 49k, and nearly all of these were in the public sector. And previous monthly jobs figures were revised down by 157k.That means employment is still down more than 10m from the pre-pandemic level and millions more have just given up looking for a job or have been forced into part-time work. to the pre-pandemic.
Jim Cramer’s Thesis that Reddit’s WallStreetBets’ Guys Caused the Short Squeeze in GameStop Is Falling Apart Remember that LifeLock tv commercial where masked bank robbers storm into a bank, smashing things with a baseball bat and screaming, “on the floor.” As the customers hit the floor, a security guard is still standing looking calmly at the robbers with his hands at his side. A woman looks up from the floor at the guard and whispers to him: “Do something.” His reply: “Oh, I’m not a security guard, I’m a security monitor. I only notify people if there’s a robbery.” After a few seconds of observing the scene around him, he looks back down at the woman and says: “There’s a robbery.” The commercial ends with the voice over: “Why monitor a problem if you don’t fix it?” By Pam Martens and Russ Martens
World:
‘Better Late Than Never’: Palestinians Welcome ICC Decision Enabling War Crimes Probe of Israel Palestinian families and human rights groups are welcoming a Friday decision that clears the way for the International Criminal Court to investigate allegations against Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of apartheid in occupied Palestinian territories as a long-overdue step toward justice. By Jessica Corbett
Myanmar Coup: Tens of Thousands Join Largest Protests Since 2007 Myanmar has seen its largest protests in more than a decade, as tens of thousands of people rallied against the military coup and demanded the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. “We don’t want military dictatorship. We want democracy,” the crowds chanted in the main city, Yangon. Rallies were held in more than a dozen other cities. Myanmar has seen its largest protests in more than a decade, as tens of thousands of people rallied against the military coup and demanded the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Foreign Correspondent: What Trump and the Myanmar coup have in common This week, military officers in Myanmar overthrew that nation’s democratically elected government after the party it preferred lost the parliamentary elections. The military claimed voter fraud without presenting any proof. It tried to fill the streets with cheering supporters. It shut down some Internet access and all opposition media. People got their news from the government-owned TV stations spewing pro-military propaganda. By Reese Erlich
Myanmar coup: another nail in the coffin of liberalism In organising a swift coup against Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK), Myanmar’s generals have killed the illusion, already in its death throes, of the liberalisation of Myanmar under US domination. By Daniel Morley
Education, 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 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
Cuba’s COVID-19 Vaccines Serve the People, Not Profits Cuba’s socialist approach to developing vaccines against COVID-19 differs strikingly from that of capitalist nations of the world. Cuba’s production of four vaccines is grounded in science and dedicated to saving the lives of all Cubans, and to international solidarity. By W. T. Whitney
Steps to Safely Reopen Schools and Save Our Nation President Joe Biden began his term in office calling for unity. To reach that end, some of his initial policies must create common ground to rebuild a society decimated by COVID-19, conspiracy theories, and white supremacy. Perhaps the only thing we can all agree on right now is that we must reopen schools safely—and as soon as possible.
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Provide the resources to reopen schools safely. First, reopen schools safely. The executive order to reopen schools calls for a couple of small but important first steps: collecting data “to fully understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and educators,” as well as setting evidence-based guidance on whether and how education providers can reopen for in-person learning, including “mitigation measures such as cleaning, masking, proper ventilation, and testing.” We’ve been waiting since the end of February for this basic information, which will give K-12 schools, child-care providers, Head Start programs, and higher education institutions a comprehensive strategy to reopen.
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Systematically vaccinate school personnel and students.The public must push Biden to do more to achieve the goals that aren’t included in the executive order to reopen schools. Even if the money comes through and the plans are airtight, reopening strategies will be dead in the waterwithout a coordinated vaccine effort that makes sure school personnel are prioritized quickly and efficiently.
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Extend the school year into the summer months. The third step in any sound reopening plan is to understand that getting the school doors open this spring will be pointless if they’re shuttered again two months later for summer vacation. Schools must be opened—and then schools must stay open for much of the summer. Students’ collective absence from in-person school means they will need extensive face-time with their teachers if they’re ever going to recoup learning losses. Although data on learning loss is still coming in, we have enough information now to say with certainty that children—especially low-income children and children of color—are falling behind in reading and math. We must make up for lost time in the summer months
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Revive course content in civics and history. At the same time, we can’t repeat the mistakes we’ve made for the last 20 years by focusing on math and reading to the exclusion of other core subjects. Last year was a hard lesson in what happens when the public lacks an understanding of science and social studies. We are ailing socially and politically. The failed insurrection on Jan. 6 was an outbreak of that sickness. The storming of the Capitol made clear that the United States cannot afford to raise another generation of children on falsehoods.
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 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! For Decades, Blacks Have Been Subjected to The Iron Heel! Currently, the US Capitalist Class is Divided Over When — Not If, to Apply It to Everyone!