Daily News Digest June 9, 2022
Humanity Will Not be Covid Free, Until the Vaccines, Like the Salk Polio Vaccine, are Free For the Whole World!
Images of the Day:
The Carbon Inequality Era The richest 1% are responsible for more than twice as much carbon pollution as the poorest half of humanity. A tiny few are fueling today’s climate crisis — while poor communities & young people pay the price.
Another Example Capitalism as a Failed System: World Capilalism Ws Aware of the Danger of Cornovavirus Threat Over 5 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 future of Humanity Is Now At stake!
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”, is Still True for Today’s World!
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!
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!
Videos of the Day:
“Global Embarrassment”: Mexico & More Skip Biden’s Summit of Americas for Excluding Cuba, Venezuela
Indigenous Amazon Leader, Excluded from Summit of Americas, Urges Leaders to Protect Rainforest
Quotes of the Day:
Normally it takes 3-5 years, after the transition, to begin to achieve the previous levels of productivity. Cuba had the task of feeding its population while undergoing this transformation.The Greening of Cuba is a documentary on how well the Cubans have met the challenge. One of the gains of the Cuban Revolution has been the development of education. Although Cuba has only 2% of the population of Latin America, it has 11% of the PhD’s in Latin America. Cuban scientists were mobilized — not to protect chemicals as in this country — but to develop the alternative organic model . In the past few years Cuban scientists and planners have accelerated this process by using sophisticated biotechnology techniques, such as the mass production of naturally occurring local organisms to create biopesticides and biofertilizers. Among the alternative tactics being used for pest control, the most important are conventional biological controls based on mass releases of parasitic and predatory insects and the use of biopesticides. Cuba produces numerous formulations of bacterial and fungal diseases that attack insect pests. These are applied to crops in lieu of chemical insecticides. At present, 218 biotechnology centers are located on agricultural cooperatives, where the workers are typically people in their twenties who were born on the cooperative and have received some university-level training. Industrial production of these biopesticides is under way for larger- scale operations aimed at export crops. Many biopesticides are applied to crops in place of chemical insecticides. — Organic Farming — Cuba: “The Road Not Taken”: The Other Cuban Revolution
These sprays, dusts, and aerosols are now applied almost universally to farms, gardens, forests, and homes – nonselective chemicals that have the power to kill every insect, the “good” and the “bad,” to still the song of birds and the leaping of fish in the streams, to coat the leaves with a deadly film, and to linger on in soil – all this though the intended target may be only a few weeds or insects. Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life? They should not be called “insecticides,” but “biocides.” — Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
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 th poor and gives to the Rich. Taxthe Rich! — They Can Afford to Pay!
The Attack on the USS Liberty, 55 Years Later Fifty-five years ago today Israeli fighter jets and gun boats attacked the unarmed USS Liberty ship off the Egyptian coast and hoped to pin the assault on Egypt. Thirty-four American sailors were killed and 171 were wounded, many with lifelong burns and traumas that lingered for years. In a shameful response, the US Government and the Pentagon colluded in perhaps the most disgraceful coverup involving the brutal murder of American servicemen.
Gouged at the Pump Again There’s an old and very hard-hearted line that “if God didn’t want them sheared, he would not have made them sheep.” It’s in the classic movie “The Magnificent Seven” and is uttered by the Mexican bandito chief whose gang robs a poor peasant village. God probably doesn’t have much to do with gas prices these days, but one thing seems undeniable — the oil and gas megacorporations are doing a great job of “shearing” American families at the pump. And like the Magnificent Seven, we’ve seen this movie before. In our capitalist system, we are told that prices fluctuate based on supply and demand — when supply goes down or demand goes up, the price of the commodity rises. Theoretically, that’s supposed to happen when the reverse occurs and supply outpaces demand. Theoretically.
Scapegoating as Propaganda Scapegoating is a propaganda tool that singles out a specific group of people, a targeted ethnic group, an outsiders’ group, or a group that can be constructed as the enemy. These groups are targeted for unjust blaming, accusations, negative, and ultimately violent, and often brutal treatment. Propagandistic scapegoating can be conducted by a state, a political party, a PR/propaganda organization, and individuals. In general, it sets an in-group against an out-group. For example, the power of the 1% – the political and corporate elite – often depends on convincing the rest of us to accept the demonization of some enemy: militant trade unions, even more militant anarchists, unruly women, conspiring Jews, treacherous communists, Islamic terrorists, etc.Propagandistic scapegoating is widely understood as a metaphor for targeted blame-shifting
Environment —Ecosocialism or Ecocied!:
Ellen Brown: The Food Shortage Solution in Your Own Backyard While the global food systems we depend on come under increasing strain, there’s a solution to the growing crisis that most Americans can find in their own backyards–or front lawns. . . . Jim Gale, founder of Food Forest Abundance, pointed out in a recent interview with Del Bigtree that in the United States there are 40 million acres of lawn. Lawns are the most destructive monoculture on the planet, absorbing more resources and pesticides than any other crop, without providing any yield. If we were to turn 30% of that lawn into permaculture-based food gardens, says Gale, we could be food self-sufficient without relying on imports or chemicals.
Industrial Water Use Threatens Louisiana Capital’s Drinking Water Flowers seem to live longer in vases filled with Baton Rouge water, according to Dominique Rogers, 36, a florist in Louisiana’s capital city with 14 years of experience. The city pulls its water deep underground from the Southern Hills aquifer, which requires little to no treatment to drink, unlike other Louisiana communities such as New Orleans, which draws its water from the Mississippi River and requires heavy treatment. But the pristine water source for the predominantly Black city of Baton Rouge is facing a serious and worsening threat from over pumping: saltwater intrusion. Much of it can be attributed to unchecked water use by the industrial sector, including by the oil and chemicals corporation Exxon, the toilet paper producer Georgia-Pacific and the power company Entergy. Without intervention, the currently clean water source for more than 500,000 people in six parishes could become undrinkable for residents, according to a Louisiana legislative auditor report. It could also be detrimental to Rogers’ livelihood.
Toxic Tuesdays CHEJ highlights several toxic chemicals and the communities fighting to keep their citizens safe from harm.
Ethylene Oxide Ethylene Oxide (EtO) is a colorless gas with a slightly sweet odor. It is used in making a variety of products including antifreeze, plastics, detergents, and adhesives. It is also used as a sterilizer for medical equipment and others that cannot be sterilized by steam. Ethylene Oxide can be found in the air surrounding industrial factories including chemical manufacturers and sterilizers. Exposure to Ethylene Oxide is extremely dangerous. The EPA classifies it as a class 1 human carcinogen; there are no safe breathing levels. EtO is known to cause breast cancer and leukemia, and children are especially susceptible to its effects. The EPA states that EtO significantly contributes to elevated cancer risks in some areas of the US. CHEJ has been working with the Concerned Citizens of Lake County who are fighting cancerous EtO emissions in Lake County, IL (part of suburban Chicago). There are 2 facilities, 3 miles apart, that emit EtO: Vantage Specialty in Gurnee and Medline Industries in Waukegan. Vantage is a chemical production company and Medline is a medical sterilization company. Both are located within ‘light industrial’ business parks. We discovered the companies’ emissions in Fall 2018, via a breaking news Chicago Tribune article regarding 3 EtO emitters in the Chicago area. The third emitter, Sterigenics (Willowbrook, IL) was not in our area and closed in Fall 2019 due to community, media, and legislative pressure (and rumored back-door industrial competitive pressure from Medline).
Civil Rights/Black Liberation:
Black Agenda Radio June 3, 2022 with Margaret Kimberley
Ending Qualified Immunity in New York Qualified immunity is the legal doctrine that shields public officials accused of civil rights violations. Police and corrections officers face limited repercussions for acts of brutality, even for those that end in death. There is pending legislation before the State Senate and Assembly that would end qualified immunity. Keli Young is the Civil Rights Campaign Coordinator for Vocal New York and Lukee Forbes is a Vocal New York Community Organizer in Albany. They join us from New York City and Albany.
Harlem Rezoning and Housing Leah Goodridge is a member of New York City Planning Commission. She opposed the One45 project, which was to have been located on West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue. The project was opposed by the local community board, City Council Member, and Manhattan Borough President, yet was approved by the Planning Commission with just two commissioners objecting. As the rezoning was on the verge of a City Council vote, the developer suddenly withdrew the project. We talk to Leah Goodridge about this particular project and the challenges of creating affordable housing.
National Day Laborers Organizing Network at the People’s Summit The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for Prosperity is another futile U.S. effort to diminish China’s economic prowess. But IPEF also demonstrates systemic failure and a crisis of legitimacy. This article originally appeared in the author’s blog on Substack. U.S. President Joe Biden is in trouble. The crisis of legitimacy afflicting his administration continues to worsen. A new AP-NORC poll suggests that Biden’s approval rating is now 39 percent, with the biggest drop coming from registered Democrats. Only two of ten adults believe that the United States is heading in the right direction, down from three of ten just one month ago. Rising inflation and shortages in basic needs such as baby formula have played a major role in Biden’s declining popularity, as has an undue focus on prolonging the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Biden administration is set to send $40 billion in military aid to Ukraine despite the fact that the war does not make the list of major issues of concern for voters, let alone the general population.
Labor:
The False Economic Recovery!: June 2009 Americans have lived in the false reality of a recovering economy. Various fake news and manipulated statistics have been used to create this false impression. However, indicators that really count have not supported the false picture and were ignored. For example, it is normal in a recovering or expanding economy for the labor force participation rate to rise as people enter the workforce to take advantage of the job opportunities. During the decade of the long recovery, from June 2009 through May 2020, the labor force participation rate consistently fell from 65.7 to 62.3 percent. —Paul Craig Roberts, The Diminishing American Economy (Updated)
FRED Labor Force Participation Rate is 62.3%
The Future of Work 1 – Remote Working In 2021, Goldman Sachs’s chief executive, David Solomon, said “remote work is not ideal for us, and it’s not a new normal”, and predicted that it would be “an aberration that we’re going to correct as quickly as possible”. A year later, however, less than half the bank’s employees were regularly turning up to its New York headquarters, forcing Solomon, to again plead with staff to come back. Again last year, Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase’s chief executive, said working from home “doesn’t work for spontaneous idea generation. It doesn’t work for culture.” Dimon finally relented and said 40% of the bank’s 270,000 employees could work as few as two days a week from the office. In his annual letter to shareholders, he said “it’s clear that working from home will become more permanent in American business”. Musk and these other bosses are like King Canute trying to turn back the tide. Since the pandemic, many workers are refusing to return to a full-time five-day week. More than a third of the UK’s office-based workforce is still working from home. In the UK, 23% of workers earning £40,000 or more are still working from home five days a week and a further 38% are in a hybrid pattern, splitting their time between the office and home. Since the pandemic there has been the phenomenon of the so-called Great Resignation. The Great Resignation is the idea that a large number of people are quitting their jobs, and doing so because the pandemic gave them new perspective about their careers or were burned out during the pandemic. A Microsoft global survey of more than 30,000 workers showed that 41% were considering quitting or changing professions, and a study from HR software company Personio of workers in the UK and Ireland showed 38% of those surveyed planned to quit in the next six months to a year. In the US alone, April saw more than four million people quit their jobs, according to a summary from the US Department of Labor – the biggest spike on record.Economy:
World:
Rail Workers to Bring British Network to a Halt With Three-Day Strike in June Workers to strike on 21, 23 and 25 June over possible job cuts at Transport for London and national rail network Rail workers are to strike for three days in late June, in a move that is likely to halt much of the national rail network across Britain for a week. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has told members to prepare to “shut down the rail system” with strikes on 21, 23 and 25 June, after a ballot of 40,000 members last month resulted in staff at Network Rail and 13 train operating companies voting overwhelmingly for full-scale industrial action.
Basque Country: Solidarity with Mugimendu Sozialista! The International Marxist Tendency (IMT) expresses its solidarity with the comrades of Mugimendu Sozialista (MS), who have been facing a prolonged campaign of harassment and intimidation from social democratic organisations and the leadership of EH Bildu – with the permissive attitude of the Basque right.
Education, Health, 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 Heslthcare!