Daily News Digest October 25, 20222
Images of the Day:
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!
Capitalism as a Failed System: World Capilalism Has Been Aware of the Comming Catastrophe of Global Warming Over 5 Decades 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!
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!
Quotes of the Day:
‘Intention Disinvestment’ is a New Word for Capitalism’s term for it’s differed maintance policy. (Not to do necessary reapairs and maintenance for industrial and governmental infrastructure!)
Videos of the Day:
Jeffery Sachs and Scott Ritter: The Pathway to Peace
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!
We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” ― Louis Brandeis
Patrick Lawrence: Europe’s Self Destruction Despite the economically disastrous impact the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage will have on Europe, Western media still holds its tongue about it. . . . Unless you are given to parlor games that never end, it is nearly impossible to avoid concluding that the U.S. was either directly responsible for the Nord Stream I and II sabotage or supervised those who were. If national security is at issue, it is plain that the Russians had nothing to do with it and equally plain that the culpable entity is nominally allied with Germany but has no fundamental respect for its interests.
Chris Hedges: Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb The longer the proxy war in Ukraine continues, the closer we come to a direct confrontation with Russia. Once that happens, the Dr. Strangeloves running the show will reach for the nukes. Ihave covered enough wars to know that once you open that Pandora’s box, the many evils that pour out are beyond anyone’s control. War accelerates the whirlwind of industrial killing. The longer any war continues, the closer and closer each side comes to self-annihilation. Unless it is stopped, the proxy war between Russia and the U.S. in Ukraine all but guarantees direct confrontation with Russia and, with it, the very real possibility of nuclear war. Joe Biden, who doesn’t always seem to be quite sure where he is or what he is supposed to be saying, is being propped up in the I-am-a-bigger-man-than-you contest with Vladimir Putin by a coterie of rabid warmongers who have orchestrated over 20 years of military fiascos. They are salivating at the prospect of taking on Russia, and then, if there is any habitation left on the globe, China. Trapped in the polarizing mindset of the Cold War — where any effort to de-escalate conflicts through diplomacy is considered appease-ment, a perfidious Munich moment — they smugly push the human species closer and closer toward obliteration. Unfortunately for us, one of these true believers is Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
What US Africa Command Does Not Want You to Know . . .What’s the U.S. military doing in Africa? It’s an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, straight-jacketed in secrecy, and hogtied by red tape. Or at least it would be if it were up to the Pentagon. Ten years ago, I embarked on a quest to answer that question at TomDispatch, chronicling a growing American military presence on that continent, a build-up of both logistical capabilities and outposts, and the possibility that far more was occurring out of sight. “Keep your eye on Africa,” I concluded. “The U.S. military is going to make news there for years to come.” I knew I had a story when U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) failed to answer basic questions honestly. And the command’s reaction to the article told me that I also had a new beat. . . . A few months ago, in fact, I revealed the existence of a previously unknown AFRICOM investigation of an airstrike in Nigeria that killed more than 160 civilians. A formerly secret 2017 Africa Command document I obtained called for an inquiry into that “U.S.-Nigerian” operation that was never disclosed to Congress, much less the public. Since then, AFRICOM has steadfastly refused to offer a substantive comment on the strike or the investigation that followed and won’t even say if it will release relevant documents to members of Congress. Last month, citing my reporting, a group of lawmakers from the newly formed Protection of Civilians in Conflict Caucus called on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to turn over the files on, and answer key questions about, the attack. The Pentagon has so far kept mum
Environment: Ecosocialism or Ecocide!:
Ahead of COP27, Big Oil Climate Denial More Potent Than Ever “From devastating floods in Pakistan, to record heat in Europe, once again we have witnessed our climate emergency getting worse by the day!”
George Monbiot: Do We Really Care More About Van Gogh’s Sunflowers Than Real Ones? What does it take? How far must we go to alert other people to the scale of the crisis we face? Only one answer is clear: further than we have yet gone. We are hurtling towards planetary tipping points: the critical thresholds beyond which Earth systems collapse. The consequences are unimaginable. None of the horrors humanity has suffered, great as they are, even hints at the scale of what we now face. Everywhere I see claims that the “extreme” tactics of environmental campaigners will prompt people to “stop listening”. But how could we listen any less to the warnings of scientists and campaigners and eminent committees? How could we pay any less attention to polite objections by “respectable” protesters to the destruction of the habitable planet? Something must shake us out of our stupor.
Civil Rights/ Black Liberarion:
The Return of Jim Crow Law?!: Closing a Key Loophole to Nullify ‘Independent State Legislature Theory’ Considered by many to be a radical, fringe theory, the independent state legislature claim is now before the Supreme Court and, if adopted, would prevent state courts from reviewing laws passed by state legislatures to redistrict congressional seats, or to establish voting rules or other laws applicable to federal elections.
The Deadly Cost of Police Welfare Checks “This should have never happened. We shouldn’t be living in a society where you call for help and be killed.” — Mother of Damian Daniels, who was shot by police during a wellness check Especially if you value that person’s life. Particularly if that person is disabled, mentally ill, elderly, autistic, hearing impaired, suffering from dementia, or might have a condition that hinders their ability to understand, communicate or immediately comply with an order. According to an investigation by The Washington Post, cops sent out on welfare checks ended up shooting or killing the very people they were supposed to assist in at least 178 cases over the course of three years.
Labor:
Pauperization of the Working Class: Middle Class Slowly Being Eradicated: 50% Of All American Workers Made Less Than $3,133 A Month Last Year Inflation is systematically destroying our standard of living, and the middle class is shrinking a little bit more with each passing day. The Social Security Administration just released wage statistics for 2021, and the numbers that they have given us are quite stunning. As you will see below, half of all American workers made less than $3,133 a month last year. Once upon a time, you could live a very comfortable middle class lifestyle on $3,133 a month. But thanks to inflation, such a wage now puts you just barely above the poverty level. The decisions that our leaders have been making are absolutely eviscerating the middle class, and that should deeply trouble all of us.
Longest Strike Ends: California Mental Health Care Workers Win Big Two thousand mental health clinicians have won; Kaiser Permanente has lost. The 10- week strike has ended in near total victory for the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). The therapists, walked out on August 15; it became the longest mental health care workers’ strike recorded. Two issues dominated negotiations from the start: workload for Kaiser therapists and wait time for Kaiser patients. The strikers won on both, forcing concessions until now all but unheard of. The strikers won break through provisions to retain staff, reduce wait times for patients and a plan to collaborate on transforming Kaiser’s model for providing mental health care. The new four-year contract is retroactive to September 2021 and expires in September 2025. Darrell Steinberg, Mayor of Sacramento served as a mediator. Members of the NUHW voted 1561 to 36 to ratify it.
Railroad Workers Threaten to Strike and Call for Public Takeover of the Rails Apotential showdown between organized labor and Wall Street looms over the world of freight trains: An influential railroad workers group is urging fellow union members to reject a tentative labor agreement that has prevented an industry-wide strike, and to fight for public ownership of railroads. Negotiations are tense, and the unions are telling members that every vote counts. Fearing further stress on supply chains and the economy ahead of the midterm elections, President Joe Biden convened an emergency board to negotiate a tentative agreement between rail carriers and unions threatening a nationwide strike. Railroad Workers United (RWU), an advocacy group of rank-and-file workers, recently called on fellow union members to reject the tentative agreement in a vote scheduled for early December, and to strike if necessary. A showdown between organized labor and Wall Street looms over the world of freight trains.
Opposition of Railroaders to Biden-Brokered Contract Points to Breakdown of Bureaucratic Control Take up the fight for rank-and-file control! Join the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee by sending an email to [email protected], texting (314) 529-1064 or filling out the form at the bottom of this page. Six weeks ago, President Biden announced to much fanfare a White House-brokered contract settlement with the railroad engineers and conductors unions, supposedly ending the threat of a national rail strike. Biden took a high-profile victory lap in the press, which presented the deal as a political coup de grace, and even as proof of his administration’s support for industrial workers. Today, this settlement is on the verge of collapse. There was “only” one obstacle that Biden, the railroads and union negotiators had not foreseen: the 120,000 US railroaders who rightfully see the deal as a massive sellout. It addresses none of their demands, above all an end to punitive, constantly-on-call attendance policies and time off. Despite loud claims of “historic” wage increases, the contract in reality amounts to a cut to real wages due to far higher levels of inflation
The Gaming Community Is Fed Up With Corporate Greed and Ripe to Be MobilizedWith nearly 180 million gamers in the United States, the industry has become flashpoint for ideological struggle. As video games have grown into an entertainment juggernaut in recent years, the industry’s largest gaming publishers have become awash in controversy. These include the widespread adoption of predatory monetization techniques, poor working conditions, systemic misogyny in the workplace, monopoly behavior, false advertising and the release of broken, unfinished games being rushed out to market. The industry has become an almost cartoonish case study in the worst aspects of corporate greed and capitalism. With nearly 180 million gamers in the United States, the industry has also become an important hub for ideological struggle.
Economy:
The Fed’s Trading Scandal Broadens into a Scandal with the Mega Banks It “Regulates” Last Thursday, Jeanna Smialek, who reports on the Fed for the New York Times, broke the news that the President of the St. Louis Fed, James Bullard, gave a private, invitation-only briefing on October 14 to clients of Citigroup — a Wall Street megabank that is supervised by the Fed and which received the largest bailout from the Fed from 2007 to 2010 in global banking history — a cumulative sum of $2.5 trillion in secret loans according to a government audit.
World:
The Case for Corbynism has Never Been Stronger Jeremy Corbyn is right in every word he writes (A warning to Truss and Hunt: people see the chaos and unfairness – and they won’t accept it, 17 October). There is indeed a growing outrage at Tory mismanagement of the country. There has been for years, but the Tories have had a compliant media on side to skew the reality of their destructive policies. But now it is clear for all to see, no matter where their political allegiances lie. Housing, energy, water, rail and mail businesses are all failing to provide the services we need, even at basic levels, with the costs to the public rising faster than wages ever will. And without doubt, political reform is long overdue: 43.6% of the vote got the Tories 56.2% of seats in the Commons in 2019 – this is a disgrace and is hardly representative, or indeed fair.
Solidarity With Iranians Starts With Bringing an End to US Sanctions The uprising sweeping Iran in response to the murder of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa (Jîna) Amini by the country’s morality police for “improper dress” is one of the truly monumental political events of our time. The upsurge began as an outraged response by women across Iran, who share the practically universal experience of harassment — and worse — by that police force. But it has quickly developed into something greater and deeper, with men taking up the cause of women’s rights, the whole protest wave taking up the slogan of the Kurdish freedom movement — “Women, Life, Freedom” — and huge crowds in the streets raising longstanding grievances with the Iranian government’s restrictions, repression and its presiding over a disastrous economy. Despite severe repression — with the state killing more than 200 people and hurting countless people with unbridled brutality and especially targeting Kurdish and Baloch areas — the uprisings are persisting and animating more sectors of Iranian society. Students and faculty at Tehran’s Sharif University faced the police in a defiant occupation and battle. Oil workers have gone on strike. And Iran’s adolescent girls have unleashed a new wave of revolt, chasing away administrators, taking over their schools, and — as with women of all ages — choosing to defy mandatory head covering.
80,000+ March Against Far-Right Orban Government in Budapest “We totally back our teachers in their struggle for their rights,” said one demonstrator Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Budapest on Sunday evening to stand in solidarity with the nation’s teachers and denounce the far-right government of President Viktor Orban.With over 80,000 marching in the demonstration it was the largest public display of dissent since Orban’s reelection in April as a revolt by teachers—demanding better pay and increased funding for schools—continues.
Health,Education, 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
Kentucky Governor Expands Medicaid to Include Dental, Vision and Hearing On Wednesday, Kentucky’s Democratic governor announced a plan to expand the state’s Medicaid program to include dental, vision and hearing care for adults. Gov. Andy Beshear’s plan to expand the services available under Medicaid in Kentucky will impact around 900,000 adults enrolled in the program. New benefits will go into effect on January 1, 2023. Medicaid is a joint state- and federally-funded program that provides medical coverage to individuals and families with low incomes across the U.S. In Kentucky, a single adult is only eligible for the program if they earn less than $18,075 per year; for families of four, adults are eligible if the household income is below $36,908.