Daily News Digest November 8, 2023
Images 0f the Day:
Bendib: An Apple A Day
Military Contractor Stocks 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 Capitalism 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!
Qu0tes of the Day:
Israel’s supporters argue that the nation has an inherent “right to exist.” Why? Why Israel? There are over 200 countries? Do they have an inherent right to exist? What about Palestine? What about all the nations and empires, like Parthia, that argued they were supported by God (or a god or gods) yet no longer exist? History shows that countries exist or cease to exist; there is no “right to exist.” — Ted Rall
Videos of the Day:
The ‘Bi-Partisan’ Palestinian Genocide:
Israeli Minister’s Threat to Nuke Gaza displays Genocidal Mood: “There are no Civilians in Gaza” Israel’s Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu, a member of the fascist Jewish Power bloc brought into government by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, made waves when he advocated nuking Gaza. Although Netanyahu announced that he had suspended Eliyahu from the cabinet, the prime minister does not actually have that authority. Eliyahu has attended subsequent cabinet meetings. The “suspension” was only a ploy to force Western journalists to repeat this lie in their stories about the nuclear threat. Moreover, there simply aren’t that many in-person cabinet meetings any more — many are held on line. BBC Monitoring reports that in an interview, Eliyahu insisted that there is “no such thing” as a noncombatant civilian in Gaza. The reporter then asked him if Israel should strike the Gaza Strip with a nuclear warhead, so as to flatten it and “eliminate” everyone there. Eliyahu agreed that “this is one way.”
Israel-Hamas War Live: More Than 10,000 Palestinians Killed in Gaza since 7 October, Says Health Authority; Rafah Crossing Reopens Over 4,000 children among the dead in Gaza; border between Egypt and Gaza reopens for limited evacuation of foreign nationals Over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military action in Gaza since 7 October, according to new figures released by the Hamas-controlled health authority in the territory. The total number of deaths now stands at 10,022, including 4,104 children. The number of casualties in Gaza has not been independently verified. Earlier, leaders of the UN’s major humanitarian agencies as well as international charities called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, saying the situation is “horrific” and “unacceptable” in a rare joint statement.
Far Rightwing Israeli Gov’t’s Actions Risk Fueling Global Anti-Semitism While Republicans Stoke Islamophobia The compounding tragedies in Israel and Palestine lead to a sad and harsh realization: Today’s mutant form of Zionism has morphed into a genuine threat to democracy in Israel, the US and elsewhere. Under Donald Trump’s leadership, our “Shining Beacon on the Hill” has been badly dimmed as an example to the world, and the US has lost standing and credibility to lead as never in our history. Zionism has had exclusionary elements since the beginning of Israel in 1948. But the evolution to a fully systemic apartheid system was codified under Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) over the course of his reign since 2007. Two predecessors Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon also contributed to this narrative by further dignifying and empowering extreme right-wing, racist elements with cabinet and ministerial positions.
Locked Out of Gaza While My Family Is Locked In Watching the carnage from outside Gaza has been the hardest experience of my life. I was born, raised and live in Gaza. I recently managed to obtain a nearly impossible-to-get permit from the Israeli authorities and left Gaza to attend meetings for my work. I was to return on Oct. 11. That never happened. Watching the carnage from outside Gaza has been the hardest experience of my life. I cannot sleep and spend entire days with a throbbing headache, and I am not entirely sure how I am functioning. I spend my nights awake, alone in a room, holding on only to my family’s reassuring messages: “We are still alive.”
On the Poor. And War. For years, our leaders have invoked the myth of scarcity to justify inaction when it comes to widespread poverty, growing debt, and rising inequality in the United States. Now, some of them are calling for the spending of billions of dollars to functionally fund the bombardment and occupation of impoverished Gaza. For years, our leaders have invoked the myth of scarcity to justify inaction when it comes to widespread poverty, growing debt, and rising inequality in the United States. Now, some of them are calling for the spending of billions of dollars to functionally fund the bombardment and occupation of impoverished Gaza.
Environment:
One of Many Ways to Begin to End Global Warming: Expose ‘Greenwashing’ — Tax the Polluters 100%!
After World War II Rosa Luxenburg Coined the Slogan: ‘S0cialism or Barbaism’! Now the Slogan Should Be: ‘Ecosocialism or Ecocide’!
George Monibot: The Flickering . . . What we are living through today, unless sudden and drastic action is taken by us and our governments, is the sixth great Earth systems collapse. In many Earth systems, we now see the kind of instability – systems theorists call it flickering – that might suggest they are approaching tipping points. A paper published this year proposes that the total loss of late-summer sea ice in the Arctic is now baked in, and could happen as early as the 2030s. This, in turn, is likely to trigger even more extreme weather events in the northern hemisphere through the weakening of the jet stream. In the Antarctic, the melting of sea ice has accelerated drastically across the southern summer this year, after which it strangely failed to recover during the southern winter. This suggests an accelerating change of state, which could lead to the cascading collapse of the freshwater ice shelves perched above the sea ice, with catastrophic results for rises in global sea levels. The melting, in turn, appears to be affecting circulation of currents in theSouthern Ocean, which has slowed by about 30% since the 1990s. This impedes the transfer of heat and cold and reduces oxygenation. There are similar impacts in the northern hemisphere, where Arctic ice melt has reduced the Atlantic’s circulation. New research in the Amazon has found what scientists call “precursor signals” of “an approaching critical transition”. A combination of deforestation and climate breakdown could cut off the circulation of rainfall in the basin, triggering a rapid flip from rainforest to savannah. The vast carbon sinks in tropical wetlands and permafrost peatlands in the Arctic also seem to be approaching a tipping point, suggested by sudden spikes of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. These are among the world’s most important stores of carbon, but through classic self-accelerating feedback, some of them are now turning into powerful sources of greenhouse gases. July this year was the hottest month ever recorded. September broke the previous record for that month by a massive 0.5°C. A paper published last year explains how this climate breakdown could trigger societal collapse. For instance, in less than 50 years a third of the world’s people could be living in places as hot as the hottest parts of the Sahara are today, many of them in regions that are already highly politically unstable. Even that is not the worst of it. One possible outcome of the rising carbon dioxide concentrations this century is the sudden loss of stratocumulus cloud decks, causing about 8°C of extra surface heating. As in previous great Earth systems collapses, we see these impacts reflected in the loss of species. A recent paper reveals that 48% of the world’s species are declining in population size, while only 3% are rising. Far more wildlife could be heading towards extinction than previously estimated. If species loss is a symptom of systemic collapse, we might already be living on borrowed time.
EPA Finds Contaminants in Drinking Water, Fails to Act The inaction on safety regulations for contaminants found in the water of millions of Americans illustrates shortcomings in the U.S. response to environmental threats, say experts. Over the past two decades, the utility that provides water to much of the community has had little trouble complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is intended to assure Americans that their tap water is clean. Yet, at least once a year since 2019, the Smithwick Mills water system, which serves about 200 residents in the area, has reported high levels of the synthetic chemical 1,2,3-trichloropropane, according to data provided by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that collects water testing results from states. The chemical, a cleaning and degreasing solvent that is also a byproduct from manufacturing pesticides, is commonly referred to as TCP. It has been labeled as a likely carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency for more than a decade. There have been few active sources of TCP since the 1990s, but its legacy lives on because it breaks down slowly in the environment.
US and UK Militaries Owe Combined $111bn in Climate Reparations – Study xclusive: study finds militaries have generated about 430m metric tonnes of CO2 emissions since 2015 Paris accords The US and UK militaries owe at least $111bn in reparations to communities most harmed by their planet-heating pollution, a first-of-its-kind study calculates. The research employs a “social cost of carbon” framework – a way to estimate the cost, in dollars, of the climate damage done by each additional tonne of carbon in the atmosphere. “The environmental costs of maintaining the global military reach of the US and UK armed forces are astonishing,” said Patrick Bigger, research director of the Climate and Community Project and co-author of the report. According to the report, which was published by the UK-based thinktank Common Wealth and the US-based Climate and Community Project, the two militaries have generated at least 430m metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent since the 2015 United Nations Paris climate agreement. That’s more than the total greenhouse gas emissions produced in the UK last year.
The Drive for More and More Profifts: Banks Pumped More Than $150bn in to Companies Running ‘Carbon Bomb’ Projects in 2022 Exclusive: Projects that risk 1.5C heating target operated by companies receiving financing from European, Chinese and US banks Banks pumped more than $150bn last year into companies whose giant “carbon bomb” projects could destroy the last chance of stopping the planet heating to dangerous levels, the Guardian can reveal. The carbon bombs – 425 extraction projects that can each pump more than one gigaton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – cumulatively hold enough coal, oil and gas to burn through the rapidly dwindling carbon budget four times over. Between 2016 and 2022, banks mainly in the US, China and Europe gave $1.8tn in financing to the companies running them, new research shows.
To Restore Nature, Governments Must Tackle Financial System Bankrolling Extinction As long as money continues to flow towards expansion of economic activities that lead to nature destruction, there is no way we will be able to meet global commitments. The world is facing multiple crises when it comes to our climate and environment—we know this too well. We are direct witnesses of this destruction and the suffering it causes in our respective countries, Brazil and Indonesia, two countries that are home to ecosystems vital to the ecological balance of our planet
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 Republicrats 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. Tax the Rich! — They Can Afford ford To Pay! Both Parties Support U.S. Capitalism’s Wars! (The Only War the Democrats Opposed was the Civil War!)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 D. Brandeis Quotes
The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today — my own government. MLK, Beyond Vietnam
Israel’s Gazan Slaughter, Bernie Sanders and a Ceasefire In late October while his military bombed the people of Gaza around the clock in response to the Hamas October 7, 2023 massacre of Israelis, Benjamin Netanyahu told the world that “our civilization is at stake.”. Therefore, Israel would continue its bloody massacre in Gaza and the West Bank. I think it’s reasonably safe to assume Israel’s prime minister was talking about a certain civilization; one that includes among its fiercest champions the governments of Great Britain and the United States. These two “civilized” nations are known by many for their genocidal wars on the people whose land they have taken for their own (temporarily or forever) than most anything else; genocides they wash over while simultaneously celebrating them. Yet, due to Washington’s military might and Britain’s historical role as the mightiest of empires, they place themselves above the rest of the world, deciding who will live well and who won’t.
America’s War Economy and the Urgent Call for Peace in the Middle East On September 19, 2001, eight days after 9/11, as the leaders of both parties were already pounding a frenzied drumbeat of war, a diverse group of concerned Americans released a warning about the long-term consequences of a military response. Among them were veteran civil rights activists, faith leaders, and public intellectuals, including Rosa Parks, Harry Belafonte, and Palestinian-American Edward Said. Rare public opponents of the drive to war at the time, they wrote with level-headed clarity: “We foresee that a military response would not end the terror. Rather, it would spark a cycle of escalating violence, the loss of innocent lives, and new acts of terrorism… Our best chance for preventing such devastating acts of terror is to act decisively and cooperatively as part of a community of nations within the framework of international law… and work for justice at home and abroad.”
Biden Officials ‘Claim’ No Leverage Over Israel as US Prepares $14 Billion in Military Aid “Instead of funding more bombs with American taxpayer dollars, our leaders should be calling for a cease-fire now,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Claiming they have no practical leverage to influence the Israeli government, Biden administration officials have dismissed calls to place conditions on U.S. aid or cut it off entirely as Israel continues to carry out mass atrocities in the Gaza Strip, including recent attacks on the enclave’s largest refugee camp.
Sanders Blasts AIPAC After Group Thanks Him for Not Demanding Cease-Fire in Gaza The senator—under progressive pressure to change his position on Israel’s war—noted that AIPAC “has supported dozens of GOP extremists who are undermining our democracy” and is “now working hard to defeat progressive members of Congress.”
Black Liberation/Civil Rights:
The 1% are Opting for The Iron Heel?: If you get your news from Biden-protecting outlets (MSNBC is just the most extreme of many), you’ve been warned daily that the Trump movement is preparing to steal the 2024 election. It’s a totally legitimate worry – given that MAGA forces nearly stole the 2020 election. But there’s another totally legitimate worry that Biden-friendly media don’t like to discuss – that Joe Biden is such a weak candidate, he’s likely to lose a fair-and-square election in 2024. And likely to lose even to the discredited, unstable, repeatedly indicted Trump — Democratic Establishment Seems Dead Set on Losing With Biden A poll released Sunday shows Biden behind Trump in 5 key battleground states for the looming 2024 presidential election.
Labor:
Economy:
World:
Italy: Metalworker Shop Stewards Organise Palestine Solidarity Demonstration in Modena IMT comrades in Modena, Italy (Sinistra Classe e Rivoluzione) organised a campaign inside the FIOM (metalworkers’ union of the CGIL) in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and in particular in support of an appeal issued by Palestinian trade union organisations. At a demonstration at the weekend, 2,000 workers and youth, both immigrant and native Italian, marched together in a lively demonstration, showing their full solidarity with the Palestinian people, calling for an end to the Israeli bombing and occupation.
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 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