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During This Economic Crisis, Capitalism’s Three Point Political Program: 1. Austerity, 2. Scapegoating Blacks, Minorities, and ‘Illegal Immigrants’ for Unemployment, and 3. The Iron Heel.
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 Who Profit From Austerity! Under Austerity, All of the World Will Eventually Be Pauperized, Humbled, and Desecrated Like Greece and Puerto Rico
Quotes of the Day:
“Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose. But young men think it is, and we were young” — A. E. Housman. Seven of my soldiers are dead. Two committed suicide. Bombs got the others in Iraq and Afghanistan. One young man lost three limbs. Another is paralyzed. I entered West Point a couple of months before 9/11. Eight of my classmates died “over there.” Military service, war, sacrifice — when I was 17, I felt sure this would bring me meaning, adulation, even glory. It went another way. Sixteen years later, my generation of soldiers is still ensnared in an indecisive, unfulfilling series of losing wars: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Niger—who even keeps count anymore? Sometimes, I allow myself to wonder what it’s all been for. I find it hard to believe I’m the only one who sees it. Nonetheless, you hear few dissenting voices among the veterans of the “global war on terror.” See, soldiers are all “professionals” now, at least since Richard Nixon ditched the draft in 1973. Mostly the troops—especially the officers—uphold an unwritten code, speak in esoteric vernacular and hide behind a veil of reticence. It’s a camouflage wall as thick as the “blue line” of police silence. Maybe it’s necessary to keep the machine running. I used to believe that. Sometimes, though, we tell you lies. Don’t take it personally: We tell them to each other and ourselves as well. — Lies We Tell Ourselves
Videos of the Day:
Brazilian Women Protest Legislation that Could Ban Abortion A constitutional amendment in Brazil has passed a key committee in the legislature and, if passed, would criminalize all abortions, even in cases of rape and risk to the mother’s life. Mike Fox reports from Brazil
Is Greek Democracy Dead? Panagiotis Lafazanis, former leader of Syriza’s Left Platform and current leader of Popular Unity, says Greece has become a protectorate of the Troika
Is Canada a ‘Rogue Nation’ on Climate Change? Canada can’t fight climate change and continue with the Alberta oil sands project, says David Bleakney of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, speaking from the COP23 in Bonn, Germany
U.S.:
For Those Who Don’t ‘Believe’ In ‘Conspiracies’ Here Are 58 Admitted False Flag Attacks “False flag terrorism” occurs when elements within a government stage a secret operation whereby government forces pretend to be a targeted enemy while attacking their own forces or people. The attack is then falsely blamed on the enemy in order to justify going to war against that enemy. Yes, it’s true: There really are conspiracies. As the popular TV show “The X-Files” notes, all you have to do is look because “the truth is out there.” But unfortunately many in our society have been conditioned by the old media and politicos not to take any mention of conspiracies seriously, and this despite the fact that conspiracies have been real and have occurred much more frequently than many people realize.
Trump Picks Crony to Audit His Taxes The United States has long been viewed as a country with a tradition of respect for the rule of law. Political figures were held accountable to the courts and independent bureaucracies enforced rules and regulations. This didn’t mean there wasn’t any corruption; some level of corruption is unavoidable. But corruption was the exception and for the most part it was kept secret. Unlike many dictatorships, exposure meant the end of corruption. In the Trump presidency, this longer appears to be the case by Dean Baker
Environment:
Protests as U.S. Promotes Coal at Climate Summit in Berlin The Trump White House actually held a pro-coal exhibit at the Bonn climate summit in Germany, COP23. It did not go over well. Indeed, this sort of absurd stunt has the makings of a complete end to American leadership in the world. Mark Twain once observed that “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on no society.” The Trump administration at COP23 is naked. Because it is unclothed, lacking any moral fiber, it can be disregarded. And everyone is disregarding it. By Juan Cole
Canada’s most shameful environmental secret must not remain hidden Tar sands have been dubbed the largest – and most destructive – industrial project in human history. And Canada is on the forefront of their exploitation Tzeporah Berman ‘Tar sands have been dubbed the largest (and most destructive) industrial project in human history.’ Photograph: Aaron Huey/National Geographic/Getty Images
Ongoing Big Energy Crisis
Civil Rights/ Black Liberation:
The Democrats Used to Love Russian Oligarchs “It is the big Democrats that have been in ‘collusion’ with Russian oligarchs since the birth of that class out of the rubble of the Soviet collapse.” The massive leaking of the so-called “Paradise Papers ” detailing the myriad ways corporations and individual billionaires hide their money in tax havens around the world, provided news organizations a chance to make the case for reining in global capital. Unlike the 2015 leak of the so-called “Panama Papers ,” which detailed the offshore tax evasions of a sleazier class of capitalists, the “Paradise” disclosures reveal how the world’s public sectors are starved for funding by billionaires and corporations from “the high end of town” — the Lords of Capital that make up the “international oligarchy” whose spreading influence is “the major issue of our time,” in the words of Sen. Bernie Sanders. By Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report executive editor
Labor:
Economy:
Real Average Weekly Earnings – Production and Nonsupervisory Employees Deflated by CPI – W versus ShadowStats -alternate (1990-Base) 1965 to October 2017, Seasonally – Adjusted [ShadowStats, BLS]
Alternate Inflation Charts The CPI chart on the home page reflects our estimate of inflation for today as if it were calculated the same way it was in 1990. The CPI on the Alternate Data Series tab here reflects the CPI as if it were calculated using the methodologies in place in 1980. In general terms, methodological shifts in government reporting have depressed reported inflation, moving the concept of the CPI away from being a measure of the cost of living needed to maintain a constant standard of living.
World:
Canada’s failed revolution: the rebellions of 1837-1838 We publish here a collected series of articles on the 1837-1838 Rebellions of Upper and Lower Canada (original available at Fightback). It is important that Marxists understand the place of these important events in the history of the class struggle in Canada and Quebec. By Julien Arseneau 
Health, Science, Education, and Welfare:
