GPJA #459 (Part 3/3): International news and views

STATS OF THE WEEK

Gun deaths in the U.S. in 2011: more than 11,000; in Japan that year, seven. From foreign terrorism in the U.S. that year: 0.

“What should shock and outrage us is that as the top 1 percent has grown extremely rich, the effective tax rates they pay have markedly decreased. ” Joseph Stiglitz, A Tax System Stacked Against the 99 Percent, New York Times, April 14, 2013

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

 

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts”: Abraham Lincoln

Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives: James Madison

“When even one American-who has done nothing wrong-is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth-then all Americans are in peril”. Harry S. Truman

FEATURES

 

Bombs from Boston to Baghdad: What Is the Value of a Human Life?: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34636.htm

The Boston Bombing Produces Familiar and Revealing Reactions http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34634.htm

The Boston Marathon: All My Tears, All My Love http://www.thenation.com/blog/173851/boston-marathon-all-my-tears-all-my-love

Sportswriter Dave Zirin: Prayers For the People in Boston, Baghdad and Mogadishu http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/16/sportswriter_dave_zirin_prayers_for_the

Scramble, resistance and a new Brics non-alignment strategySam Moyo and Paris Yeros http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/86746

In this nuclear standoff, it’s the US that’s the rogue state http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/09/nuclear-us-rogue-state-iran-north-korea

An Inconvenient Truth: Finally, proof that the United States has lied in the drone wars. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/04/10/an_inconvenient_truth_drones

Fortunes of a formula: From ‘DEMOCRATIC centralism’ to ‘democratic CENTRALISM’ http://johnriddell.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/fortunes-of-a-formula-from-democratic-centralism-to-democratic-centralism/

WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS

Working America’s 40-year Decline (Garson) http://www.juancole.com/2013/04/working-americas-decline.html

Serious as a Heart Attack: Sometimes, even I have trouble believing how stupid, venal, vicious, brutal, ignorant, miserable, petty, incompetent the bourgeoisie really are. Not often, but sometimes I have to shake my head and say “You cannot be serious.” or “You’re putting me on.” or “Are you out of your minds?” or “You must be kidding me.” or “You cannot make this stuff up.” or simply “Wow.” http://thewolfatthedoor.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/serious-as-heart-attack.html

The Economic Story of the Year: The Stock Market vs. the Labor Market http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/04/the-economic-story-of-the-year-the-stock-market-vs-the-labor-market/274698/

Dean Baker: India Strikes Blow Against Big Pharma http://truth-out.org/news/item/15594-dean-baker-india-strikes-blow-against-big-pharma

Protests against TPP go global as Malaysian, Japanese groups oppose deal http://teamsternation.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/protests-against-tpp-go-global-as.html

The truth about extreme global inequality: Global inequality is growing in part because of the neoliberal economic policies imposed on developing countries. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/04/201349124135226392.html

Roger Baker : It’s Official: Karl Marx Was Right! http://theragblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/roger-baker-its-official-karl-marx-was.html

Mainstream media thinks studying the history of capitalism is a good thing http://lawcha.org/wordpress/2013/04/08/mainstream-media-thinks-the-study-of-capitalism-is-a-good-thing/

Politics In Command: If you were one of those people who were not persuaded that the U.S. debt level was reaching growth-threatening levels, pat yourself on the back. http://blogs.lclark.edu/hart-landsberg/2013/04/17/politics-in-command/

LAND, LABOUR AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Gorge Monbiot: Let’s stop hiding behind recycling and be honest about consumption We have offshored the problem of escalating consumption, and our perceptions of it, by considering only territorial emissions http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/apr/12/escalating-consumption

A Return to Marx’s Ecological Critique http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/801.php

Millions face starvation as world warms, say scientists http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/apr/13/climate-change-millions-starvation-scientists

Watching the ice melt By Gareth Renowden – What’s going on in the Arctic is rapid climate change, and it’s happening now. It’s changing the weather that most of the world experiences. It’s the most important and most visible of the multitude of climate impacts we’re forcing on the planet, and it’s worth watching every day. http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/04/17/watching-the-ice-melt/

CULTURAL DISSENT

The War You Don’t See – Video Documentary By John Pilger. A powerful and timely investigation into the media’s role in war, tracing the history of embedded and independent reporting from the carnage of World War One to the destruction of Hiroshima, and from the invasion of Vietnam to the current war in Afghanistan and disaster in Iraq. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34616.htm

AFGHANISTAN

US bomb kills 30 at Afghan wedding http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-125820/US-bomb-kills-30-Afghan-wedding.html

AUSTRALIA

Sydney uni SRC endorses academic boycott of Israel http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53818

Worker-owner sustainable industry one step closer http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53810

Tony Abbott’s hidden agenda http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53821

Grocon wall collapse — lives sacrificed for profit http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53801

CANADA

Toronto pipeline fight links local and global issues http://johnriddell.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/toronto-pipeline-fight-links-local-and-global-issues/

No Tar Sands in Toronto! Stop Line 9 http://www.socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed/ls170.php

Canada’s temporary foreign worker program once again under fire http://www.rogerannis.com/canadas-temporary-foreign-worker-program-under-fire/

The NDP Convention: The Decline and Fall of an Old Preamble (or A Social Democratic Party Becalmed)[1] by http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/807.php

CHILE

BHP sacks striking workers http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53785

CHINA

Hong Kong Dockworkers Strike Attracts Huge Solidarity http://www.labornotes.org/2013/04/occupy-port-hong-kong-dockworkers-strike-brings-huge-solidarity

Support with Hong Kong dockers grows in third week of dispute whilst negotiations end without agreement http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/8784

COLOMBIA

More than One Million Colombians March in Support of the Peace Process—Alliance for Global Justice Eye-Witness Report http://afgj.org/more-than-one-million-colombians-march-in-support-of-the-peace-process-alliance-for-global-justice-eye-witness-report

CUBA

‘Blood of Cuba nourished tree of African freedom’ http://www.themilitant.com/2013/7715/771550.html

Washington’s war on Cuba and Venezuela: From the Kissinger files to ‘Cablegate’, America’s counter-productive campaign only served to inflame public opinion. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/04/20134146325866394.html

Cuba, Blacks and the New York Times – The Zurbano Controversy http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/04/12/the-zurbano-controversy/

CYPRUS

Richard Wolf A Peoples Revolt in Cyprus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_VfItUSEUo&feature=player_embedded

Cyprus: Sold http://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/cyprus-sold/

FRANCE
Parti de Gauche vows to build ‘citizens’ revolution’ for ecosocialism http://links.org.au/node/3301

Hollande’s support drops further as tax scandal poses need for radical change http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53839

GERMANY

“This is our battleground”: How a new refugee movement is challenging Germany’s racist asylum laws http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/this-battleground-germanys-refugee-movement-challenges-racist-asylum-laws/

GREECE

SYRIZA activist: Capitalism is a nightmare for Greece http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53811

IRELAND

Teachers boycott Israeli academics http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/131407

IRAN

New Report Is Critical Of US Sanctions On Iran: Urges White House to Rethink Policy http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34654.htm

KOREA

In This Nuclear Standoff, It’s The US That’s The Rogue State: The use of threats and isolation against Iran and North Korea is a bizarre, perilous way to conduct foreign relations By Jonathan Steele http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34563.htm

All you need to know about the Korean crisis in 12 minutes: Tim Beal, author of two Pluto titles on Korean Politics was interviewed by Kathryn Ryan on the national New Zealand Radio show Nine to Noon about the escalating crisis between North Korea, South Korea and the US. Listen here.

What’s Annoying the North Koreans? http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/04/09/whats-annoying-the-north-koreans/

“We learned the lesson in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan: be strong.” What North Koreans Think http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/04/08/what-north-koreans-think/

The U.S. chokehold on North Korea – North Korea’s escalating threats are a response to new shows of force by the U.S. http://socialistworker.org/2013/04/11/us-chokehold-on-north-korea

PALESTINE

Last of Warsaw Ghetto Survivors Calls for Rebellion Against Israeli Occupation http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2013/04/09/last-of-warsaw-ghetto-survivors-calls-for-rebellion-against-israeli-occupation/

Oscar winner Emma Thompson calls for Israeli theater’s ban http://www.timesofisrael.com/oscar-winner-emma-thompson-calls-for-israeli-theaters-ban-at-festival/

Israel’s ‘Water-Apartheid’ in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank (McCauley) http://www.juancole.com/2013/04/apartheid-occupied-palestinian.html

Israeli Journalist Amira Hass Sparks Furor at Home for Defending Palestinian Right to Resist http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/10/israeli_journalist_amira_hass_sparks_furor

Palestine PM Fayyad Resigns, a Victim of Israeli and US funding cut-off and backlash against Austerity http://www.juancole.com/2013/04/palestine-backlash-austerity.html

A Hundred Deir Yassin and Counting: Beit Daras and the Buried History of Massacres http://palestinechronicle.com/a-hundred-deir-yassin-and-counting-beit-daras-and-the-buried-history-of-massacres/

PHILIPPINES

Fast relief, rehab for calamity victims http://opinion.inquirer.net/50757/fast-relief-rehab-for-calamity-victims

POLAND

70 Years After Warsaw by Dan Freeman-Maloy http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/802.php

SOUTH AFRICA

Chris Hani would be angry at ANC ‘adopting our class opponents’ policies’ http://links.org.au/node/3296

SYRIA

Robert Fisk: Beware wishful thinking. Assad isn’t going soon http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/robert-fisk-beware-wishful-thinking-assad-isnt-going-soon-8578513.html

Robert Fisk: The war has reached Damascus, but for now it is not a warzone http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/robert-fisk-the-war-has-reached-damascus-but-for-now-it-is-not-a-warzone-8569212.html

UK

Death of Margaret Thatcher reopens the debate over her cruel legacy http://www.rogerannis.com/death-of-margaret-thatcher-reopens-the-debate-over-her-cruel-legacy/

Dispelling the Thatcher myths http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/53793

An Obituary from Below http://jacobinmag.com/2013/04/margaret-thatcher-an-obituary-from-below/

Margaret Thatcher dead: Street parties held across the UK to mark passing of PM http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/margaret-thatcher-dead-video-cheering-1818888#ixzz2Q9XbmYrH

Mock the Week – Thatcher’s Funeral

The best musical meditation on the excuse to party:Hefner —

the day that Thatcher dies

Anti Margaret Thatcher party in Trafalgar square – video

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/video/2013/apr/14/anti-margaret-thatcher-party-trafalgar-square-video

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2013/apr/13/picture-desk-live-the-best-news-pictures-of-the-day

Banners, chants and even a conga: Liverpool fans dance on the grave of Baroness Thatcher at Reading as Hillsborough victims are remembered Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2308571/Liverpool-fans-dance-grave-Margaret-Thatcher-Reading.html

Underemployment can be as corrosive as unemployment – and it’s on the rise http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/15/underemployment-corrosive-unemployment-on-rise

USA

The Boston bombing produces familiar and revealing reactions – As usual, the limits of selective empathy, the rush to blame Muslims, and the exploitation of fear all instantly emerge http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/16/boston-marathon-explosions-notes-reactions

After Obama Shuns Probe, Bipartisan Panel Finds “Indisputable” Evidence U.S. Tortured Under Bush http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/17/after_obama_shuns_probe_bipartisan_panel

How America’s fast food industry makes a quick buck – The gulf between CEO pay and staff McWages is shockingly wide: a strike serves this system of super-exploitation right http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/10/america-fast-food-industry-quick-buck

Striking Guest Workers Will Take McDonald’s Fight Global http://www.thenation.com/blog/173601/striking-guest-workers-will-take-mcdonalds-fight-global

Gitmo Is Killing Me By SAMIR NAJI al HASAN MOQBEL http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/15/opinion/hunger-striking-at-guantanamo-bay.html?_r=0

VENEZUELA

Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Plotting Coup After Deadly Post-Election Protests http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/17/venezuela_accuses_us_of_plotting_coup

Understanding the Venezuelan Presidential Election Outcome http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/8638

Under my presidency, Chávez’s revolution will continue http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/12/my-presidency-chavez-revolution-continue

The New Yorker Corrects Two Errors on Venezuela, Refuses a Third https://nacla.org/blog/2013/4/8/new-yorker-corrects-two-errors-venezuela-refuses-third

Haters Gonna Hate: Rory Carroll’s Venezuela on NPR http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/haters-gonna-hate-rory-carrolls-venezuela-on-npr

Nicolás Maduro is Venezuela’s vote for Chávism: Hugo Chávez’s economic policies were successful but a close vote means the new president cannot become complacent http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/15/nicolas-maduro-venezuela-vote-for-chavismo

Will Chávez Revolution Continue in Venezuela? A Debate After Maduro’s Close Election Victory http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/15/will_chvez_revolution_continue_in_venezuela