GPJA #431: Part 2. International news & Analysis – 21/6/12

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“Economic inequality feeds into inequalities of political power, leading to still more economic inequality.” Joseph Stiglitz, The vicious cycle of economic inequality, Politico, June 11, 2012

“When the rich make war, it’s the poor that die” – Jean-Paul Sartre

“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” – George Orwell

“Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

STATS OF THE WEEK

CEO pay at America’s seven largest banks averaged 100 times the median U.S. household income in 1989 — and over 500 times that median in 2007

FEATURES

Global Trends Report: 800,000 new refugees in 2011, highest this century http://www.unhcr.org/4fd9e6266.html

Sam Gindin on the crisis in labor http://lbo-news.com/2012/06/18/sam-gindin-on-the-crisis-in-labor/

JULIAN ASSANGE

Julian Assange Seeks Asylum at Ecuadorean Embassy By Donna Bowater – “While the department assesses Mr Assange’s application, Mr Assange will remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorian Government.” http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31644.htm

Julian Assange’s Artful Dodge By Ray McGovern – Barring a CIA drone strike on the Ecuadorian embassy in London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s sudden appeal for asylum there may spare him a prison stay in Sweden or possibly the United States.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31662.htm

Julian Assange’s Right to Asylum By Glenn Greenwald – Given the travesty that is American justice, WikiLeaks’ founder is entitled to seek asylum and well-advised to fear extradition. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31645.htm

WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS

Poll: Only one in ten in G20 countries believe austerity will work – ITUC OnLine http://www.ituc-csi.org/poll-only-one-in-ten-in-g20.html

Global economy: reasons to be fearful – Monetary and fiscal authorities are running out of policy bullets or, more cynically, policy rabbits to pull out of their hats by Nouriel Roubini http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jun/18/global-economy-perfect-storm/print

LAND, LABOUR AND THE ENVIROMENT

Rio+20: Farmers, Indigenous peoples mobilise against green capitalism and the privatisation of nature http://links.org.au/node/2913

The Earth Cannot Be Saved By Hope And Billionaires By George Monbiot http://www.countercurrents.org/monbiot190612.htm

Beautiful green world? On the myth of the green capitalist economy http://links.org.au/node/2912

Food, Farmers and the TPP http://www.zcommunications.org/food-farmers-and-the-tpp-by-andrea-brower

Five Million Brazilian Farmers Take on Monsanto and Win $2 Billion http://wakeup-world.com/2012/06/14/five-million-brazilian-farmers-take-on-monsanto-and-win-2-billion/

NO REDD+! – Decolonize the Earth and the Sky! Declaration of the Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities on Climate Change against REDD+ in Rio de Janeiro http://climateandcapitalism.com/2012/06/17/no-redd-ecolonize-the-earth-and-the-sky/

The Contradictions Of Environmental Keynesianism http://climateandcapitalism.com/2012/06/14/the-contradictions-of-environmental-keynesianism/

AFGHANISTAN

Outrage at Afghan minister’s prostitution comments http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2012/06/19/outrage-at-afghan-minister-s-prostitution-comments.html#ixzz1yDKACAKi

Afghanistan suspends political party sparking fears over freedom of speech http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2012/06/14/afghanistan-suspends-political-party-sparking-fears-over-freedom-of-speech.html#ixzz1yDfPmViw

Afghanistan: The Top Ten Lies that Recur in the Mainstream Media By James O’Neill #1. That the West’s involvement in Afghanistan was initiated by the events of 11 September 2001: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31660.htm

AUSTRALIA

Workers comp under attack in NSW: Shame, Barry, shame!

Workers tell Barry: hands off sick and injured workers’ rights!

CHINA

The Macroeconomics of Chinese kleptocracy http://brontecapital.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/macroeconomics-of-chinese-kleptocracy.html

Is China Becoming a Mafia State? – John Garnaut http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aa4oVHz32i4

Housing starts plunge despite rate cuts http://www.smh.com.au/business/housing-starts-plunge-despite-rate-cuts-20120620-20n7u.html

CUBA

System or Siege? Samuel Farber misses the main cause of Cuba’s problems http://links.org.au/node/2911

Attorney Martin Garbus speaks to the press about the latest legal development in the case of the Five http://realcuba.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/attorney-martin-garbus-speaks-to-the-press-about-the-latest-legal-development-in-the-case-of-the-five/

Mariela Castro

Revolutionizing Gender: Mariela Castro MS, Director, National Sex Education Center, Cuba http://www.medicc.org/mediccreview/index.php?issue=20&id=246&a=vahtml

ECUADOR

New left or new colonialism? http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51353

EGYPT

Egyptian Military Council Severely Restricts Authority of Newly Elected President

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood call for mass protests http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/egypts-muslim-brotherhood-calls-for-mass-protests/

The True Face of Egypt’s Military http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/06/15/the-true-face-of-egypts-military/

Masses fill Tahir Square

The Troubled Revolutionary Path in Egypt: A Return to the Basics http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/6012/the-troubled-revolutionary-path-in-egypt_a-return-

Egypt’s military junta pushes back against people’s power http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/egypts-military-junta-pushes-back-against-peoples-power/

Egypt’s Impoverishing Choice By Sean F. McMahon – Egypt’s monopoly capitalist class, represented by Ahmed Shafiq, is battling the domestic capitalist class, represented by Muhammed (“the Spare”) Morsi. The military is mediating the battle, in line with is own very real material interests, and the interests of the workers and peasants are being trampled. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31658.htm

GREECE

SYRIZA pipped at the post; photos, videos of SYRIZA’s final election rally, Athens http://links.org.au/node/2914

A week on the streets in Athens – in pictures http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/jun/16/andy-hall-greece?fb=native

Greece’s super-rich maintain lavish lifestyles and low profiles http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/greek-election-blog-2012/2012/jun/13/greeces-super-rich-low-profiles

Costas Lapavitsas answers your questions on Greece and the eurozone crisis http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/greek-election-blog-2012/2012/jun/13/costas-lapavitsas-greece-eurozone-crisis?CMP=twt_gu

SYRIZA Leader Hails Venezuela’s Anti-Capitalist Example http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/7060

IRAQ

Iraq: Lies and Statistics By Felicity Arbuthnot http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19359

NEPAL

One Divides Into Two – Nepal’s Maoists in Crisis http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/655.php#continue

PACIFIC

Fiji TV ‘media-muzzle’ drama poses new questions over regime http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2012/06/fiji-tv-media-muzzle-drama-poses-new-questions-over-regime/

PALESTINE

Israel agrees to release hunger-striking Palestinian soccer player http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-agrees-to-release-hunger-striking-palestinian-soccer-player-1.437189

Ramzy Baroud: Gaza Experiment: Mere Words Will Not Help Solve Gaza Crisis http://palestinechronicle.com/index.php

Israeli ex-soldier: I support Palestinian armed resistance and understand terror http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/palestine?before=1340063771

‘Our next project is a water well’: mayor of Gaza refugees by Tali Williams http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/our-next-project-is-a-water-well-mayor-of-gaza-refugees/

New report: Gaza’s water ‘unfit to drink’ http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/new-report-gazas-water-unfit-to-drink/

BBC exposure of MidEast’s rogue nuclear state: Israel http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/bbc-exposure-of-mideasts-rogue-nuclear-state-israel/

Alice Walker refuses publisher, citing Israeli apartheid http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=496726

PHILIPPINES

The Filipino people are justly proud they forced the closure of US military bases in their country after they ousted the Marcos dictatorship in 1986. But Corazon Fabros of the Stop The War Coalition of the Philippines warns that US and allied militaries are attempting a

‘comeback through the backdoor’.

SPAIN

The Spanish miners’ strike puts their rulers on even shakier ground http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/13/spanish-miners-strike

Cuban ‘exiles’ get a bitter taste of capitalist free market in Spain http://realcuba.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/cuban-exiles-get-a-bitter-taste-of-capitalist-free-market-in-spain/

SYRIA

Between Imperialism and Repression By Sami Ramadani, Samuel Grove http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31570.htm

What To Do About Syria – While critique of the Assad government is widespread in the mainstream media, this Middle East Online article gives a more balanced account of the Syrian conflict. The author discusses how the West, and the US in particular, condemned recent events in Houla, but downplayed the killings of the anti-Assad opposition in Damascus earlier in May. http://www.globalpolicy.org/home/266-security-council-and-syria/51679-what-to-do-about-syria.html

THAILAND

For Crown or Country: Is the lese majeste law, designed to prevent insults to the Thai royal family, being abused and should it be abolished? http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2012/06/20126127231108801.html

TRINIDAD

Roget warns of mass demonstration in PoS http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,162017.html

USA

The framing of the NATO Five: Eric Ruder argues that the case against five young men associated with the NATO summit protests in Chicago represents an attack on all our movements. http://socialistworker.org/2012/06/14/framing-of-the-nato-five

Why Pass Indefinite Military Detention Law Now?

NYC: Thousands March To End Stop-And-Frisk http://www.countercurrents.org/onesto190612.htm

Low-Wage Nation – -Poverty and Inequality are Threatening our Democracy By Peter Edelman: Half of U.S. jobs now pay $34,000 or less a year. A quarter of U.S. jobs pay less than $22,000, the poverty line for a family of four. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article31650.htm

VENEZUELA

Extreme Right of Opposition “Planning a Boycott” of Elections, Says Venezuela’s Chávez http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/7064

Our Man in Caracas: The U.S. Media and Henrique Capriles http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/7065