103 Iraqi Parliamentarians Demand Withdrawal of US Troops
Gilber Achcar kindly shares his translation of an al-Hayat article
AFL-CIO:Work in Progress
[The following news items are summaries of weekly events that workers need to know. Unity is the Key.] Vermont Gov. James Douglas (R) has said he will sign a measure raising the state’s minimum wage to $7.25 an hour—a 25-cent boost—effective Jan. 1. At the federal level, congressional Republicans have blocked several attempts to raise the minimum wage, which has been frozen at $5.15 an hour since 1997.
Venezuela: Interview with Ruben Linares, National Coordinator of the National Workers Union
'You should know that the workers of Venezuela and the people as a whole are participating in a process of change, we have been deeply affected by capitalism which is the cause of all the evils inflicted on our peoples, and now we are on the way towards socialism. US imperialism with Bush and the State Department will not be able to impose their will on us.'
AFRICA: Slim pickings at Gleneagles
'What Africa needed from the G8 was a giant leap forward - all it got was tiny steps. The deal that has been announced falls way short of our demands. We have some aid, but not enough; some debt relief, but not enough, and virtually nothing on trade. Once again Africa's people have been short-changed,' said Caroline Sande Mukulira, from ActionAid's Southern Africa programme.
Iraq: The Struggle for Sovereignty and Democracy
When I sat down with Salam Ali in Chicago on the Fourth of July weekend to talk about the developments in Iraq over the past few months, he provided me with a few surprises. Ali is an international representative of the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP), living in exile in London. He was visiting Chicago to attend the 28th Convention of the Communist Party, USA, where he extended his Party’s warm greeting and friendship.
Sovereignty Sinks in Latin America as Dollarization Rises
Dollarization, which is the official adoption of the U.S. dollar (USD) as the national currency has sometimes delivered a mixed signal to several Latin American nations. Globalization—the increased economic interdependence and integration of countries fuelled by the digital age—has led to intercontinental competition in the production of commodities and services. National currencies are no exception.
The EU, Neo-Liberialism And Third World Poverty
There are moments in history where you need a bit of irony to get you though and to keep you going. This week British imperialism unashamedly celebrated the Battle of Trafalgar, their defeat of the French and the consolidation of their empire across the globe. We will have the leader of that same imperialist tradition Tony Blair in a few days time striding across a green lawn lauding the great advance made by the contemporary imperialist powers to help the worlds poor, in the form of the miniscule debt relief.
Iraq: Blood and Oil
With the tally of US war dead now at 1,841 and climbing, and thousands more wounded, Bush continues his attempt to con the US people by linking the Iraqi rebellion with the September 11th attacks.
Jobs Report Shows Serious Economic Weaknesses
When the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced yesterday an increase in payrolls by 146,000 for the month of June and a slight drop in the unemployment rate, the big media praised the growing economy. Unfortunately, robust job growth simply hasn’t returned to the US economy.
Turkey Is Not a Role Model for the Middle East
In recent weeks President Bush has given several speeches promoting Turkey as the type of democracy that Iraq and Afghanistan should strive to emulate. Mr. Bush even went so far as to state, “Turkey’s democracy is an important example for the people in the broader Middle East.” Turkey is far less repressive than many other Muslim countries. But it is a nation with such serious problems that it should not serve as a role model, even for fledgling Islamic democracies.
