Cancel all Third World debt [Bush-Blair & sub-sahara Africa debt cancellation]
Have the leaders of the world’s most parasitical and piratical nations had an epiphany? No. They are deploying the “failed states” doctrine: any debt cancellation must be met by “targets for good governance and fighting corruption”. Bush ... announced that the USA would increase its African aid by $647 million. Again, this is hyperbole over substance. The US is near the bottom of the ladder of the rich nations in foreign aid, a lousy 0.2 percent of GDP (and most of this flows back to the US).
East Asia partnership must be based on peaceful co-existence
The Japanese government stands at a crossroads over a choice between continuing to represent U.S. interests in Asia and establishing an independent foreign policy as a member of Asia in cooperation with other Asian countries in making efforts for peace, equality, and mutual benefits...In this regard, we must recall that Japan is the only Asian country to wage a war of aggression and colonize this region.
Japan: Why do over 30,000 people kill themselves every year?
More than 30,000 suicides per year have been recorded for seven straight years. The number for last year was 2,000 fewer than the 2003 peak. It is extraordinary that 89 people commit suicide a day. Those who killed themselves total 227,000 in the past seven years, equivalent to the vanishing of a medium-sized city...The number of suicides has not decreased because the unemployment rate remains high and many people are experiencing business failures and hardships in their daily lives.
Ecuador's Balancing Act: Palacio, the People and the IMF
On Monday, May 30, Minister of the Economy Rafael Correa announced that the country would no longer abide by the IMF surveillance programs that Gutiérrez had signed, a proposition that the Ecuadorian Congress has since ratified almost unanimously. These now repudiated pledges had focused on macroeconomic indicators and assigned ninety percent of Ecuador’s oil revenue to debt repayment, rendering the country incapable of providing sufficient funds for social initiatives
Troop Withdrawal Efforts Gain Momentum in Congress
A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced plans to introduce a resolution calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq beginning in October 2006. The effort follows a failed Democratic amendment to a spending package requiring the Bush administration to provide an exit plan within 30 days. The Democrats’ amendment was killed by Republicans in committee.
Rep. Bob Ney: A DeLay in Sheep’s Clothing
Corruption in the Republican Party isn’t a new story. Calls for much needed investigations of Vice President Cheney’s relationship to big oil and its creation of the administration’s energy policy have been ignored. Investigations into the payment of journalists to propagandize for the administration didn’t go far as GOP leaders sat on efforts to get at the truth.
Judicial Nomination: Anti-Civil Rights Judge Terrence Boyle Gets Senate Vote
Advancing to the floor of the Senate, Terrence Boyle’s Appeals Court nomination passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote. Initially the committee postponed consideration of Boyle, signaling strong opposition to Boyle’s nomination.
In Defense of the American People
There is a lot of talk about the American Empire. Indeed the name empire is correct, but it’s necessary to clarify one point well: the empire is not the American people, but the empire of the American capitalism.
Iraqi Workers Continue to Struggle for Peace and Justice
Recent reports by two large trade union federations praised Iraqi workers for rebuilding their labor movement after the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime, in the face of war and terrorism, and in the face of anti-worker policies imposed by the occupying authorities and the governing coalition.
Living in America Without Medical Insurance
There is a saying among the poor people when they are ill: “What will I do if I get sick? Well, I will either get better or die.” Many even don’t seek to see a doctor when their sick anymore because it’s a luxury they can't afford.To see a doctor when ill is a basic necessity of life that is clearly being denied to a large number of people-something that can not be continued any longer.