Commentary – Cuba Subverts US Imperialism (special issue)
The bellicose attempt by a Bush administration to antagonize public opinion to cover up ongoing election fraud should not surprise anyone. Enforcing slavery law to annex a compliant population dates back to the slave master mentality of states rights advocates. The ex-Batista henchmen and new wave neo-conservatives became fast political allies in considering bribery, collusion, fraud and racketeering schemes to shortcut democracy.
The Bush Oil War in Colombia
Even as the US becomes more bogged down in an unwinnable war in Iraq – fueled by the desire to control Middle East oil, the Bush administration has stepped up the American military presence in Colombia. For the first time, Special Forces have been sent to Colombia to train units of the Colombian Army to protect the commercial interests of private oil companies.
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Irish communist leader slams EU illusions
The European Union affects every aspect of our people's lives, from the way economic decisions are taken to how our budget is formed, the level of government borrowing and spending, the economic and political priorities of this State, even to what constitutes a fruit or vegetable.
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Afghanistan Polls and After
BY the time we write these lines, the people of Afghanistan had cast their votes in the first election after a long gap and the results were awaited. Though preliminary results may be expected in a few days after sealed ballot boxes from 23,000 polling booths reach 8 regional headquarters, reports are that a final count may not come in before at least two weeks.
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Globalisation and Popular Sovereignty
For some, the term 'globalisation' is used to conceal or misrepresent what is actually this new emerging phase of imperialism. 'Globalisation' is presented as a mainly technologically-driven process which, we are told, is inevitable. Often allied to this approach is a tendency to see so-called globalisation as a predominantly economic process.
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Japan-U.S. talks must focus on 'removal of bases'
Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro has suggested relocating some of the U.S. military bases in Okinawa to Japan's mainland, saying, 'The public is generally supportive of the idea. But when it comes to specifying the locations, local governments concerned will oppose the plan, and the plan will go bust.
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Black Saturday: Why the Far Right Won Australia's Elections
Last Saturday’s federal election can only be regarded as a savage blow to all democratic minded and peace loving people, to workers and their trade unions, to other sections of the labour movement, to Indigenous Australians, and to many others, including Australia’s neighbours. It was a defeat for the environment. It was a significant victory for conservatism and extreme right-wing politics.
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The winners are the mujahideen, not women
In the elections held in Afghanistan last weekend, many reporters concentrated on the extraordinary spectacle of women queueing, their blue burkas billowing, at the polling stations. George Bush also hit upon this as proof of the success of the American presence in Afghanistan. But the Americans and the British did not go into Afghanistan to defend women's rights, however eagerly our politicians sell that picture back to us.
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Cancel Debt – Save Lives
In September, protesters gathered in Washington, DC to demand the elimination of debt for poor countries to allow them to save their resources to fight AIDS. In August, naked ACTUP demonstrators raised the call at the Republican National Convention. The call for debt relief to fight AIDS has been an important demand of the anti-AIDS community for several years. It is time the world takes this step.
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WMD: Who's Got Them?
One can easily be connected to the other. The headline in The Chicago Sun Times read: 'Looking for WMD?' That’s easy enough, there are eight million chemical weapons stockpiled. They were not found in Iraq, but they are being warehoused in igloo-like concrete structures in the state of Oregon, USA.
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