MASSACRE AT OAK CREEK: “SENSELESS ACT OF VIOLENCE” OR “VIOLENCE AT THE WRONG ADDRESS?” Vijay Prasad deconstructs the post-factum reactions to the gunning down of 6 people in a Sikh (Indian) temple in Wisconsin. He finds an all-too-similar reaction to that to other recent atrocities in Colorado and elsewhere. Branding them “senseless” isolates them [...]
WITH “VICTORIES” LIKE THE ONE THE A.F.L./C.I.O. GAINED IN WISCONSIN, DO THEY REALLY NEED ANY DEFEATS? (Counterpunch) Richard Trumka, head of the union, makes the dubious claim that the outcome of the recall election in which the union-busting Governor Walker was retained in office was a great advance for the union cause, citing the fact [...]
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RECALL MOVEMENT IN WISCONSIN? CAN YOU SAY CO-OPTATION? (Black Agenda Report) Without using that word, Bruce Dixon’s account of the devastating defeat of the effort to recall union-buster Scott Walker as Governor of Wisconsin follows exactly that scenario of what happens when political “movements” turn into political “campaigns.” The movement excitement [...]
U.S. COLLEGE STUDENT, WOULD YOU RATHER?—DROP OUT OF SCHOOL OR TAKE ON MORE STUDENT LOANS? (World Socialist) A New York Times article joins the parade of pundits and politicians who blame the “naivite” and irresponsibility of students and their parent for the ever-growing number of Americans facing debts from student loans that they cannot pay. Little [...]
“OUR SITUATION IS NOT EASY-WITH NO ONE HELPING US.” (IPS News) A refugee in southern Mali from civil strife in the north of the country voices this complaint. The World Food Programme is attempting to address the situation in a recent addition to African scenes of humanitarian crisis; but the help is slow in being delivered [...]
The federal government has put the brakes on one of the nation’s most controversial voter ID laws, agreeing with critics that legislation passed in Texas would unfairly target minority voters and possibly lead to mass disenfranchisement starting with this November’s election. At least 18 states have laws on the books that have had what could [...]
AFGHAN MASSACRE: CAN YOU SPELL M-Y-L-A-I? (World Socialist) Patrick Martin, reflecting on the rampage of killing by (apparently) one U.S. soldier in Afghanistan, reflects on parallels with My Lai and similar atrocities committed against Vietnamese civilians over 40 years ago. The situations are different on the surface, as the current incident involves, so for [...]
TOTAL RECALL: OVER ONE MILLION WISCONSIN VOTERS SIGN A PETITION TO REMOVE GOV. SCOTT WALKER FROM OFFICE VIA RECALL ELECTION. (Wisconsin State Journal) The long struggle against Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker reached a stunning crescendo on Tuesday as organizers of the effort to recall Walker turned in more than one million signatures for the [...]
IRANIAN COMPLAINTS OF U.S. PLANS TO SEND MORE SHIPS TO PERSIAN GULF ARE DISMISSED BY PENTAGON AS PROOF THAT SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN ARE EFFECTIVE. (USA Today) Pentagon as well as White House spokesmen make this statement, on the apparent premise that an imperialist move in international affairs is justified if it is having a desired [...]
There is no wording in the First Amendment granting citizens the right to free assembly so long as they pay for cleanup costs. The Constitution does not intimate that the people may protest their elected leaders only if they foot the bill for law enforcement. Just don’t tell that to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Walker, [...]
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