(2021-12-23). TPLF Announces Retreat. What Lies Ahead for Ethiopia? libya360.wordpress.com Elias Amare, editor of Horn of Africa TV, explains the situation in Ethiopia in light of the declaration by the TPLF that they are withdrawing to Tigray. He analyzes the situation over the past few months that led to this moment. The Tigray People's Liberation Front has announced that it will withdraw its forces to…
(2021-12-23). How Public Workers Can Stop The Privatization Of Everything. popularresistance.org Several years ago, Don Cohen, a former central labor council staffer from San Diego, appeared on a panel discussing the privatization threats faced by union members across the country. He and other speakers were addressing a conference of state, county, and municipal workers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a group which did not include any federal employees. When Cohen described propaganda campaigns that proponents of privatization conduct to pave the way for out-sourcing local government or state university jobs, audience members immediately recognized that kind of employer behavior a…
(2021-12-23). Wet'suwet'en Retake Checkpoint A Month After Police Crackdown. popularresistance.org On Saturday, December 19, activists leading the Wet'suwet'en resistance against the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline project declared that they evicted workers of the project from the drill site. This development comes exactly a month after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) violently dismantled a blockade led by the Gidimt'en clan near Camp Coyote and arrested dozens of protesters and even bystanders. | The declaration of reclaiming Camp Coyote was made over a statement released by the Gidimt'en Checkpoint, on Sunday, December 20. "This courageous action took place one month after a wave of militarized raids…
(2021-12-23). Capitalism Contributed to Factory Workers Deaths in Kentucky and Illinois. covertactionmagazine.com The weekend of December 10-11, 2021, saw a reported 30 tornadoes hitting several states from Arkansas to Illinois; as of …
(2021-12-23). B&Q warehouse workers in Worksop, UK to strike indefinitely over pay. wsws.org The fight being waged by workers at Worksop would have already been joined by thousands of workers across the sector if it were not for the actions of the Unite, USDAW and GMB unions.
(2021-12-23). "They're literally making us sick": Pharmacy workers describe conditions that sparked US walkouts. wsws.org Retail pharmacy workers conducted a nationwide walkout on Monday in the US, organized on social media, to protest worsening work conditions at large retail chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.
(2021-12-23). Google executives dismiss employee demands for pay increases to meet inflation. wsws.org Employees at Google are demanding pay increases for all workers to maintain their living standards while inflation is running at an annual rate of 7 percent and the corporation is making record profits.
(2021-12-23). Indian army deployed to break Jammu and Kashmir power workers' strike. wsws.org Workers in India and around the world must take serious warning from the Indian government's rapid deployment of military and para-military forces to suppress an anti-privatization strike by 20,000 power workers in Jammu and Kashmir.
(2021-12-23). As Omicron spreads, German intensive care workers warn of already intolerable working conditions. wsws.org An incendiary letter from intensive care nurses at a university clinic in Hamburg gives voice to the frustration and dissatisfaction widespread among nursing staff throughout Germany.
(2021-12-23). Stuart Delivery strike highlights UK's bogus self-employment problem. zcomm.org By misclassifying workers as 'self-employed' companies can trample over labor rights…
(2021-12-23). "It's a Win for Us": Striking Kellogg's Workers Get Raises, Improved Benefits & Avoid Two-Tier System. democracynow.org 
In a major victory for labor rights, 1,400 unionized Kellogg's workers have ended their nearly three-month strike across four states after approving a new contract that provides a wage increase and enhanced benefits for all. The prior agreement that Kellogg's tried to bargain only offered wage increases and improved benefits to longtime workers, whereas the new agreement ensures newer workers have a guaranteed option to receive the same improvements. We speak with Kellogg's worker Kevin Bradshaw, who will return to work on Monday alongside his co-workers. "We didn't have any takeaways and no concessions, so I wou…
(2021-12-23). UK Tory government weaponises Christmas against COVID restrictions. wsws.org The government's brutal determination to keep the profits flowing at all costs is meeting widespread opposition. Workers are defying all instructions from the mass murderers in Westminster to just keep on shopping and socialising in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Millions have stopped using public transport, are working from home and are already limiting their contacts with other people.
(2021-12-23). Pharmacy Workers Describe Conditions That Sparked US Walkouts. popularresistance.org Retail pharmacy workers conducted a nationwide walkout on Monday in the US, organized on social media, to protest worsening work conditions at large retail chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. As the hyper-infectious Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the country, this much overlooked section of the health care industry is making its own demands for better working conditions, including patient safety, and an overdue increase in wages. | One pharmacist who requested to remain anonymous told the WSWS, "We work 12 hour shifts without technicians, we have no breaks and no lunch break as the drive-th…
(2021-12-23). Kellogg Strike Ends After 11 Weeks as Workers Approve New Contract. zcomm.org About 1,400 workers have been on strike since October 5, sparking boycotts of the cereal company's products as it threatened to permanently replace the striking workers…
(2021-12-23). NHS: the year in review — wilful Tory destruction and dire reform. thecanary.co 
It's been a year of turmoil and trauma for all of us. This has been acutely the case for the NHS and its staff. With the Tory government at the helm, our health service has lurched from government-induced crisis to government-induced crisis. But despite all this, NHS workers have kept saving us as they've fought back against the Tories. | A long, dark winter: | January started the year as it ended up going on: with health workers
(2021-12-23). What are the Fundamental Differences Between Capitalist and Socialist Democracy? orinocotribune.com By Danny Haiphong — Dec 20, 2021 | Staying true to the theme of democracy, this article is an amended speech that analyzes the differences between Capitalist vs. Socialist democracies and advocates a defense of the latter. | The United States hosted a "Summit for Democracy" on December 9th and 10th in an obvious attempt to legitimize its unipolar and hegemonic claim of leadership over the so-called "rules-based international order." While on the surface this appeared to be an unproductive move on the part of the world hegemon, it aligned well with the U.S. strategy of cloaking its aggressive and exploitative…
(2021-12-23). The American deal with the popular decline in support of political Islam after Arab Spring revolutions. moderndiplomacy.eu Before answering this question, it is necessary to understand (the Brotherhood's grand strategy), which is based on the role of the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood inside the United States of America, in Europe and around the world, through a strategy based on (the Brotherhood's penetration into the United States of America with its …
(2021-12-23). Will Russia Learn In Time Before War Is Upon Us? globalresearch.ca For the first time ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin has put its foot down. No NATO for Ukraine and Georgia. Period. | As I predicted would happen, the Kremlin's acceptance over many years of insults and …
(2021-12-23). Democrats are NOT your friends! anchor.fm In this episode I discuss the duopoly between Republicans and Democrats and how the continued "fumbling" by the Democrats is not unintentional. They have direct interests and reasons as to why they continue to do things only for themselves. Stay well you all, and get organizing!
(2021-12-23). Who Actually Owns Corporations, Anyway? popularresistance.org According to elementary students of economics and Wall Street financiers alike, the answer to this question is as simple as it is intuitive: the shareholders. The standard narrative goes like this: a share is a "piece of a company." Accordingly, the holders of those shares are the company's collective owners. Shareholder ownership explains why an army of retail investors coordinating trades on Reddit could claim they "owned a piece" of the struggling video game retailer GameStop and why Warren Buffet is as certain he "owns" companies as varied as GEICO and Dairy Queen as less wealthy Americans are certain they ow…
(2021-12-23). Acteal Massacre Victims Demand Justice from The Mexican State. telesurenglish.net Twenty-four years after the killing of 45 Tzotziles Indigenous people carried out by paramilitaries, relatives and survivors of the attack marched to demand jail time for the intellectual and material authors of this tragedy. | RELATED: | With songs, prayers, crosses, incense, and candles, the Acteal Bees (Las Abejas de Acteal), a Christian and anti-neoliberal organization, remembered the dead in a collective tomb where the bodie…
(2021-12-23). New US Embargo on Cambodia Over Friendship with China. journal-neo.org 
The United States continues a process of targeting and isolating nations around the globe increasingly choosing to do business with Beijing rather than Washington. The most recent of these is the Southeast Asia nation of Cambodia. For years Cambodia has incrementally pivoted from once serving US foreign policy objectives in the region, to striking a …
(2021-12-23). Naked @ Work — the Neoliberal Workplace. zcomm.org Capitalism's relentless drive to growth based on global environmental exploitation has not just transformed the entire planet but is about to destroy planet earth…
(2021-12-23). Tea Party Redux: How the Koch Network Funds and Fuels the Anti-Lockdown Movement. democracynow.org 
A new report titled "How The Koch Network Hijacked The War On COVID" reveals how a right-wing network linked to billionaire Charles Koch has played a key role in fighting public health measures during the pandemic, including mask and vaccine mandates, contact tracing and lockdowns. The groups include the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), Donors Trust, the Hoover Institution and Hillsdale College. We speak about the contents of the report with co-author Walker Bragman, who says the right-wing network's attack on public health is designed to "maintain…
(2021-12-23). New Zealand government will not immediately lock down if Omicron appears in community. wsws.org While the Labour Party-led government claims it wants to keep Omicron out of the community, the cabinet has not put measures in place to prevent its rapid spread.
(2021-12-23). UK blocks Venezuela from accessing its international reserves. peoplesdispatch.org Britain's Supreme Court passed a ruling to continue blocking Venezuela from accessing 31 tons of Venezuelan gold valued at USD 2 billion. This gold is deposited at the Bank of England. The case went to court because the Bank has refused to release the gold reserves to the Bolivarian government stating that it recognizes the opposition activist Juan Guaidó as a legitimate authority.
(2021-12-23). Fatal accidents reveal unsafe conditions in Pakistan's coal mines. peoplesdispatch.org As deadly accidents continue in various coal mines in Pakistan, senior representatives of IndustriALL Global have asked the Pakistani ambassador at Geneva to take immediate steps to ensure that Pakistan ratifies and implements ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines…
(2021-12-23). Libya: National Committee for Human Rights Warns of the Political and Humanitarian Consequences of Aborting Elections. libya360.wordpress.com Demonstrations in Libya protest…
(2021-12-23). Libya: Protests Mark the Postponement of Elections Amidst Threats of Deepening Chaos. libya360.wordpress.com Participants in the Friday of Salvation demand the overthrow of the existing political bodies A group of activists called on citizens to participate in a demonstration entitled "Friday of Salvation" in Tibesti Square in the city of Benghazi. Participants demand the overthrow of all political bodies currently in place, with parliament's work limited to legislative…
(2021-12-23). The Need for a Multidimensional Democracy. libya360.wordpress.com Javier Tolcachier Celebrating and reflecting are two actions that do not usually go hand in hand. Celebration implies an achievement, even if it is only the satisfaction of something well done, while reflection usually accompanies failure or error. Much more so in political terms, since it is not the euphoria of triumph but defeat that…
(2021-12-23). WHO: Blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes could prolong the pandemic. moderndiplomacy.eu Blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes could prolong the pandemic and increase inequity, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. "No country can boost its way out of the pandemic," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Geneva during his final press briefing for the year. "And boosters cannot be seen …
(2021-12-23). No One Is Safe Until Everyone Is Safe: Oxfam on Vaccine Equity & Taking On Moderna. democracynow.org 
Oxfam America has accused Moderna of misleading its investors about an ongoing dispute over whether it needs to share vaccine patent rights with the U.S. government. Oxfam filed a shareholders complaint against Moderna with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the company's resistance to recognizing the role played by three scientists with the National Institutes of Health in developing the vaccine. We speak with Robbie Silverman, senior corporate advocacy manager at Oxfam America, who says the federal government owns a right to license the vaccine to manufacturers. "It is simply not sufficient just to vac…
(2021-12-23). New Campaign for $15 Minimum Wage Kicks Off in Michigan. zcomm.org "Michigan persists as one of 43 states with a legacy of slavery—a subminimum wage—and a very low overall wage of just under $10 an hour. Neither is enough for people to live on."
(2021-12-22). Canada: Wet'suwet'en Activists Retake Checkpoint a Month After Police Crackdown. libya360.wordpress.com Anish R M Wet'suwet'en activists after reclaiming Camp Coyote. Photo: Gidimt'en Checkpoint/Twitter Anti-pipeline Indigenous activists, resisting the contentious Coastal GasLink pipeline in Wet'suwet'en have retaken a checkpoint in Coyote Camp, a month after violent crackdown by federal police forces On Saturday, December 19, activists leading the Wet'suwet'en resistance against the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline project…
(2021-12-22). Quebec's discriminatory Bill 21 causes hijab-clad teacher to be permanently removed from the classroom. wsws.org The decision to remove Fatemeh Anvari from her classroom underscores the reactionary aim of Bill 21, which is to foment hatred and prejudice against immigrants and religious minorities in order to divide the working class.
(2021-12-22). Two Olympic boycotts: Human rights in the service of imperialist gangsterism. wsws.org The 1980 boycott of the Moscow games was bound up with the US agenda of weakening and fracturing the former Soviet Union, which is precisely the Biden administration's strategy toward China in its boycott of the Beijing Olympics.
(2021-12-22). Egyptian court sentences activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to five years in prison for 'spreading fake news'. peoplesdispatch.org A prominent activist in the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak's dictatorship, Alaa has been in jail for most of the decade since for opposing the crackdown on dissent carried out by the regime of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi…
(2021-12-22). Biden's Summit on Democracy Hypocrisy. workers.org 
With great publicity, President Joe Biden called a grand, international Summit on Democracy for Dec 9-10. This gathering, held on Zoom, was hardly more than a Washington D.C., webinar with a few hundred well-chosen invitees and a well-controlled microphone. U.S. Marines in Syria — "democracy" or imperialist domination? Biden invited . . . |
(2021-12-22). A Pentagon Cover-Up: Azmat Khan on How U.S. Hid Thousands of Civilian Deaths in Middle East Air War. democracynow.org 
U.S. air power has been central in the country's wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, with officials promising that drones and other sophisticated weapons allow the U.S. military to carry out precision airstrikes that spare civilians caught in war zones. But a groundbreaking investigation by The New York Times reveals the U.S. military's air wars have been plagued by bad intelligence, imprecise targeting and a lack of accountability for thousands of civilian deaths, many of them children. The two-part series by reporter Azmat Khan is based on a trove of internal Pentagon documents, as well as on-the-gr…
(2021-12-22). Civilian Casualty Files Reveal U.S. Hid Thousands of Deaths in Middle East Air War. democracynow.org 
U.S. air power has been central in the country's wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, with officials promising that drones and other sophisticated weapons allow the U.S. military to carry out precision airstrikes that spare civilians caught in war zones. But a groundbreaking investigation by The New York Times reveals the U.S. military's air wars have been plagued by bad intelligence, imprecise targeting and a lack of accountability for thousands of civilian deaths, many of them children. The two-part series by reporter Azmat Khan is based on a trove of internal Pentagon documents, as well as on-the-gr…
(2021-12-22). Saudi-led airstrike at Sanaa airport disrupts aid supply to war-ravaged Yemen. peoplesdispatch.org Saudi-led airstrikes caused widespread damage to the Sanaa airport where the majority of aid comes into Yemen, causing many international aid organizations to raise concerns…
(2021-12-22). Chile: Another Good-Sized Nail In Neoliberalism's Coffin. popularresistance.org This brings us to a central political issue: what has the October 2019 Rebellion and all its impressively positive consequences posed for the Chilean working class? What is posed in Chile is the struggle not (yet) for power but for the masses that for decades were conned into accepting (however grudgingly) neoliberalism as a fact of life, until the 2019 rebellion that was the first mass mobilization not only to oppose but also to get rid of neoliberalism. The Rebellion extracted extraordinary concessions from the ruling class: a referendum for a Constitutional Convention entrusted legally with the task to draft a…
(2021-12-22). VIDEO: Join emergency online meeting today to demand Julian Assange's immediate release. wsws.org "We need an independent movement of the working class, students and youth to free Assange."
(2021-12-22). Kentucky 'Rock of Labor' memorial survives tornado, symbolizing workers' resolve. peoplesworld.org 
The powerful tornado that ravaged Mayfield, Ky., on the night of Dec. 10 left the 1880s-vintage Graves County Courthouse in shambles, tearing away the cupola and most of the second floor. Yet, the "Rock of Labor," a 14-year-old rough-hewn brown sandstone memorial to old United Steelworkers Local 665, weathered the violent storm that scourged western …
(2021-12-22). Destruction of the Soviet Union: a Crime Without Statute of Limitations. orinocotribune.com 
Statement of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the United Communist Party of Russia (OKP) in connection with the 30th anniversary of the unconstitutional liquidation of the USSR in December 1991. | In December 1991, the largest state on the planet, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the first ever socialist state of workers and peasants, disappeared from the political map of the world. | In the context of the general crisis of Gorbachev's "perestroika" policy, few people paid attention to the blatant violation of all conceivable and inconceivable constitutional procedures during the "dissolution" of…
(2021-12-22). U.S. maneuvers amidst more disasters for the Haitian people. workers.org 
Remains of fuel explosion in Cap-HaàØtien, Dec. 13 Washington extended Temporary Protective Status for Haitians for another 18 months, because conditions in Haiti are so miserable. Despite this the U.S. government is still actively deporting Haitians back to Haiti, flying them into either the airport at Cap-HaàØtien or Port-au-Prince. According . . . |
(2021-12-22). Tornadoes Can Kill. So Can Amazon's Business Model. otherwords.org Old-school home-improvement contractors have a piece of folk wisdom they love to share with prospective clients. "Listen," they like to say. "I can do this job fast, I can do it cheap, or I can do it well. But I can't do all three." | This wisdom has been around forever. But not everyone gets it — take billionaire Jeff Bezos. His Amazon empire prides itself on delivering good results fast and cheap. | That works well enough for Bezos, now worth around $200 billion. And Amazon consumers, the company PR maintains, can get almost whatever they want quickly and cheaply. But for Amazon workers — and our br…
(2021-12-22). COVID rapidly spreading through Detroit auto plants with reports of at least three deaths. wsws.org COVID-19 infections are spreading throughout Detroit area auto plants, with at least three deaths reported by co-workers in recent days.
(2021-12-22). Headlines for December 22, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Announces New Measures, Defends Vaccine Mandates, Amid Omicron Surge, TX Man Is 1st Omicron-Linked U.S. Death; States Announce Incentives, New Rules to Fight Surge, Rep. Barbara Lee, Govs. Hogan and Walz Announce Breakthrough COVID Infections, U.S. Military to Announce Highly Effective COVID Vaccine, Israel Rolling Out 4th Dose of COVID Vaccine; France Expected to Reach 100,000 New Cases Per Day, Oxfam Files Complaint Against Moderna; EU Approves Novavax COVID Vaccine, Biden Says There Is Still Hope for Build Back Better as Mining Union Urges Manchin to Support Bill, Kellogg's Workers End 11-Week Strike Aft…
(2021-12-22). Germany sees massive job cuts in all sectors. wsws.org Workers' protests are nipped in the bud by pitting workers against one another, either factory against factory or along national lines.