Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Remilitarizing Central America
War on the Poor in Honduras by Dawn Paley exposes the U.S. role in remilitarizing Central America. Taking a page from his idol Ronald Reagan, President Obama -- who supported the 2009 military coup in Honduras -- has established his credentials as a servant of the American Empire. While not yet a full-fledged fascist like his predecessor in the Oval Office, Obama is well on his way to institutionalizing a fascist, neoliberal agenda.
As Paley reports, the war on the poor by armed gangs -- often working in collusion with the police, private security and soldiers in politically-motivated attacks on leftist party activists and journalists -- has left residents of Honduras terrorized into silence by the Honduran elite. This elite of mafia-like families that control factories, banking and media, also control the government.
All of which has the U.S. military and the Obama White House to thank for ongoing support under the guise of the War on Drugs.
As Paley reports, the war on the poor by armed gangs -- often working in collusion with the police, private security and soldiers in politically-motivated attacks on leftist party activists and journalists -- has left residents of Honduras terrorized into silence by the Honduran elite. This elite of mafia-like families that control factories, banking and media, also control the government.
All of which has the U.S. military and the Obama White House to thank for ongoing support under the guise of the War on Drugs.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Disrupting Settled Expectations
Tribal land claims against states always face stiff challenges in U.S. courts, precisely because U.S. courts are run by settlers. Siding with American Indian tribes against state governments happens in U.S. courts from time to time, but the Bush appointments made that much less likely.
As reported in the Michigan Law Review, U.S. courts are now dismissing Indian land claims because they are too disruptive and unsettling to state and local government expectations. But as noted in the article Tribal Disruption and Indian Claims, recent settlements by the Oneida, Chippewa and Anishinaabe demonstrate that creative solutions to governance issues in Indian country can clear out a legal space for improved conditions.
As reported in the Michigan Law Review, U.S. courts are now dismissing Indian land claims because they are too disruptive and unsettling to state and local government expectations. But as noted in the article Tribal Disruption and Indian Claims, recent settlements by the Oneida, Chippewa and Anishinaabe demonstrate that creative solutions to governance issues in Indian country can clear out a legal space for improved conditions.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Conflict-Free DRC
John Lasker writes about how Wall Street reform can save lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a major supplier of minerals used in luxury goods like cell phones and big screen TVs, DRC laborers have worked under brutal, life-threatening conditions. Like the campaign against blood diamonds, the campaign for conflict-free minerals is opposed by Wall Street, but then, we already figured that out.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Responsibility to Protect
Terri Hansen reports on the lack of accountability on the part of Washington State and U.S. Government agencies in cleaning up industrial contamination that makes eating fish from the Columbia River a human health hazard.
Friday, January 03, 2014
Indigenous Nation Liberation
On January 3, 2014, John Ahniwanika Schertow, editor and publisher of Intercontinental Cry Magazine, joined Global Research News Hour host Michael Welch to talk about media neglect of indigenous peoples generally, and the hope for their resilient, self-reliant movement for indigenous nation liberation specifically. Listen in.
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Stop FBI Repression
In 2008, the FBI preempted legal protest of illegal war by arresting anti-war activists days before the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 2011, three of these activists won a $50,000 settlement from the FBI and the City of St. Paul for the unlawful raid and violation of their constitutional rights. The activists donated most of the award to the Committee to Stop FBI Repression -- which organizes against the ongoing FBI repression of anti-war and international solidarity activists -- and to the Institute for Anarchist Studies.
The activists arrested in 2008 were, at the time, affectionately known as The RNC Welcoming Committee, and were certainly a welcome development in the fight against fascism in the US. We hope these upright good citizens will continue their good work through 2016, when Wall Street will no doubt serve up yet another pair of toadies to choose from as leader of the free world.
The activists arrested in 2008 were, at the time, affectionately known as The RNC Welcoming Committee, and were certainly a welcome development in the fight against fascism in the US. We hope these upright good citizens will continue their good work through 2016, when Wall Street will no doubt serve up yet another pair of toadies to choose from as leader of the free world.
