May 2008 - Toward Freedom

Profit Over Food: The Root Causes of the Global Food Crisis

Al Huebner May 29, 2008 Al Huebner

Food Aid Arrives in Haiti

The story of rising food prices around the world, and the hunger and unrest it is producing, has been widely reported in the mainstream media. Yet rarely is there any serious analysis to find the cause of the crisis. At best it's assumed, based on past experience, that the cause is temporary, the crisis can be eased by increasing food aid and by taking steps to restore production. However, the causes of the present crisis are not temporary.

Politics in Kenya: A Look at Prime Minister Raila Odinga

Tabitha Nderitu May 28, 2008 Tabitha Nderitu

Raila Odinga

Nairobi,

Kenya

-Supporters cast Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga as a noble warrior fighting for democracy, transparency and accountability. Opponents portray him as a desperate adversary who would stop at nothing to achieve his political ends. Odinga himself acknowledges he has been criticized for changing political parties at will, but maintains that he has never compromised his principles. "Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others change their principles for the sake of their party," he said, quoting Winston Churchill.

Zimbabwe in Context

Grace Kwinjeh May 27, 2008 Grace Kwinjeh

The post election crisis in Zimbabwe is a manifestation of much deeper, complex issues to do with global capitalism and its vampire-like tendencies. At the root of the problems is the failure of our nationalist governments to deal with these dimensions of the global crisis: food shortages and price hikes; oil speculation; financial meltdowns and higher interest rates. It is only by addressing these issues that we can meet the aspirations of the masses for freedom and decent lives.

Citizen Nader: From Prophet to Punch Line

Greg Guma May 26, 2008 Greg Guma

When Ralph Nader announced his fourth bid for the US presidency on NBC in February 2004, shortly after Howard Dean's insurgent Democratic campaign imploded, he described his goal as building a "second front" in the fight to defeat George W. Bush. "Can we tolerate four more years of Bush," he asked rhetorically, answering with a no. In a June letter to contributors, he wrote, "No one wants to defeat George W. Bush more than I do."

Zimbabwe Elections: Hopes, Contradictions and Opportunities

Mandisi Majavu May 21, 2008 Mandisi Majavu

Morgan Tsvangirai

On May 2, 2008, the Zimbabwe election officials announced that Morgan Tsvangirai had beaten Robert Mugabe in the March 29 presidential poll. The results gave the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) Tsvangirai 47.9 percent of the vote and Mugabe 43.2 percent. These figures mean that although the MDC won the March 29 elections, the organisation failed to win the absolute majority necessary to avoid a runoff election.

Momentum: Acting Like the President

Greg Guma May 20, 2008 Greg Guma

A highly ambitious Congresswoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), a tough-as-nails ex-warrior (Laurence Fishburne), and a charismatic young turk (Ben Affleck) are fighting for the presidential nomination. Sound vaguely familiar? It's Momentum II, a better-than-the-real-thing political thriller that answers the question: Just how far will candidates go to get elected?