October 2009 - Page 3 of 6

A Brief History of Loyal Opposition to War

Chris Lombardi October 21, 2009 Chris Lombardi

"I joined the military to kill Iraqi people," Kristofer Goldsmith said softly in a Congressional hearing room in May of last year. The slim young veteran, his mohawk pulled back from his head in a half-braid, kept his eyes focused forward as news photographers scurried under the table at which he sat, saying: "I remember on September 12, 2001, looking up at the TV screen as a sixteen-year-old boy, saying we should use biological weapons and eliminate the threat in the Middle East."

Obama’s Choice: Play it Safe or Risk it All to Keep Hope Alive

Sandy LeonVest October 20, 2009 Sandy LeonVest

President Barack Obama has a choice to make - and it is one of Faustian proportions. He needs to decide who he wants to be, and how he wants history - and his children - to remember him. More specifically, he needs to decide whether he wants to be a Great Leader or whether to play it safe in the interest of being a two-term president.

Ten Years After Seattle: The Global Justice Movement Evolves

Christopher Moraff October 19, 2009 Christopher Moraff

Source: In These Times

When activists from around the world took to the streets of Pittsburgh in late September to protest the gathering of the Group of Twenty nations (G-20), they were not only putting the new administration in Washington on notice that “change” is more than a campaign slogan. They were reaffirming their commitment to a world that represents the interests of the poor and disadvantaged over that of the powered elite.

The near collapse of the global economy in 2008-which exposed the failings of neoliberalism-has propelled the anti-globalization movement to a level of renewed relevance. read more

France: Voters Reject Postal Privatization

Chris Latham October 19, 2009 Chris Latham

Source: Green Left Weekly

French people have sent a strong message to the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy with 90% of voters in a referendum organised by anti-privatisation campaigners rejecting plans to partially privatise the national postal service, La Poste.

The result highlighted public opposition to Sarkozy’s neoliberal assault on public services.

France, like other capitalist countries, has been restructuring the public sector under both centre-left and centre-right governments since the 1980s. However, these reforms have been blunted by working-class resistance, most spectacularly during the 1995 strike wave against attacks on the public sector and the student-led movement in 2006 against a law severely attacking the rights of young workers. read more

Iceless Arctic: Global Warming Accelerates While U.S. Backpedals

Shamus Cooke October 19, 2009 Shamus Cooke

Two recent studies have shocked the world in regard to global warming. A phenomenon that was to happen "possibly in our lifetime" has evolved into a threat capable of transforming the world in ten years time. A recent, extensive study of the northern polar ice caps released by climate expert Professor Peter Wadham, concluded that the Arctic Ocean would be "mostly" ice free in 10 years during the summer months.

US Senate Panel Extends Controversial Patriot Act Provisions

Jason Leopold October 16, 2009 Jason Leopold