Month: July 2010

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BP in the Persian Gulf: How an Oil Company Helped Destroy Democracy in Iran

Stephen Kinzer July 21, 2010 Stephen Kinzer

Source: Tom Dispatch

To frustrated Americans who have begun boycotting BP: Welcome to the club.  It’s great not to be the only member any more!

Does boycotting BP really make sense?  Perhaps not.  After all, many BP filling stations are actually owned by local people, not the corporation itself.  Besides, when you’re filling up at a Shell or ExxonMobil station, it’s hard to feel much sense of moral triumph. Nonetheless, I reserve my right to drive by BP stations. I started doing it long before this year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. read more

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Venezuela should follow Argentina’s Example on Gay Rights

Edward Ellis July 20, 2010 Edward Ellis

Source: Venezuela Analysis

Argentina made history yesterday morning after a vociferously debated proposal permitting same sex marriage passed the country’s Senate by a vote of 33-27.

The country now has the honor of claiming that it is Latin America’s first to end the institutionally discriminatory practice of prohibiting gay marriage.  It is a measure that should be applauded by all those who are opposed to inequality and oppression based on sexual orientation.

Of course, the new law did not pass easily as opponents of the proposal were well organized and well funded.  Leading the opposition were, predictably, the conservative elements of the Catholic Church whose influence in Argentina and Latin America continues to be enormous.  But the fact that such a measure could pass in a country where 91% of the population considers itself to be catholic is an inspiration for Latin America and the rest of the world. read more

Timebanks: How to Share Time When Dollars Are Scarce

Mira Luna July 20, 2010 Mira Luna

During the last two great depressions in the U.S., hundreds of thousands (possibly millions) of people organized to meet their basic needs when the mainstream economy and centralized monetary system failed them. Unemployed poor folks got together to create time dollar stores and cooperative mills, farms, health care systems, foundries, repair and recycling facilities, distribution warehouses, and a myriad of other service exchanges. Many of these were based on the hour as a unit of account, and often everyone’s hour was equal and could either be exchanged for another hour of service or its equivalent in goods.

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Video – Six Months After the Earthquake: Deep Wounds in Haiti

Al Jazeera July 19, 2010 Al Jazeera

Source: Fault Lines, Al Jazeera

Six months after the earthquake that killed up to 300,000 people, the dust is starting to settle over Port-au-Prince. As it does, the deep wounds that fracture this country are re-emerging, more gaping than even before.

One-and-a-half million people remain displaced, many living under tents and tarps. Rubble removal is slow, and rebuilding has yet to begin.

The UN and NGOs are as omnipresent as the rubble – but the chasm between Haiti’s poor majority and the foreign organisations that say they are here to help seems as wide as ever. read more

Argentina Passes Gay Marriage Law

Marie Trigona July 15, 2010 Marie Trigona

Argentina approved a gay marriage law early this morning, making the country the first in Latin America where same-sex couples can wed. Same sex couples will now be granted the same rights, responsibilities and protections that married couples have. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s government supported the bill and defied the Catholic Church’s opposition to the law.