Month: October 2010
US: Spying and lying about the left
Source: Socialist Worker
Cindy Sheehan speaks at an antiwar demonstration
THE U.S. peace group “Peace of the Action” has discovered documents showing that it and many other organizations have been under surveillance for many months by a private agency called the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR).
Founded by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, Peace of the Action has focused on opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by pressuring legislators and organizing demonstrations and civil disobedience actions at visible places around Washington, D.C.
Nepalese Soldiers in British Army Struggle for Equality and Rights
After nearly 200 years service in the British army, the Nepalese Gurkha regiments may soon be disbanded as the British army sacrifices troop welfare in face of budget cuts.
In Vermont, Shades of McCarthy
Source: In These Times
At a September 23 debate, Republican candidate for Vermont governor Brian Dubie waved a sheaf of 8.5 x 11 printouts in the air. He announced he was holding a “list” of inmates “who need to be incarcerated,” and said his Democratic rival Peter Shumlin’s proposed corrections reform plan would free the criminals. Fanning the papers, Dubie charged:
“These are the 780 individuals that are on that list. On this list there are people that deal with pornography with children. There are drug dealers. There’s a comprehensive list of who these people are. That’s what my ad says. That’s what the list is.” Watch the video.
As Radical As Reality: An Interview with Mickey Z
"We're on the brink of economic, social, and environmental collapse. What an extraordinary time to be alive. How lucky are we? We've been trusted with the most vital mission of all time: survival." - Mickey Z
India: Commonwealth games brings homelessness and debt
Source: Green Left Weekly
The October 3-14 Commonwealth Games being held in Delhi have proven a disaster for India’s poor — economically and socially. Even before the games opened, 47 workers had died working on sites linked to the games, MSNBC.com said on September 23.
The September 23 Financial Times said working conditions were so bad that the People’s Union for Democratic Rights and other labour rights’ activists “filed a lawsuit in Delhi high court this year, claiming that workers on games sites faced unsafe conditions and rampant violation of a wide range of labour laws and standards.