Page 158 – Toward Freedom

“Migrating is an Act of Resistance”: A Report from Mexico’s World Social Forum on Migrations

Tamara Pearson November 7, 2018 Tamara Pearson

While US President Donald Trump and other like-minded political and economic leaders are building walls, migrant activists say they are building bridges. Some 2,000 activists and academics from over 60 countries gathered in Mexico City over the weekend for the 8th World Social Forum on Migrations. The gathering aimed to create a new vision of migration and bring the various movements and organizations together.

Attacks on Human Rights Defenders are Reaching a Crisis Point Around the Globe

Tharanga Yakupitiyage November 7, 2018 Tharanga Yakupitiyage

In 2017 alone, over 300 Human Rights Defenders across 27 countries were killed, double the numbers from 2015. Almost 85 percent of the recorded murders were concentrated in five Latin American countries: Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

It Is a New Era, But China’s Balancing Act Will Fail in the Middle East

Ramzy Baroud November 7, 2018 Ramzy Baroud

Although ties between Washington and Tel Aviv are stronger than ever, Israeli leaders are aware of a vastly changing political landscape. The US' own political turmoil and the global power realignment - which is on full display in the Middle East - indicate that a new era is, indeed, in the making. Unsurprisingly, this new era involves China.

We Need a Socialist Caucus in Congress

Bhaskar Sunkara November 7, 2018 Bhaskar Sunkara

Source: Jacobin

To make sure newly elected socialists don’t end up looking like corporate Democrats, we need a democratic socialist caucus in Congress.

lexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s primary victory in June took the Democratic Party and media establishment by surprise. Running in New York’s fourteenth congressional district, she handily defeated one of the party’s most entrenched politicians and quickly became a national figure.

But the question suddenly became, “What now?”

There’s every reason to believe that Ocasio-Cortez’s success in NY-14 can be replicated. Previously powerful Democratic machines are sputtering. Voters are staying at home instead of turning out for Democratic National Committee–favored candidates. And as Ocasio Cortez’s race shows, a small group of committed activists with a popular message can win in elections even if they’re massively outspent. read more

A night of firsts: the candidates who made history in the 2018 midterms

Sam Levin and Julia Carrie Wong November 7, 2018 Sam Levin and Julia Carrie Wong

Source: The Guardian

Groundbreaking campaigns have broken barriers this election, with historic candidates changing the face of Congress and statehouses across the US. Women have run in record numbers, and Native Americans, Muslims, Latinos, immigrants, millennials and LGBT candidates have already made history with their campaigns.

Here are the key trailblazing candidates who are diversifying American politics and have already won their races so far. We will continue updating throughout the night as more results come in. read more

Democrats Won the House. To Keep Winning, They Need to Move Sharply Left.

Miles Kampf-Lassin November 7, 2018 Miles Kampf-Lassin

Source: In These Times

Democratic operatives will use the midterm results to preach centrism, but the future of the party lies in its left flank.

n the days following Nov. 8, 2016, the Democratic Party looked to be on life support. Party insiders had promised a repudiation of Trump’s far-right platform, and instead saw staggering Democratic losses at every level of government.

Flash forward two years and the party’s political fortunes are reversed. On Tuesday, voters across the country showed they’re fed up with their hate-monger-in chief and handed Democrats control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years. Much like the 2010 election and the arrival of the Tea Party on the national stage, the Democrats have benefitted from a wave of voters looking for a change in leadership and direction. read more