Page 765 – Toward Freedom

Old Days of the Radical Jews: How American Yiddish Theater Survived Through Satire

Paul Buhle October 8, 2008 Paul Buhle

The world of Yiddish theater in its glory days on Second Avenue in Manhattan of the 1910s-1940s seems like one more leftwing Jewish tale of another faraway universe. However, the productions have not ceased entirely and various forms of translations bring the theater to new audiences. What we've lost more than anything is the vernacular qualities, the ways in which this theater drew upon various forms of entertainment and edification from the shtetl to the immigrant ghetto, and how fully it engaged an excited and sometimes infuriated Jewish public.

Are Pakistan and the United States on the Brink of War?

Mustafa Qadri October 6, 2008 Mustafa Qadri

Explosion at Pakistan-Afghan Border

As the United States steps up border raids into Pakistan, troops from both countries have commenced a deadly game of brinksmanship. Although aimed at asserting each other's military presence along the Pakistan-Afghan border, the skirmishes risk outright hostilities. U.S. strikes in Pakistan are nothing new. Washington has conducted unilateral missile strikes since soon after its invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. But the tone of the U.S. presence changed this year.

This Toxic Life: Our World is Awash With Petro-Chemicals

Wayne Ellwood October 6, 2008 Wayne Ellwood

A Bale of Plastic Bottles

'Every time I come here my body gets sad and angry at the same time,' says Ron Plain. 'You can't put into words what it means to me.' We've just tumbled out of Ron's jeep near the end of a three-hour tour of Sarnia, Ontario's 'chemical valley'. Ron calls it his 'toxic tour'. He's done it dozens of times so the patter is easy and familiar. Sarnia is a gritty blue-collar community of 70,000 people at the top of the St Clair River, on the Canadian side, about a 100 kilometres north of Detroit.

New Zealand: The Maori Struggle for Land and Life

John Schertow October 2, 2008 John Schertow

The Maori People of Aotearoa (New Zealand) are now standing at a crossroads, forced to choose between sovereignty and colonialism. Within the recent Maori settlement program, the government offers large sums of money and small fragments of land. In exchange, the Maori are expected to give up their independence and become New Zealand citizens. Recent history shows that the New Zealand government is more than willing to use intimidation and violence to control and assimilate the Maori.

Videos: Analyzing and Protesting The Wall St. Bailout

Various Media October 2, 2008 Various Media

Tax wealthy to pay for bailout:

Sen. Bernie Sanders proposes amendment to make the wealthiest in US shoulder the costs of the bailout

Economist Dean Baker shares his thoughts on the bailout panic during a public panel held at the Institute for Policy Studies on Sept 30, 2008. Dr. Baker is the Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC and a columnist for The Washington Post and Atlantic Monthly. [Americans News Project]

On September 25, 2008, filmmaker Laura Hanna took her camera to Wall Street and captured protesters gathered to express their opposition to the proposed Wall Street bailout. The $700 billion bailout Bush endorses has been widely unpopular with the public, the lack of support reaching beyond party affiliation or ideological sympathies. No more "privatizing profits and socializing losses," declared one protester. "They live by the free market, let them die by the free market." -Erica Landau [Video Nation] read more

Latin America Censored: Toward Freedom Editor Receives Project Censored Award

Toward Freedom & Project Censored October 1, 2008 Toward Freedom & Project Censored

A number of recent developments have dramatically changed the military and political landscape of Latin America. While some electoral victories in Latin America signal a regional shift to the left, Washington continues to expand its military and navy presence throughout the hemisphere. This year Toward Freedom editor Benjamin Dangl received a Project Censored Award for his coverage of Washington's intervention in Latin America. Each year Project Censored selects the top 25 most important censored news stories chosen out of hundreds of articles.