(2019-12-17). Bougainville votes for independence from Papua New Guinea. wsws.org Whatever the outcome, which is not assured, a tiny elite layer will enrich itself from mining profits while the broad population will continue to live in abject poverty.
(2019-12-17). Why Are Democrats So Afraid of Medicare for All? truthdig.com We might expect that corporate billionaires and Koch-funded Republican right-wingers would be howl-at-the-moon opponents of a wealth tax, Medicare-for-All, and other big progressive ideas to help improve the circumstances of America's workaday majority. | But Democrats, too? Unfortunately, yes. Not grassroots activists, but a gaggle of don't-rock-the-corporate-boat, fraidy-cat elected Democrats. | These naysayers are the party's old-line politicians, lobbyists, and other insider elites who are now screeching that Democratic candidates must back off those big proposals. | Why? Because, they squawk, being so bold,…
(2019-12-17). Patents, Theft of Intellectual Property (IP), Product Piracy and US-China Relations. globalresearch.ca There is one factor that contributed heavily to the wealth of America today that US history books seem to neglect. The US government and corporations today produce volumes of propaganda accusing China of copying American products or ideas, of having …
(2019-12-17). COP25 'disappointing' as wealthy nations block several major commitments. peoplesdispatch.org After exhaustive and grueling negotiations involving nearly 200 nation-states, the 25th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP), held at Madrid, ended up with a deal that has disappointed observers and environmentalists across the globe. The summit, which was supposed to end on Friday was stretched for another two days, as it was hit by several roadblocks, making it the longest ever international negotiation on climate change. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called the conference a "lost opportunity." | As always, poorer Third World nations called on the richer countries to t…
(2019-12-17). The Case for a Universal Basic Income. counterpunch.org 
In a British election campaign overshadowed by Brexit, one important Labour initiative attracted little or no attention. Buried on page 60 of the party's manifesto was a pledge to introduce a pilot scheme to explore Universal Basic Income (UBI), commonly defined as an unconditional cash transfer to all members of a political community, as a matter of right, without means-tests or work requirements. Giving few details, the manifesto described the program as an innovative way of responding to low pay and job insecurity. It marks the first time a major UK party expressed interest in UBI—though the commitment w…
(2019-12-17). Bernie smashes GOP & Dems for supporting 'massive, unpaid for' military spending hike in withering op-ed. rt.com 
Democratic 2020 hopeful Bernie Sanders took no prisoners in a scathing op-ed aimed at America's extravagant military spending, arguing a new budget proposal only proves the "hypocrisy" of Congress and its "corporate enablers." | Insisting on a government that represents all American citizens and not merely a wealthy "elite," the independent Vermont senator took to the pages of the Washington Post on Monday with an assault on the latest National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a comprehensive military spending bill set for a vote in the Senate later this week. | "Instead of massive spending on a bloated milit…
(2019-12-17). Are the Wealthiest Americans Tired of Winning Yet? counterpunch.org 
The obituaries for Paul Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chair who died last Sunday at age 92, have been consistently echoing a truly heroic narrative. Between 1979 and 1987, as one prominent obit pronounced, Volcker's bold and sweeping interest rate hikes shocked "the U.S. economy out of a cycle of inflation and malaise and so More
(2019-12-16). 2019 Latin America in Review: Year of the Revolt of the Dispossessed. mintpressnews.com 
2019 has not been an entirely bullish year for US imperialism, notwithstanding the hard turns to the right in Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Powerful winds against neoliberalism are gusting in Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and even in the US "Commonwealth" of Puerto Rico.
(2019-12-16). Metabolic monstrosities: Vampire capital in the Anthropocene. mronline.org Paraphrasing a passage from Marx in the Grundrisse, Stavros Tombazos remarks that "every economy is in the end an economy of time" (2014, 13). This is to say that the productivity of labour, the accumulation of wealth, and the circulation of goods and resources which make up an economy in its broadest sense are all […] | Source
(2019-12-16). Headlines for December 16, 2019. democracynow.org U.N. Climate Talks End with Few of the Commitments Needed to Avert Catastrophe, Top Republicans Coordinating with White House on Senate Impeachment Trial, Trump Set to Withdraw 4,000 Troops from Afghanistan Amid Revelations About Failing War Effort, At Least 6 Dead in India as Protests Rage Against Anti-Muslim Citizenship Law, Fire Kills 10 at Bangladesh Factory with "No Safety Measures", Police in Lebanon Break Up Protests Against Corruption & Inequality, Judge Orders 234,000 Names Purged from Voter Rolls in Wisconsin, Key Battleground State, New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew to Join Republican Party After Meeting w…
(2019-12-11). Papers Owned by Oligarchs Unsurprisingly Oppose a Wealth Tax. fair.org 
When wealth-tax advocates like senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are two of the top three contenders for winning the 2020 Democratic primaries, you can bet that the US ruling class is terrified by the possibility of being slightly less rich (FAIR.org, 4/16/19). Notably, US oligarch Jeff Bezos (who ow…
(2019-12-11). Economic Inequality Has Gone Bananas. progressive.org The same week the now-infamous banana gallery piece sold for over $100,000, the Trump administration announced its plans to slash the nation's nutrition assistance program.
(2019-12-11). Billionaire Presidential Hopeful Mike Bloomberg Addresses Press at COP25 But Won't Take Questions. democracynow.org 
Former New York mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg spoke at the U.N. climate summit Tuesday, saying he came to the climate talks because "no one from the White House" was there. The event was billed as a media opportunity, but Bloomberg refused to answer questions from the press. Bloomberg entered the presidential race in November and has since spent tens of millions of dollars of his own money on the race. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman followed Bloomberg through the conference venue, asking how he would address issues of inequality and whether his strategy to win the presidency was to outs…
(2019-11-12). SPLC Response to Union Petition. splcenter.org On November 7, 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center received a notice from the National Labor Relations Board that the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild seeks to represent certain employees through the formation of a union.