2020-11-14: News Headlines

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-14). Future of American Democracy: On Inequality, Polarization and Violence. dissidentvoice.org In January 2017, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Democracy Index downgraded the state of democracy in the United States from "full democracy" to "flawed democracy". The demotion of a country that has constantly prided itself, not only on being democratic but also on championing democracy throughout the world, took many by surprise. Some US pundits …

Brian Wakamo (2020-11-14). 14 Successful Ballot Initiatives to Reduce Inequality. zcomm.org On November 3, voters in many states and cities approved a variety of inequality-related proposals, from taxing the wealthy to increasing the minimum wage and tenant protections…

CounterSpin (2020-11-13). Julie Hollar on Moving Democrats to the Right, Josh Bivens on Pandemic Unemployment. fair.org Media…

Juan Cole (2020-11-13). Georgia Sen. David Perdue Ready to Save His Ocean-Front Mansion From Rising Seas While Voting to Burn More Oil and Gas. commondreams.org Perdue, who is worth between $13 million and $39 million, is worried about rising sea levels. But he votes like he isn't worried, because he is sure he has the wealth to protect his own property from the worst effects, at least in his lifetime. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/perdue_0.jpg

RT (2020-11-12). US Covid task force chief Fauci says coronavirus vaccines should reach all parts of the world, not only rich states. rt.com America's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has called on pharmaceutical companies and institutes developing coronavirus vaccines to ensure that they are available in all countries, not only the wealthy ones. | As companies talk about the ability to make billions of doses, "we don't need hundreds of millions for the rich countries," Fauci told a webinar held by British thinktank Chatham House. | "We need billions [of vaccine doses], so whether you live in the darkest part of the developing world, or if you live in London, you should have the same access." | Vaccines clearly have the potential to…

Ron Jacobs (2020-11-12). Fascism, Trumpism and the Future. counterpunch.org Fascism is both a symptom and the essence of capitalism in decay. Its development into a movement tends to begin when small-time capitalists (the petit bourgeoisie, if you will) see their wealth, political power and survival as a stratum of society disappearing in the maws of the giant monopolies and financial houses. Not having the

Patricia Gorky (2020-11-12). Unemployment crisis continues unabated. liberationnews.org More than 1 million people filed for unemployment assistance last week according to new figures released today.

Heidi Shierholz (2020-11-12). Not Just Cruel, GOP Blocking Unemployment Aid Is Terrible Economics. commondreams.org With unemployment benefits for millions of workers set to expire in December, Senate Republicans must stop blocking aid. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/closed_1_0_1_0.jpg

Editor (2020-11-12). Fighting the Wildfires of Our Dystopian Present and Future. scheerpost.com Daria Devyatkina / CC BY 2.0] By Katharine Wilkinson / OtherWords As a writer and climate activist, I have a deep faith in our ability to heal the planet and ourselves. Even so, 2020 has been a heavy year, with the pandemic spreading, inequality growing, and our democracy fraying — all against a backdrop of wildfires and hurricanes. Our leaders have been focused on short-term profits for the few… |

Barbara G. Ellis (2020-11-12). Who Says H.S. Juniors Can't Ease Schools Other Headaches? counterpunch.org Amid the current unemployment statistics of 66.7 million filings since March—excluding the 1.3 million not looking for work—it clearly is no time for high school students to be invading the part-time adult workforce, perhaps even for gig labor. Because I'd been a high school teacher (Maine, Oregon) and at 15 held two part-time jobs, I

WSWS (2020-11-12). Australian government slashes JobSeeker to force more workers into low-paid jobs. wsws.org Both major parties agree on using the mass unemployment and financial distress triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic to further restructure economic and social relations in the interests of the capitalist class.

Global Research (2020-11-11). "The Globalization of War" and "The Globalization of Poverty" — Two Books by Michel Chossudovsky. globalresearch.ca The Globalization of War: America's "Long War" against Humanity by Michel Chossudovsky | America's hegemonic project in…

_____ (2020-11-11). This City Makes Sure No One Goes Hungry. popularresistance.org Nestled on a wide plateau surrounded by the Espinhaàßo Mountains in southeastern Brazil is the city of Belo Horizonte, roughly 275 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. The city of 2.5 million is an industrial and technological hub, which had historically led to stark socioeconomic divisions, including high rates of poverty. But while other similarly situated cities around the globe struggle to meet the basic needs of their residents, Belo Horizonte pioneered a food security system that has effectively eliminated hunger in the city. The entire program requires less than 2% of the city's annual budget.

Media Lens (2020-11-11). Robert Fisk: Death of a "Controversial" Journalist. dissidentvoice.org Robert Fisk, the Independent's Middle East correspondent, died on 30 October aged 74. In reviewing his life and career, the newspaper for which he worked for more than two decades wrote of their star reporter: 'Much of what Fisk wrote was controversial…' As John Pilger noted, in describing Fisk's journalism as 'controversial' the Independent was …