(2020-11-23). Future of American Democracy: On Inequality, Polarization and Violence. counterpunch.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
(2020-11-23). Trump's Massive, Lawless, and Immoral Legacy to Our Country Will Continue Unless … counterpunch.org 
Trump has gotten away with almost everything throughout his bankruptcy-driven business career and his corrupt, cruel, and costly political years in the White House. Things changed on November 3, when he was retired by the voters.
(2020-11-23). The Yemen Civil War Arms Bonanza. counterpunch.org 
"Making billions from arms exports which fuel the conflict while providing a small fraction of that in aid to Yemen is both immoral and incoherent." So thundered Oxfam's Yemen Country Director, Muhsin Siddiquey after consulting figures from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showing that members of the G20 have exported over $17 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia since the Kingdom entered the conflict in Yemen. "The world's wealthiest nations cannot continue to put profits above the Yemeni people."
(2020-11-23). Thanksgiving in America: Massive food lines and evictions as benefits expire. wsws.org As the rise of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths continues unabated, working-class families across the US are facing hunger and poverty on a scale not seen since the Great Depression.
(2020-11-23). All intensive care beds occupied in Switzerland after COVID-19 infections explode. wsws.org Triage—treating some but not others—is now a major topic of discussion in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are being called on to make a living will and forgo treatment.
(2020-11-23). Embattled Australian Labor Party leader appeals for business support. wsws.org Albanese used a corporate fundraiser to declare Labor is "pro-aspiration, pro-entrepreneurship, pro-wealth creation and pro-growth."
(2020-11-23). Video: The Day of Democratic Shame. The Berlin November 18 Rally against The Lockdown. Police Repression. globalresearch.ca 18.11.2020 — Tag der demokratischen Schande — Die etwas andere Perspektive. | Police repression is being routinely carried out in response to Germany's Infection Protection Law which denies fundamental rights to oppose the Merkel government's lockdown policies, which have triggered unemployment …
(2020-11-22). A. Ocasio-Cortez Addresses Failure of U.S. Gov't to Address Poverty. indybay.org As New York Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated to an empty congressional room, on YouTube, the Senate broke for a holiday week while the workingclass of the USA starves. See www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNBeI-G3eQQ&feature=emb_logo and www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/20/breaking-senate-we-are-abandoning-our-people-watch-aoc-excoriate-mcconnell-house…
(2020-11-22). People Are Rising Up Against The Elites, So Should We. popularresistance.org This weekend, ten thousand people took to the streets in Guatemala to protest the President and Congress over a proposed budget, the largest in its history, that cuts funds for health care and education as poverty rises, and provides slush funds to politicians and governments. In Colombia, the people held a national strike to protest their violent, right-wing government. In Peru, protests against a right-wing power grab have ousted one appointed president and people are demanding a new government and constitution.
(2020-11-22). Guatemalan President Reviewing Budget, Which Slashed Healthcare Spending, After Outraged Protesters Set Fire to Legislative Building. commondreams.org "We are outraged by poverty, injustice, the way they have stolen the public's money," a psychology professor who attended the protests told the press. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1229722359_1.jpg …
(2020-11-22). The New Deal and Self-destructive Donald Trump. indybay.org After the stock market crash of 1929, capitalism was hit by its worst depression to date. The U.S. economy was similarly hard hit as the German economy. From 1929 to 1932 industrial production halved and in a chain reaction over 5000 banks went bankrupt. Farmers' incomes shrank by 70 percent, unemployment rose to 25 percent, and there were no welfare state measures to cushion the misery.
(2020-11-22). Poverty in Iraq's Basra rises to record 40%. indybay.org The Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) has warned that the Iraqi city and governorate of Basra is suffering from an increasingly high poverty rate, with almost 40 per cent of residents now living below the poverty line.
(2020-11-22). Pandemia's Norm: Wars and Rumors of Wars. strategic-culture.org Welcome to the world of Pandemia. It is a place where a deadly virus pandemic spreads in an out-of-control fashion. Sheltering at home has led to widespread unemployment. With closed borders and reduced airline flights, international and some domestic travel are all but dead. Legislatures and judicial courts render their decisions over video-conferencing connections. People of all ages die without being able to physically say farewell to their loved ones. | Pandemia is a dark place, where modern medicine and public health are dismissed by the equivalents of alchemists and indulgence sellers of medieval times. Pan…
(2020-11-21). Covid-19 pandemic could bring economic crisis on scale of 'Great Depression,' Putin tells G20 — warns of poverty & social disorder. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a global economic collapse that would have a significant impact on the lives of millions of people across the world. | Speaking at the virtual G20 summit of international leaders on Saturday, Putin warned that, "despite some positive signals, the main risk is still the so-called stagnant mass unemployment with a subsequent increase in poverty and social disorder." | "The coronavirus epidemic, the global lockdown and the freezing of economic activity launched a systemic economic crisis, which the modern world has not known s…
(2020-11-21). The Imperative to Achieve Medicare for All. scheerpost.com By Dr. Margaret Flowers / Popular Resistance Health care will be a major issue early in the new Biden/Harris administration. Unemployment is still high with over a million people applying for unemployment benefits last week and 42.6% of working age people without a job. In the United States, losing employment often means losing health insurance. On top of the 30 million people who are already… |
(2020-11-21). India gears up for historic workers' & farmers' joint protest on Nov 26-27. peoplesdispatch.org These are the latest in a wave of protests against the refusal to increase wages, increasing contractualization of workforce, dilution and dismantling of protective labor laws, price rise and unemployment, and other such policies of the Modi govt.
(2020-11-21). Corona containment could cause more suffering than it prevents. indybay.org In Sept 2020, UNICEF calculated that an additional 150 million children were pushed into poverty as a result of the economic collapse provoked by the quasi-global lockdown in spring. Already in July, experts from the World Food Program (WFP) warned that the Corona crisis could threaten an additional 130 million people with starvation this year.
(2020-11-21). John F. Kennedy and America's Lost Patriotic Heritage. dissidentvoice.org Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe…. — President Kennedy, 1961 Inaugural Address Where China and Russia are currently leading a new paradigm …
(2020-11-20). Ways You Can Help Eliminate Global Poverty. dissidentvoice.org 
Image Source: Pexels The planet may feel like a smaller place, thanks to the ease of travel and the internet, but the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that "approximately 1.2 billion people in the world live in extreme poverty" and earn less than a single dollar per day. Poverty affects the health and livelihood of …
(2020-11-20). The AMA Officially Recognized Racism As A Public-Health Threat. popularresistance.org The American Medical Association has officially defined racism as a public health threat that has created substantial health inequality. | Racism, both systemic and structural, has historically perpetuated health inequality and cut short the lives of many Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in the US and around the world. | Over the last year, a number of county and state authorities have also labelled racism a public health threat. | Among them are county councils in San Bernardino, California, and Montgomery, Maryland, as well as authorities in Michigan, Nevada, Cleveland, Denver, and Indianapolis.
(2020-11-20). Proposed £21 'coronavirus hike' on household energy bills slammed as 'shocking' and 'farcical'. thecanary.co 
British households may have to shoulder a hike on their energy bills from the beginning of April because of new proposals from Ofgem. The suggestion is already drawing strong criticism from groups which claim the energy companies have been "ripping us all off, plunging people into fuel poverty while raking in juicy profits". | Increase: | The regulator has proposed an increase to the maximum many households can be charged on their bills, claiming that the pandemic is putting pressure on energy companies. | Ofgem said it is considering a £21 per household coronavirus hike to the default price cap whe…
(2020-11-20). Increased use of food banks by middle-income families in UK as food poverty surges. wsws.org The wider use of food banks by what would have only recently been considered a more affluent layer is a growing trend and an indicator of how the pandemic has created a far-reaching cost of living crisis.
(2020-11-20). Guterres pledges support for sustainable industrial development in Africa. news.un.org The COVID-19 crisis was impacting Africa "well before the pandemic spread across the continent", the UN chief said on Friday, marking Africa Industrialization Day, arriving at a point when many economies were expanding and "poverty was in decline". ‚ÄØ…
(2020-11-20). Hailed as 'Heroes' During Pandemic, Retail Workers Stripped of Hazard Pay While Companies Rake in Massive Profits. commondreams.org Frontline retail workers have been given raises and hazard pay for keeping stores running and profits flowing amid the crisis—but a new study shows how essential workers are being treated as "sacrificial workers" by wealthy CEOs. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/wall_of_shame.jpg …
(2020-11-20). Over 235 Organizations Call On Biden To Cancel Student Debt. popularresistance.org Washington, D.C. — Over 235 organizations sent a letter to President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris, calling on them to use executive authority to cancel federal student debt on day one of their administration. | In the letter, 238 nonprofit and community organizations highlight that cancelling student debt would stimulate the economy, help reduce the racial wealth gap, and could have a positive impact on health outcomes. The groups write that "executive action is one of the few available tools that could immediately provide a boost to upwards of 44 million borrowers and the economy…
(2020-11-19). Georgia's Senate Runoff Will Determine Whether the Minimum Wage Increases. zcomm.org "Dollar stores feed more Americans than Whole Foods Market, and what we've learned is that they're not just a symptom of poverty, they are a cause of it."
(2020-11-19). Twelve million to lose unemployment benefits in December. wsws.org Seeking to blackmail workers back into dangerous workplaces, Congress continues to ignore the plight of millions of unemployed people left without aid.