Jan 18, 2003

Opinion


The headline over a recent article in the Economist proclaimed: “The Future is Texas: If you want to know where America is heading, start by studying the Lone Star State.” It went on to gush about the state’s “incredible ability to make something out of nothing,” its “openness,” (?) and its “creativity.”

A pesar de que la Marina de Guerra de Estados Unidos certificó antes el Congreso estadounidense que han encontrado otros sitios donde hacer sus prácticas bélicas, la gente de Vieques y Puerto Rico no van a dejar de luchar hasta que la Marina se vaya y las tierras viequenses sean retornadas al pueblo puertorriqueño.

Book Review


Fat Cats and Running Dogs – The Enron Stage of Capitalism, by Vijay Prashad, Common Courage Press, 2003; paperback, 144 pp., $16.95

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.: Street peace heat blunts winds of war / GARY, Ind.: Steel city says no to war / WASHINGTON, DC: Defend the right to safe and legal abortion / DECATUR, Ala.: 60 Steelworker jobs, 1,500 workers apply on first day / CONSHOHOCKEN, Penn.: Steelworker killed in Bethlehem mill / MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich.: GM defect threatens lives

The U.S. Navy started another round of military maneuvers and bombing on the island municipality of Vieques, Jan. 13, even though they have officially announced they will leave Vieques by May 1, 2003

At the petroleum refinery of Barrancabermeja the workers who are consigned to hard manual labor are called “lungos.” There are a lot of them and they earn very little.

CLEVELAND – “No war for oil,” thundered the Rev. Marvin McMickle at Antioch Baptist Church, Jan. 12, before a crowd of more than 600.

PHILADELPHIA – At its Jan. 8 meeting the Philadelphia AFL-CIO Central Labor Council passed a resolution against the war in Iraq. The Phila. Labor Council wanted to go on record as strongly opposing the Bush administration’s march toward war with Iraq and urging the administration to abide by and work through the United Nations Security Council resolution.

Some have said that switching from U.S. Senate leader Trent Lott (R-S.C.) to Dr. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is like going from the frying pan into the fire. Well, that isn’t entirely true, but analyzing voting records and families’ businesses, that would certainly seem to be the case.

HARTFORD, Conn. – Traffic here ground to a halt on the morning of Jan. 8, as several thousand marched on the state capitol in the cold and snow to protest the inhumane layoffs and cuts in services proposed by Republican Gov. John Rowland to close the state’s $2 billion budget deficit.