Jan 31, 2004

Liar, liar / Ban the death penalty!

Go ahead, George, and lie to me. Lie to my dog. Lie to my sister. But don’t you ever lie to my kids.

It is one year since Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the former metalworker and leader of Brazil’s left-wing Workers Party, was elected president of the country. I am in Rio de Janeiro, trying to find out what the people think about the country today and the president after his first year in office.

While 45 percent of U.S. workers express the desire to have a union, only 13 percent have one. Using bold, repressive and mostly illegal methods, corporate America has held new organizing to a tiny trickle as it systematically works to weaken and destroy unions where they exist.

Why is it necessary for the left to examine the concept of patriotism?

Because millions of Americans believe in it, cutting across all class and color lines.

Charlize Theron as Aileen “Lee” Wuornos is stunning and unrecognizable in “Monster,” written and directed by Patty Jenkins. When you see Lee, you don’t recognize Theron. Lee is big, has a false swagger, full of testosteronic tendencies. But most of all, she has a class stamp all over her.

A must read for today

People vs. Profits
Victor Perlo

Lee Cain, auto worker and UAW organizer, fighter for civil rights, and champion of the People’s Weekly World, died Jan. 13 at the age of 86.

Richard Trumpka, secretario tesorero de la AFL-CIO, se reunió con los representantes de 50 concilios municipales y estatales del trabajo en Washington el 20 de enero para lanzar una campaña laboral en favor de los huelguistas de los supermercados del sur de California.