July 12, 2008

Egypt: ‘Emergency’ rule goes on
Italy: Racism is official policy
Occupied Territories: Israel limits water
Argentina: Summit highlights integration, solidarity
Cuba: U.S. actions condemned

John McCain and Barack Obama kicked off their campaigns to reach the Latino community June 28, providing a unique comparative view of their sharply different philosophies and programs.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Lightening storms may have kept national AFL-CIO President John Sweeney’s plane from landing here in time for the Connecticut AFL-CIO convention June 23, but nothing could stop the delegates’ determination to prepare for their strongest mobilization ever in the 2008 elections.

Statesmen, royalty and major world figures in business, sports and entertainment celebrated the life of South African anti-apartheid and national liberation leader Nelson Mandela during a Hyde Park concert in London, June 27. The event honored Mandela’s 90th birthday, which is July 18, and comes 20 years after the 1988 Free Mandela concert that was held in London to demand his release from prison.

Teamsters Union president James Hoffa and Jorge Gamboa, president of the National Petroleum Workers Union of Colombia, warn that ratifying the U.S.-Colombia “free trade” agreement would continue the long civil war that results in hostage-taking there.

HOUSTON — 200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents swept up and arrested 166 workers at Action Rags,U.S.A., June 25, just north of the Houston Ship Channel here. Seventy were detained and the rest had to be released because they were U.S. citizens. Reports indicate that as many as 70 percent of those detained were women, 10 of whom were pregnant and most of whom were working to feed families.

A review of U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the 2007-2008 term should be enough to convince doubters of the importance of a massive vote to end the far-right Republican rule in government.

In 2002, this newspaper issued a bumper sticker that read, “No War for Oil.” Events show how “on target” we were.

Barack Obama is not a left candidate. This fact has seemingly surprised a number of progressive people who are bemoaning Obama’s “shift to the center.” (Right-wingers are happy to join them, suggesting Obama is a “flip-flopper.”) It’s sad that some who seek progressive change are missing the forest for the trees. But they will not dampen the wide and deep enthusiasm for blocking a third Bush term represented by John McCain, or for bringing Obama by a landslide into the White House with a large Democratic congressional majority