Commentary &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:Commentary News and Views from the People's Struggle Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:38:13 +0000 https://i.snap.as/RZCOEKyz.png Commentary &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:Commentary Commentary: Vectors of capitalism and the commodification of the people’s voice https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-vectors-of-capitalism-and-the-commodification-of-the-peoples-voice?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[A man with glasses sits speaking with a group of people. As the struggle for national liberation continues, we experience attacks and opposition from various angles in our society. The state weaponizes law enforcement and the justice system in order to threaten, subdue and eradicate those in our movements. The mainstream media sits at the opposite arm of this imperial body, disseminating propaganda to dull and warp the minds of millions through half-truths and obfuscation. To effect the reinforcing chauvinist fervor and trust in the system of capitalistic exploitation, we are constantly bombarded with stories and roundtable discussions syndicated by media conglomerates. These figures are financially incentivized to keep the masses from adopting any semblance of class consciousness. !--more-- Perhaps one of the more observable forms of this process is the constant stream of lies and false narratives reported around the Palestinian genocide by politicians and political pundits. However, I’ve observed a less obvious form of media programming that has been significantly more effective in its goals of reproducing individualistic ideals and enforcing systems of oppression that collectively harm our communities. I’m talking about rap music. More specifically, I’m speaking about the productions by artists financed by industrial powerhouses to create vapid and heavily corporatized messaging. Media that contains materialistic glamorization provides one side of the myth of Black capitalism to a catchy 808. A genre that at one point featured a plethora of young Black artists creating art that called upon criticisms of the various mechanisms of this society built on white hegemony, has largely been replaced them by those who will, at best, make shallow references to Black radical political ideas while eschewing any calls for changing our society to better meet our material conditions. A Brand Nubian or Public Enemy of the early 90s, two groups who followed the Black radical tradition of utilizing media to raise political consciousness, simply could not and do not exist with any mainstream presence in the present day. That isn’t to say that these artists no longer exist, but they are not at the forefront of the media circuit. This has not stopped the rap industry from becoming a global enterprise, with artists selling out millions in stadium venues across the world and headlining major sports events to crowds that would otherwise have disapproved of their preponderance. Rap is bigger than it’s ever been in the history of the genre, and along with it the media programming is at an all-time high. As a person who has been a fan of the genre for over two decades, I’ve watched an industry become more and more co-opted into vectors of mass compliance for capitalist exploitation - from brand deals and corporate sponsorships to globalization through every major social media platform on the internet. Rap is everywhere, and as much love I have for the genre it is primarily not positioned for the betterment of our communities. Concretely, what we have today is an ever expanding list of artists who serve the interests of those who most profit off the U.S. propaganda machine. Take Kendrick Lamar, who is widely regarded in both numerical and cultural values (ticket sales, music awards and pop cultural relevance) as one of the most highly successful rap artists of the last few decades. His discography includes a mix of upbeat and party music to more introspective and culturally relatable works exploring themes of financial exploitation and interpersonal relationship struggles (To Pimp a Butterfly, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers). What his artistry lacks, however, is any attempt at providing a sober analysis of the systems that churn profit off of our oppression and raise the question of the legitimacy of capitalism. When he says, “But remember, you ain't pass economics in school. And everything you buy, taxes will deny. I'll Wesley Snipe your ass before thirty-five,” he speaks to one of the ways that the tax system works in tandem with scholastic institutions to produce talented Black artists ignorant of financial exploitation. At the same time, there is no call to divorce young Black artists from engaging in this industry in the first place. An exploitative practice in the system is pointed out, but the legitimacy of the system and those benefiting from it remain relatively untouched. In fact, in this same song he features media mogul and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment Dr. Dre, who not only mentored Kendrick in his rise to success but is directly responsible for signing him onto the record label which produced most of his albums. Aftermath Entertainment is but one of many subsidiaries of the media powerhouse Universal Music Group, which has managed the albums of some of the most commercially successful pop artists of the last few decades, from Justin Beiber to Taylor Swift. It’s also worth noting that the CEO of this company, Lucian Grainge, is a staunch Zionist who has maintained an imperialist stance on the genocide of Palestinians for years. Music produced under such a global conglomerate simply cannot be allowed to question monopoly capitalism in any substantive form, and yet it is this music that is widely distributed through all manner of media outlets. Clearly it represents no threat to any wing of the establishment, and the artists who are absorbed into the system are used to expand the profits of the CEOs and their constituents through brand endorsements and commercial advertising. Seeing an artist heralded by the masses appear in a TV commercial for a multinational financial corporation like American Express, which Kendrick did alongside Shaq in 2016, only one year after To Pimp a Butterfly, sends a dangerous message to those communities - a message exacerbated by the fact that Kendrick was put on tour by that same financial corporation in the same year. And, to bring it to recent events, was the featured artist for one of the most televised sporting events in the world. This message is antithetical to the movement we are trying to build, and one that we cannot allow to foster amongst the people unabated. Growing up in the Black Belt South, I’ve experienced the effects that rap and hip-hop cultures largely have had on myself and my peers. There was a time when I would have championed a Kendrick Lamar Superbowl show, without considering the implications of showcasing dozens of corporations before, during and after the performance. The same performance had one of the backup dancers, Zul-Qarnain Nantambu, arrested for independently showing international solidarity for those suffering imperial-backed genocide in Palestine. But I wasn’t a communist who believed in the science of Marxism-Leninism then, and now that I am I see another great need in our working class struggles against the state. As we move forward in our struggles of liberation against the forces committed to our repression, we simply cannot understate the significance of mass media and the celebrity class in manufacturing consent for this system of greed and exploitation. When Malcolm X said, “The media is the most powerful entity on earth.” he was speaking to the power of the media to fool the working-class into believing in false narratives and to keep from correctly identifying and mobilizing against those in power. In all our organizing grounds, we seek to correct these ideas through political education of the people. However, we need to go a step further and cultivate a culture of media analysis that identifies the vectors of these pacifying ideas and address their sources of influence. When internationally recognized artists such as Meg the Stallion and Will.i.am are brought onto Kamala Harris’ campaign trail, we must be able to recognize the role they are playing in the imperial core and treat them as such. It’s the same position that Malcolm X correctly identified in 1963, and that role has only intensified in the digital age. Furthermore, our struggle against this arm of monopoly capitalism must be waged within and amongst ourselves. Our media consumption and engagement should be filtered through a materialist analysis of the artists and the messaging they are distributing amongst the masses. That means being expressly critical of the music and supporting industries we engage in, even more so given where we situate ourselves in these national liberation struggles. This is not a call to destroy your copy of Late Registration because of Kanye West’ most recent trend towards nazi apologia and his professed allegiance to the most reactionary elements of the U.S. political landscape. Rather, it is a reminder of the many forces we are up against as we continue to advance the struggle towards collective liberation from imperialism. We wish to transform society into one that is free from class exploitation, and we must be ready and willing to engage in that struggle in every aspect it manifests in. Even if that manifestation is set to a dope bass line. #Culture #Opinion #Commentary #AfricanAmerican #Rap div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> A man with glasses sits speaking with a group of people.

As the struggle for national liberation continues, we experience attacks and opposition from various angles in our society. The state weaponizes law enforcement and the justice system in order to threaten, subdue and eradicate those in our movements. The mainstream media sits at the opposite arm of this imperial body, disseminating propaganda to dull and warp the minds of millions through half-truths and obfuscation. To effect the reinforcing chauvinist fervor and trust in the system of capitalistic exploitation, we are constantly bombarded with stories and roundtable discussions syndicated by media conglomerates. These figures are financially incentivized to keep the masses from adopting any semblance of class consciousness.

Perhaps one of the more observable forms of this process is the constant stream of lies and false narratives reported around the Palestinian genocide by politicians and political pundits.

However, I’ve observed a less obvious form of media programming that has been significantly more effective in its goals of reproducing individualistic ideals and enforcing systems of oppression that collectively harm our communities. I’m talking about rap music. More specifically, I’m speaking about the productions by artists financed by industrial powerhouses to create vapid and heavily corporatized messaging.

Media that contains materialistic glamorization provides one side of the myth of Black capitalism to a catchy 808. A genre that at one point featured a plethora of young Black artists creating art that called upon criticisms of the various mechanisms of this society built on white hegemony, has largely been replaced them by those who will, at best, make shallow references to Black radical political ideas while eschewing any calls for changing our society to better meet our material conditions.

A Brand Nubian or Public Enemy of the early 90s, two groups who followed the Black radical tradition of utilizing media to raise political consciousness, simply could not and do not exist with any mainstream presence in the present day. That isn’t to say that these artists no longer exist, but they are not at the forefront of the media circuit. This has not stopped the rap industry from becoming a global enterprise, with artists selling out millions in stadium venues across the world and headlining major sports events to crowds that would otherwise have disapproved of their preponderance. Rap is bigger than it’s ever been in the history of the genre, and along with it the media programming is at an all-time high.

As a person who has been a fan of the genre for over two decades, I’ve watched an industry become more and more co-opted into vectors of mass compliance for capitalist exploitation – from brand deals and corporate sponsorships to globalization through every major social media platform on the internet. Rap is everywhere, and as much love I have for the genre it is primarily not positioned for the betterment of our communities.

Concretely, what we have today is an ever expanding list of artists who serve the interests of those who most profit off the U.S. propaganda machine. Take Kendrick Lamar, who is widely regarded in both numerical and cultural values (ticket sales, music awards and pop cultural relevance) as one of the most highly successful rap artists of the last few decades. His discography includes a mix of upbeat and party music to more introspective and culturally relatable works exploring themes of financial exploitation and interpersonal relationship struggles (To Pimp a Butterfly, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers). What his artistry lacks, however, is any attempt at providing a sober analysis of the systems that churn profit off of our oppression and raise the question of the legitimacy of capitalism.

When he says, “But remember, you ain't pass economics in school. And everything you buy, taxes will deny. I'll Wesley Snipe your ass before thirty-five,” he speaks to one of the ways that the tax system works in tandem with scholastic institutions to produce talented Black artists ignorant of financial exploitation. At the same time, there is no call to divorce young Black artists from engaging in this industry in the first place. An exploitative practice in the system is pointed out, but the legitimacy of the system and those benefiting from it remain relatively untouched. In fact, in this same song he features media mogul and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment Dr. Dre, who not only mentored Kendrick in his rise to success but is directly responsible for signing him onto the record label which produced most of his albums.

Aftermath Entertainment is but one of many subsidiaries of the media powerhouse Universal Music Group, which has managed the albums of some of the most commercially successful pop artists of the last few decades, from Justin Beiber to Taylor Swift. It’s also worth noting that the CEO of this company, Lucian Grainge, is a staunch Zionist who has maintained an imperialist stance on the genocide of Palestinians for years. Music produced under such a global conglomerate simply cannot be allowed to question monopoly capitalism in any substantive form, and yet it is this music that is widely distributed through all manner of media outlets. Clearly it represents no threat to any wing of the establishment, and the artists who are absorbed into the system are used to expand the profits of the CEOs and their constituents through brand endorsements and commercial advertising.

Seeing an artist heralded by the masses appear in a TV commercial for a multinational financial corporation like American Express, which Kendrick did alongside Shaq in 2016, only one year after To Pimp a Butterfly, sends a dangerous message to those communities – a message exacerbated by the fact that Kendrick was put on tour by that same financial corporation in the same year. And, to bring it to recent events, was the featured artist for one of the most televised sporting events in the world. This message is antithetical to the movement we are trying to build, and one that we cannot allow to foster amongst the people unabated.

Growing up in the Black Belt South, I’ve experienced the effects that rap and hip-hop cultures largely have had on myself and my peers. There was a time when I would have championed a Kendrick Lamar Superbowl show, without considering the implications of showcasing dozens of corporations before, during and after the performance. The same performance had one of the backup dancers, Zul-Qarnain Nantambu, arrested for independently showing international solidarity for those suffering imperial-backed genocide in Palestine. But I wasn’t a communist who believed in the science of Marxism-Leninism then, and now that I am I see another great need in our working class struggles against the state.

As we move forward in our struggles of liberation against the forces committed to our repression, we simply cannot understate the significance of mass media and the celebrity class in manufacturing consent for this system of greed and exploitation. When Malcolm X said, “The media is the most powerful entity on earth.” he was speaking to the power of the media to fool the working-class into believing in false narratives and to keep from correctly identifying and mobilizing against those in power.

In all our organizing grounds, we seek to correct these ideas through political education of the people. However, we need to go a step further and cultivate a culture of media analysis that identifies the vectors of these pacifying ideas and address their sources of influence. When internationally recognized artists such as Meg the Stallion and Will.i.am are brought onto Kamala Harris’ campaign trail, we must be able to recognize the role they are playing in the imperial core and treat them as such. It’s the same position that Malcolm X correctly identified in 1963, and that role has only intensified in the digital age.

Furthermore, our struggle against this arm of monopoly capitalism must be waged within and amongst ourselves. Our media consumption and engagement should be filtered through a materialist analysis of the artists and the messaging they are distributing amongst the masses. That means being expressly critical of the music and supporting industries we engage in, even more so given where we situate ourselves in these national liberation struggles. This is not a call to destroy your copy of Late Registration because of Kanye West’ most recent trend towards nazi apologia and his professed allegiance to the most reactionary elements of the U.S. political landscape. Rather, it is a reminder of the many forces we are up against as we continue to advance the struggle towards collective liberation from imperialism. We wish to transform society into one that is free from class exploitation, and we must be ready and willing to engage in that struggle in every aspect it manifests in. Even if that manifestation is set to a dope bass line.

#Culture #Opinion #Commentary #AfricanAmerican #Rap

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-vectors-of-capitalism-and-the-commodification-of-the-peoples-voice Mon, 24 Feb 2025 22:31:13 +0000 Trump halt to penny production will hurt low-income folks https://fightbacknews.org/trump-halt-to-penny-production-will-hurt-low-income-folks?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[San José, CA - On Sunday, February 9, President Trump ordered the U.S. Mint to stop producing pennies. Can he legally do this? Probably not, but Trump has shown a disregard for the law and even the Constitution that he swore to uphold. After all, he is a convicted criminal. It is Congress, not the president, nor the Federal Reserve Bank that determines the production of coins. !--more-- With fewer pennies in circulation, businesses will round off their prices. In Canada, they phased out their penny ten years ago, and required businesses to round off, both up and down, to the nearest five cents for the total cost, plus sales taxes. Without any regulation, businesses here in the United States would tend to round up, raising prices and giving a bump to inflation. Some of the greediest businesses could even round up the price of each item, and then round up the sales tax, to squeeze even more from the consumer. This would fall hardest on lower-income consumers who use cash. Now it is true, as Trump said, that the penny cost more than one cent to produce and distribute, so that the government loses money on this; this has been going on for years. But I have to ask, if the goal is purely about saving money, why stop production of the penny and not the nickel? While it cost two cents more to produce a penny than its face value, it costs the U.S. Mint five cents more to produce a nickel. Perhaps a difference is who is portrayed on each coin. The penny has the face of President Lincoln, who led the country in a war against the slave South. On the other hand, the nickel shows President Jefferson, who was a slave owner. Normally I wouldn’t think of this, but with Elon Musk and his Nazi salute, his support for neo-Nazis in Germany, and his band of racist and eugenicist interns in the DOGE, and Trump’s own bigotry, it is hard to argue that this had no role. #Opinion #Commentary #CapitalismAndEconomy #Trump div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> San José, CA – On Sunday, February 9, President Trump ordered the U.S. Mint to stop producing pennies.

Can he legally do this? Probably not, but Trump has shown a disregard for the law and even the Constitution that he swore to uphold. After all, he is a convicted criminal. It is Congress, not the president, nor the Federal Reserve Bank that determines the production of coins.

With fewer pennies in circulation, businesses will round off their prices. In Canada, they phased out their penny ten years ago, and required businesses to round off, both up and down, to the nearest five cents for the total cost, plus sales taxes. Without any regulation, businesses here in the United States would tend to round up, raising prices and giving a bump to inflation. Some of the greediest businesses could even round up the price of each item, and then round up the sales tax, to squeeze even more from the consumer. This would fall hardest on lower-income consumers who use cash.

Now it is true, as Trump said, that the penny cost more than one cent to produce and distribute, so that the government loses money on this; this has been going on for years. But I have to ask, if the goal is purely about saving money, why stop production of the penny and not the nickel? While it cost two cents more to produce a penny than its face value, it costs the U.S. Mint five cents more to produce a nickel.

Perhaps a difference is who is portrayed on each coin. The penny has the face of President Lincoln, who led the country in a war against the slave South. On the other hand, the nickel shows President Jefferson, who was a slave owner. Normally I wouldn’t think of this, but with Elon Musk and his Nazi salute, his support for neo-Nazis in Germany, and his band of racist and eugenicist interns in the DOGE, and Trump’s own bigotry, it is hard to argue that this had no role.

#Opinion #Commentary #CapitalismAndEconomy #Trump

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/trump-halt-to-penny-production-will-hurt-low-income-folks Mon, 10 Feb 2025 21:37:15 +0000 Comentario: La candidata a Fiscal General es una sirviente de Trump empeñada en reprimir a los manifestantes. https://fightbacknews.org/comentario-la-candidata-a-fiscal-general-es-una-sirviente-de-trump-empenada-en?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Pam Bondi. El 25 de noviembre, el presidente electo Donald Trump anunció su nominación de Pam Bondi para fiscal general de los Estados Unidos. Bondi, de Tampa, es la antigua fiscal general para el estado de Florida. Si es confirmada, ella dirigiría el Departamento de Justicia (DOJ), que supervisa agencias como el Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI) y la (Administración de Control de Drogas) DEA. !--more-- “El cargo más importante después del presidente de los Estados Unidos en la próxima administración, no soy yo. Es a quién seleccionemos como fiscal general,” dijo el vicepresidente electo JD Vance, en una entrevista con la National Public Radio. Esta candidatura marca dos cambios importantes. Primero, el gobierno estadounidense está tan polarizado que un DOJ de Trump no hará ningún intento de parecer justicia ciega, por encima de políticas partidarias. Segundo, Trump quiere aprovechar los poderes federales para pisotear el derecho a reunirse. Bondi: Una títere corrupta Él anunció su decisión pocas horas después de que su anterior candidato, el representante federal Matt Gaetz, renunciara. Trump escogió a Gaetz por su lealtad política, pero tuvo que abandonarlo porque el congresista enfrentaba una investigación federal por tráfico sexual. Bondi claramente estaba en la lista corta de Trump. Ya se predice que ella tendrá un camino más fácil para ser confirmada, considerando su experiencia en la fiscalía. Esta administración entrante tiene a los antiguos fiscales generales Jeff Sessions y William Barr en el retrovisor. Ambos cayeron en desgracia con Trump por romper filas cuando él estuvo bajo investigación. Bondi, por otro lado, tiene una historia comprobada de dedicación. Su lealtad data de 2013, cuando su oficina de repente dio marcha atrás a investigar la Universidad Trump. A los pocos días de este cambio de postura, un comité de acción política apoyando la campaña de reelección de Bondi recibió una contribución de $25,000 de la Fundación Donald J. Trump. En 2016, Bondi apareció en una manifestación por Trump. En 2020, sirvió en su equipo legal durante su primer juicio político. Ella se unió a los gritos de “detener el robo" cuando Trump perdió la elección de ese año. En mayo de 2023, ella apareció en su juicio criminal. Como fiscal general de Florida, Bondi se opuso al matrimonio gay y se unió a una demanda contra la Ley del Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio. Su tiempo en el sector privado incluyó hacer cabildeo para Amazon y Uber. Actualmente preside los brazos legales del America First Policy Institute, un centro de estudios pro-Trump. En un artículo reciente del Daily Caller, los antiguos empleados de Bondi insinúan que su DOJ exoneraría a Trump y enjuiciaría a oponentes en el Partido Demócrata. Lista para criminalizar las protestas Bondi llego a los titulares después de su entrevista con Newsmax en octubre 2023 sobre los activistas estudiantiles. “Francamente, necesitan ser sacados de nuestro país, o el FBI debería entrevistarlos de inmediato cuando dicen ‘Apoyo a Hamas. Soy Hamas,’” dijo. Eso es peligroso, porque las cortes del DOJ son responsables de escuchar casos de deportación. Las condenas por “delitos que impliquen depravación moral” son motivo para la deportación bajo la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad, incluso para residentes permanentes y los titulares de visas. Estos pueden incluir delitos menores, como crímenes de odio (a menudo interpretados para incluir el anti-sionismo), acoso, y otros cargos injustamente usados contra manifestantes. Hay defensas legales potenciales, dependiendo del caso. Además de esto, Bondi declaró que el FBI debería investigar manifestantes. Esto va más allá de cualquier cosa que Trump ha dicho en público. También representaría una clara violación de los derechos de la Primera Enmienda. Más allá de estas declaraciones sobre la solidaridad con Palestina, ella ha elaborado planes para reprimir el Movimiento por la Liberación Negra. Menos de una semana después de que Trump ganara la elección de este año, el ala de Bondi del America First Policy Institute publicó un reporte sobre protestas en Portland, Oregón durante la rebelión por George Floyd y Breonna Taylor. El informe promete un “enfoque de América primero a la violencia liberal.” El momento no podría enviar una señal más clara de que la candidata a fiscal general está espumando en la boca por la represión racista y política. La elección de la ciudad para el reporte también es significativa. Portland es donde agentes federales sin identificación se llevaron a personas de las calles en 2020. Por ahora, una ley de 2021 exige que oficiales federales lleven una identificación visible mientras realizan control de multitudes. Las organizaciones del movimiento ganaron esto después del levantamiento en Portland. El reporte también culpa a los “fiscales progresistas renegados” por retirar los cargos contra “más del 90%” de los manifestantes de Portland, indicando la voluntad de Bondi de maximizar las acusaciones contra activistas. Dicho esto, Bondi comparte su ciudad de origen con las 5 de Tampa. Estas cinco mujeres enfrentaron cargos de delito mayor inventados por protestar ataques contra la diversidad en la educación, pero vencieron todos los cargos. Como ellas, los manifestantes en solidaridad con Palestina de costa a costa han resistido en la corte y varias veces han ganado. Las estrategias más exitosas para luchar en contra se basan en abogados defensores agresivos y campañas de apoyo público. Entre más intensa sea la batalla contra la injusticia, más mostrará este sistema su putrefacción. #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #Bondi #Opinion #Commentary div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Pam Bondi.

El 25 de noviembre, el presidente electo Donald Trump anunció su nominación de Pam Bondi para fiscal general de los Estados Unidos. Bondi, de Tampa, es la antigua fiscal general para el estado de Florida. Si es confirmada, ella dirigiría el Departamento de Justicia (DOJ), que supervisa agencias como el Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI) y la (Administración de Control de Drogas) DEA.

“El cargo más importante después del presidente de los Estados Unidos en la próxima administración, no soy yo. Es a quién seleccionemos como fiscal general,” dijo el vicepresidente electo JD Vance, en una entrevista con la National Public Radio.

Esta candidatura marca dos cambios importantes. Primero, el gobierno estadounidense está tan polarizado que un DOJ de Trump no hará ningún intento de parecer justicia ciega, por encima de políticas partidarias. Segundo, Trump quiere aprovechar los poderes federales para pisotear el derecho a reunirse.

Bondi: Una títere corrupta

Él anunció su decisión pocas horas después de que su anterior candidato, el representante federal Matt Gaetz, renunciara. Trump escogió a Gaetz por su lealtad política, pero tuvo que abandonarlo porque el congresista enfrentaba una investigación federal por tráfico sexual. Bondi claramente estaba en la lista corta de Trump. Ya se predice que ella tendrá un camino más fácil para ser confirmada, considerando su experiencia en la fiscalía.

Esta administración entrante tiene a los antiguos fiscales generales Jeff Sessions y William Barr en el retrovisor. Ambos cayeron en desgracia con Trump por romper filas cuando él estuvo bajo investigación. Bondi, por otro lado, tiene una historia comprobada de dedicación.

Su lealtad data de 2013, cuando su oficina de repente dio marcha atrás a investigar la Universidad Trump. A los pocos días de este cambio de postura, un comité de acción política apoyando la campaña de reelección de Bondi recibió una contribución de $25,000 de la Fundación Donald J. Trump. En 2016, Bondi apareció en una manifestación por Trump. En 2020, sirvió en su equipo legal durante su primer juicio político. Ella se unió a los gritos de “detener el robo” cuando Trump perdió la elección de ese año. En mayo de 2023, ella apareció en su juicio criminal.

Como fiscal general de Florida, Bondi se opuso al matrimonio gay y se unió a una demanda contra la Ley del Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio. Su tiempo en el sector privado incluyó hacer cabildeo para Amazon y Uber. Actualmente preside los brazos legales del America First Policy Institute, un centro de estudios pro-Trump.

En un artículo reciente del Daily Caller, los antiguos empleados de Bondi insinúan que su DOJ exoneraría a Trump y enjuiciaría a oponentes en el Partido Demócrata.

Lista para criminalizar las protestas

Bondi llego a los titulares después de su entrevista con Newsmax en octubre 2023 sobre los activistas estudiantiles. “Francamente, necesitan ser sacados de nuestro país, o el FBI debería entrevistarlos de inmediato cuando dicen ‘Apoyo a Hamas. Soy Hamas,’” dijo.

Eso es peligroso, porque las cortes del DOJ son responsables de escuchar casos de deportación. Las condenas por “delitos que impliquen depravación moral” son motivo para la deportación bajo la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad, incluso para residentes permanentes y los titulares de visas. Estos pueden incluir delitos menores, como crímenes de odio (a menudo interpretados para incluir el anti-sionismo), acoso, y otros cargos injustamente usados contra manifestantes. Hay defensas legales potenciales, dependiendo del caso.

Además de esto, Bondi declaró que el FBI debería investigar manifestantes. Esto va más allá de cualquier cosa que Trump ha dicho en público. También representaría una clara violación de los derechos de la Primera Enmienda.

Más allá de estas declaraciones sobre la solidaridad con Palestina, ella ha elaborado planes para reprimir el Movimiento por la Liberación Negra.

Menos de una semana después de que Trump ganara la elección de este año, el ala de Bondi del America First Policy Institute publicó un reporte sobre protestas en Portland, Oregón durante la rebelión por George Floyd y Breonna Taylor. El informe promete un “enfoque de América primero a la violencia liberal.”

El momento no podría enviar una señal más clara de que la candidata a fiscal general está espumando en la boca por la represión racista y política. La elección de la ciudad para el reporte también es significativa. Portland es donde agentes federales sin identificación se llevaron a personas de las calles en 2020.

Por ahora, una ley de 2021 exige que oficiales federales lleven una identificación visible mientras realizan control de multitudes. Las organizaciones del movimiento ganaron esto después del levantamiento en Portland.

El reporte también culpa a los “fiscales progresistas renegados” por retirar los cargos contra “más del 90%” de los manifestantes de Portland, indicando la voluntad de Bondi de maximizar las acusaciones contra activistas.

Dicho esto, Bondi comparte su ciudad de origen con las 5 de Tampa. Estas cinco mujeres enfrentaron cargos de delito mayor inventados por protestar ataques contra la diversidad en la educación, pero vencieron todos los cargos. Como ellas, los manifestantes en solidaridad con Palestina de costa a costa han resistido en la corte y varias veces han ganado. Las estrategias más exitosas para luchar en contra se basan en abogados defensores agresivos y campañas de apoyo público. Entre más intensa sea la batalla contra la injusticia, más mostrará este sistema su putrefacción.

#PeoplesStruggles #Trump #Bondi #Opinion #Commentary

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/comentario-la-candidata-a-fiscal-general-es-una-sirviente-de-trump-empenada-en Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:01:30 +0000 Commentary: Ruling class media paints Luigi Mangione as a villain, but we are not here for it https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-ruling-class-media-paints-luigi-mangione-as-a-villain-but-we-are?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[By Regina Joseph, Tiffani Mendez and Thomas Speirs On December 4, United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in broad daylight, right in front of the hotel where a UHC investors meeting was set to begin. What followed was a multi-million dollar manhunt that culminated in the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. Since then, the ruling class media have worked overtime to paint Mangione as a villain, although he represents people’s righteous anger at a health “care” system that is killing us. !--more-- In one breath, Fox News hosts derided those who applaud Mangione as “nutbags” and claimed they had a “sickness.” Then, in the same segment, Laura Ingram said subway killer Daniel Penny was a hero. She supports individuals such as Daniel Penny because of a deeply rooted racism and white chauvinism. In Ingram’s world, the actions of Daniel Penny, the white ex-Marine found not guilty of the murder of Jordan Neely, a homeless Black person and street performer, meet with her approval precisely because she embraces keeping the oppressed oppressed. The hypocrisy is blatant and unsurprising. Fox News is silently shouting that the life of a Black homeless man is worth less than the life of a high-powered white health insurance executive. Right-wingers love vigilantism as long as it doesn’t target the rich and powerful. They celebrate racist killers like George Zimmerman, Kyle Rittenhouse and Daniel Penny but condemn Luigi Mangione. It’s not just the right-wing media that is trying to persuade Americans against Mangione; liberal publications like The Daily Beast have published headlines like “Luigi Mangione Destroyed His Grandfather’s Rags-to-Riches Legacy.” The media is attempting to frame the focus away from the systemic failures Mangione’s actions highlighted and redirect it toward character assassination. The media tries to turn the public eye towards the privileged upbringing of Mangione and attempts to bury the man’s chronic suffering, which was much like the suffering of many Americans. This isn't an issue of “left-wing lunatics” celebrating the death of a CEO. The events of the last week shine a light on the hundreds of thousands of Americans drowning in medical debt and grieving loved ones who were killed by the profit-driven healthcare industry. Sky-high premiums, along with benefits that are cut more steeply each year, are taking a toll on the people. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation found that in 2022, the average American spent significantly more on healthcare than other countries, at $13,493 per person or $4.5 trillion nationwide. Additionally, Statista reports, “As of 2023, around 19 percent of U.S. adults were satisfied with the total healthcare cost in the United States.” According to Value Penguin, UnitedHealthcare’s claim denial rate is the highest in the industry, at 32%. Physicians for a National Health Program also found that 44,789 Americans die every year due to a lack of healthcare. The United States of America is touted as the wealthiest country in the world. Yet, it is the only developed nation that does not provide free universal healthcare to its citizens. The American people are aware of the growing social inequality. They are aware of the ways that the wealthy 1% uses power and money to disenfranchise the masses. Therefore, the ruling class must contend with what will undoubtedly be increased hostility as the people grapple with the hypocrisies of our present society. Luigi Mangione is not the villain - the healthcare industry is. Ultimately, Brian Thompson's death does not undo this for-profit industry's systemic failures. Individual actions like this are not the answer. Organizing is. Donald Trump will be sworn in as president soon, and he has already promised to undo the Affordable Care Act. What the killing of Brian Thompson has shown is that the masses of the American people want something better, sooner rather than later. Now is the time to demand single-payer healthcare. The current system, which places the profits of the wealthy before the needs of the people, needs to go. #Opinion #Commentary #Healthcare #LuigiMangione #HealthInsurance div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> By Regina Joseph, Tiffani Mendez and Thomas Speirs

On December 4, United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in broad daylight, right in front of the hotel where a UHC investors meeting was set to begin. What followed was a multi-million dollar manhunt that culminated in the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione.

Since then, the ruling class media have worked overtime to paint Mangione as a villain, although he represents people’s righteous anger at a health “care” system that is killing us.

In one breath, Fox News hosts derided those who applaud Mangione as “nutbags” and claimed they had a “sickness.” Then, in the same segment, Laura Ingram said subway killer Daniel Penny was a hero. She supports individuals such as Daniel Penny because of a deeply rooted racism and white chauvinism. In Ingram’s world, the actions of Daniel Penny, the white ex-Marine found not guilty of the murder of Jordan Neely, a homeless Black person and street performer, meet with her approval precisely because she embraces keeping the oppressed oppressed.

The hypocrisy is blatant and unsurprising. Fox News is silently shouting that the life of a Black homeless man is worth less than the life of a high-powered white health insurance executive.

Right-wingers love vigilantism as long as it doesn’t target the rich and powerful. They celebrate racist killers like George Zimmerman, Kyle Rittenhouse and Daniel Penny but condemn Luigi Mangione.

It’s not just the right-wing media that is trying to persuade Americans against Mangione; liberal publications like The Daily Beast have published headlines like “Luigi Mangione Destroyed His Grandfather’s Rags-to-Riches Legacy.” The media is attempting to frame the focus away from the systemic failures Mangione’s actions highlighted and redirect it toward character assassination. The media tries to turn the public eye towards the privileged upbringing of Mangione and attempts to bury the man’s chronic suffering, which was much like the suffering of many Americans.

This isn't an issue of “left-wing lunatics” celebrating the death of a CEO. The events of the last week shine a light on the hundreds of thousands of Americans drowning in medical debt and grieving loved ones who were killed by the profit-driven healthcare industry. Sky-high premiums, along with benefits that are cut more steeply each year, are taking a toll on the people. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation found that in 2022, the average American spent significantly more on healthcare than other countries, at $13,493 per person or $4.5 trillion nationwide.

Additionally, Statista reports, “As of 2023, around 19 percent of U.S. adults were satisfied with the total healthcare cost in the United States.” According to Value Penguin, UnitedHealthcare’s claim denial rate is the highest in the industry, at 32%. Physicians for a National Health Program also found that 44,789 Americans die every year due to a lack of healthcare. The United States of America is touted as the wealthiest country in the world. Yet, it is the only developed nation that does not provide free universal healthcare to its citizens.

The American people are aware of the growing social inequality. They are aware of the ways that the wealthy 1% uses power and money to disenfranchise the masses. Therefore, the ruling class must contend with what will undoubtedly be increased hostility as the people grapple with the hypocrisies of our present society.

Luigi Mangione is not the villain – the healthcare industry is. Ultimately, Brian Thompson's death does not undo this for-profit industry's systemic failures. Individual actions like this are not the answer. Organizing is.

Donald Trump will be sworn in as president soon, and he has already promised to undo the Affordable Care Act. What the killing of Brian Thompson has shown is that the masses of the American people want something better, sooner rather than later. Now is the time to demand single-payer healthcare. The current system, which places the profits of the wealthy before the needs of the people, needs to go.

#Opinion #Commentary #Healthcare #LuigiMangione #HealthInsurance

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-ruling-class-media-paints-luigi-mangione-as-a-villain-but-we-are Fri, 20 Dec 2024 20:49:20 +0000 Commentary: Far from ‘sophisticated,’ Lebanon bombings show Israel’s crude, failing strategy https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-far-from-sophisticated-lebanon-bombings-show-israels-crude?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ Thousands of small, seemingly innocuous devices, exploding in the hands and pockets of Israel’s enemies. Tuesday and Wednesday’s bombing attacks across Lebanon have been hailed by Zionists as a crushing blow to Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, an intelligence coup that one viral tweet called "biblical" in scale and sophistication. But while the attacks certainly showed cunning, an analysis of their targets, objectives and likely effects reveals not sophistication but a crude logic of collective punishment, common to flailing colonial regimes. !--more-- Who are the victims? Contrary to its portrayal in Western media as a shadowy underground terror organization, Hezbollah is in reality a vast social movement, with mass support and an above-ground institutional network that goes far beyond guerrilla warfare. Hezbollah operates hospitals, charities, schools, agricultural development centers, garbage collection and other social services across Lebanon. It also has a political bureau, with members elected to the Lebanese Parliament and holding ministerial appointments in the official government. In other words, Hezbollah employs many thousands of people in noncombatant and civilian roles. Many—if not most—of the bombing victims appear to have been from this category, including doctors, first responders, administrative and diplomatic personnel. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was also wounded in Tuesday’s attack, as well as several people in neighboring Syria. While much has been made of the attacks supposedly breaching Hezbollah’s famed operational security measures, recognizing many of the victims to be civilian functionaries paints a different picture. Israel and/or its allies simply planted explosives in large numbers of devices bound for Hezbollah-connected institutions, then began detonating them indiscriminately. Far from a masterstroke of targeted espionage, this is just another of Israel’s grotesque mass bombing campaigns. A failing strategy Hezbollah’s frontline positions seem to have been negligibly affected. Resistance operations continue along the Zionist occupation’s northern border. So what is Israel’s strategy with the device bombings? Terrorism, plain and simple. It sought to convey to the entire population of Lebanon that it will target anyone remotely involved with the resistance, no matter how incidental or tertiary the connection—children and other family members, or even random bystanders. This is much like Israel’s strategy in Gaza. There, too, Israel has openly targeted civilian families of suspected Hamas members on a mass scale, as well as doctors and nurses, aid workers, police and other civilian functionaries deemed to be "part of" Hamas—which, like Hezbollah, operates a vast network of social and political institutions in addition to its armed wing. In Gaza, Israel’s strategy has largely failed. Despite Israel’s nearly year-long campaign of mass murder and destruction, Hamas continues to function both as an administrative and military formation, even retaining the ability to strike inside the borders of the Zionist occupation. Crucially, the genocidal scale of Israel’s terrorism has failed to crush the spirit of resistance among the Palestinian masses. Gaza remains a quagmire for Israel. High-tech atrocities Likewise, the device bombings in Lebanon are unlikely to win anything beyond a short-term morale boost in the twisted minds of Zionists, but the human toll remains horrifying to contemplate. Focusing on the death count alone obscures the scale and the truly gruesome nature of the attack. While at least three dozen people have been killed by exploding pagers and other devices, hundreds to potentially thousands more have lost hands, eyes and other organs. Let’s be clear about the historical precedents for this: from 19th-century colonial authorities in the Congo Free State chopping off plantation workers’ hands, to the mutilations of Mau Mau rebel prisoners by British occupiers in 1950s Kenya, to Israel’s own “break their bones” doctrine against Palestinian protesters during the First Intifada—not to mention the tens of thousands wounded during the ongoing Gaza genocide—mass maiming and disfigurement campaigns have long been waged by colonial regimes against indigenous resistance. Whether done by machete or by exploding pager, the sadistic brutality is the same. If there is anything new about the bombings, it’s the large-scale weaponization of civilian consumer items. It heralds an era where household tech devices might not only be spying on you but waiting for a signal to bomb you. This novel tactic will force resistance groups around the world to reevaluate their suppliers, but the greater economic fallout could affect civilian supply chains and consumer behaviors all over the world. Considering that Israel’s own economy relies heavily on its tech sector, the mass boobytrapping of tech products reeks of desperation. Regardless whether these attacks continue, and regardless whether Israel ultimately attempts a Gaza-style military invasion in Lebanon, Israel’s crude strategy of mass reprisals against resisting populations is unlikely to succeed in the long run. History shows that colonial violence tends to unite and grow national liberation movements, not silence them. People here in the United States—Israel’s main director and sponsor—have our part to play. By building international solidarity with liberation movements, we help create the conditions for the overthrow of the imperialist system altogether. Wyatt Miller is an organizer with the Minnesota Anti-War Committee. #Opinion #Commentary #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Lebanon #Feature div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]>

Thousands of small, seemingly innocuous devices, exploding in the hands and pockets of Israel’s enemies. Tuesday and Wednesday’s bombing attacks across Lebanon have been hailed by Zionists as a crushing blow to Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, an intelligence coup that one viral tweet called “biblical” in scale and sophistication.

But while the attacks certainly showed cunning, an analysis of their targets, objectives and likely effects reveals not sophistication but a crude logic of collective punishment, common to flailing colonial regimes.

Who are the victims?

Contrary to its portrayal in Western media as a shadowy underground terror organization, Hezbollah is in reality a vast social movement, with mass support and an above-ground institutional network that goes far beyond guerrilla warfare. Hezbollah operates hospitals, charities, schools, agricultural development centers, garbage collection and other social services across Lebanon. It also has a political bureau, with members elected to the Lebanese Parliament and holding ministerial appointments in the official government.

In other words, Hezbollah employs many thousands of people in noncombatant and civilian roles. Many—if not most—of the bombing victims appear to have been from this category, including doctors, first responders, administrative and diplomatic personnel. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was also wounded in Tuesday’s attack, as well as several people in neighboring Syria.

While much has been made of the attacks supposedly breaching Hezbollah’s famed operational security measures, recognizing many of the victims to be civilian functionaries paints a different picture. Israel and/or its allies simply planted explosives in large numbers of devices bound for Hezbollah-connected institutions, then began detonating them indiscriminately. Far from a masterstroke of targeted espionage, this is just another of Israel’s grotesque mass bombing campaigns.

A failing strategy

Hezbollah’s frontline positions seem to have been negligibly affected. Resistance operations continue along the Zionist occupation’s northern border.

So what is Israel’s strategy with the device bombings? Terrorism, plain and simple. It sought to convey to the entire population of Lebanon that it will target anyone remotely involved with the resistance, no matter how incidental or tertiary the connection—children and other family members, or even random bystanders.

This is much like Israel’s strategy in Gaza. There, too, Israel has openly targeted civilian families of suspected Hamas members on a mass scale, as well as doctors and nurses, aid workers, police and other civilian functionaries deemed to be “part of” Hamas—which, like Hezbollah, operates a vast network of social and political institutions in addition to its armed wing.

In Gaza, Israel’s strategy has largely failed. Despite Israel’s nearly year-long campaign of mass murder and destruction, Hamas continues to function both as an administrative and military formation, even retaining the ability to strike inside the borders of the Zionist occupation. Crucially, the genocidal scale of Israel’s terrorism has failed to crush the spirit of resistance among the Palestinian masses. Gaza remains a quagmire for Israel.

High-tech atrocities

Likewise, the device bombings in Lebanon are unlikely to win anything beyond a short-term morale boost in the twisted minds of Zionists, but the human toll remains horrifying to contemplate. Focusing on the death count alone obscures the scale and the truly gruesome nature of the attack. While at least three dozen people have been killed by exploding pagers and other devices, hundreds to potentially thousands more have lost hands, eyes and other organs.

Let’s be clear about the historical precedents for this: from 19th-century colonial authorities in the Congo Free State chopping off plantation workers’ hands, to the mutilations of Mau Mau rebel prisoners by British occupiers in 1950s Kenya, to Israel’s own “break their bones” doctrine against Palestinian protesters during the First Intifada—not to mention the tens of thousands wounded during the ongoing Gaza genocide—mass maiming and disfigurement campaigns have long been waged by colonial regimes against indigenous resistance. Whether done by machete or by exploding pager, the sadistic brutality is the same.

If there is anything new about the bombings, it’s the large-scale weaponization of civilian consumer items. It heralds an era where household tech devices might not only be spying on you but waiting for a signal to bomb you. This novel tactic will force resistance groups around the world to reevaluate their suppliers, but the greater economic fallout could affect civilian supply chains and consumer behaviors all over the world. Considering that Israel’s own economy relies heavily on its tech sector, the mass boobytrapping of tech products reeks of desperation.

Regardless whether these attacks continue, and regardless whether Israel ultimately attempts a Gaza-style military invasion in Lebanon, Israel’s crude strategy of mass reprisals against resisting populations is unlikely to succeed in the long run. History shows that colonial violence tends to unite and grow national liberation movements, not silence them.

People here in the United States—Israel’s main director and sponsor—have our part to play. By building international solidarity with liberation movements, we help create the conditions for the overthrow of the imperialist system altogether.

Wyatt Miller is an organizer with the Minnesota Anti-War Committee.

#Opinion #Commentary #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Lebanon #Feature

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-far-from-sophisticated-lebanon-bombings-show-israels-crude Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:55:51 +0000 Commentary: Biden administration pirates presidential plane, violates Venezuelan sovereignty https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-biden-administration-pirates-presidential-plane-violates?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[On Monday September 2, the U.S. government seized the official presidential plane of Venezuela, often used by President Nicolas Maduro. The Biden administration had Dominican authorities do their dirty work, stealing the plane while it was on the island for maintenance. It was then flown to Miami, where stolen goods and illegal shipments often enter the United States. This theft is a pathetic attempt to wrestle some control over the independent nation that recently re-elected the former union bus driver as its president. It is a direct violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty, using U.S. economic sanctions as cover. !--more-- Similar to the kidnapping and imprisonment of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab in 2020, the U.S. government believes its sanctions on Venezuela put it above international law. Saab heroically brokered agreements for food, medicine and technical parts in exchange for oil and gold. His capture was clearly retribution for successfully defying the U.S. empire’s attempts to ruin life for everyday Venezuelans. The international campaign to Free Alex Saab included a spirited rally and press conference outside Saab’s Miami court appearance, embarrassing the Biden administration. In December 2023, clever Venezuelan statecraft secured the freedom of Alex Saab as he left the clutches of U.S. detention and rejoined his family. This time, it’s not a human who “thwarted” the sanctions regime of the dying U.S. empire, but a $13 million jet. The U.S. claims it was purchased in the U.S. by Venezuela despite U.S. sanctions. For over 20 years, the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela has been a national democratic revolution that ushered in a radical transformation. Once a primarily oil export state, by nationalizing its oil to serve the needs of the people, Venezuela drastically reduced extreme poverty and achieved tremendous gains in health, housing and education. Mutually beneficial international trade agreements have resulted in support for domestic industrial production and agriculture. Once mocked for leaving so much productive land unused, resulting in more than 80% of food imported, Venezuela can now feed itself. With this base, it has been able to buttress its people against the wicked sanctions apparatus started under President Obama, continued under Trump, and now by Biden. From coup attempts, to lockouts, to sanctions and assassination attempts, the success of the Bolivarian Revolution has been to frustrate and overcome U.S. attacks, while strengthening self-reliance and advancing. The U.S. sanctions are like medieval siege warfare. The timing of Biden’s pirate act is not lost on those who pay attention to the affairs of the Bolivarian Revolution. This same Monday, September 2 also saw the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office issue a warrant for the arrest of failed U.S.-backed presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez on charges of “crimes associated with terrorism.” The prosecutor’s office issued similar charges to another opposition leader, Marina Corina Machado, who lives in Florida. Machado could not run for office in Venezuela due to prior legal violations. Both Gonzalez and Machado represent the richest of the rich in Venezuela and Miami, wishing to roll back the gains of working class Venezuelans. This July, Maduro won with 51% and Gonzalez, the handpicked candidate of Wall Street and the Biden administration, lost with 44%. Other candidates split the remainder. Of course, the U.S. government and all of its stenographers in the corporate media have been disputing the results and supporting the outrageous claim by the opposition that Gonzalez won in a landslide. As in past incidents, the U.S. regime change operation kicked into gear after it was clear the U.S.-backed candidate lost the election. Like election fakers elsewhere, the rich people and their paid lackeys launched protests that turned into violent clashes, attempting to sow chaos and distrust. Like so many other times before, the Venezuelan masses took to the streets in far greater numbers to support President Maduro and once again defend their Bolivarian Revolution. It is clear: this is an attack on President Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan state, and the Bolivarian Revolution. Much like the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s genocide against Palestine, the Democrats supporting the elite opposition of Venezuela is gross and a failure. #International #Venezuela #Maduro #Commentary div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> On Monday September 2, the U.S. government seized the official presidential plane of Venezuela, often used by President Nicolas Maduro. The Biden administration had Dominican authorities do their dirty work, stealing the plane while it was on the island for maintenance. It was then flown to Miami, where stolen goods and illegal shipments often enter the United States.

This theft is a pathetic attempt to wrestle some control over the independent nation that recently re-elected the former union bus driver as its president. It is a direct violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty, using U.S. economic sanctions as cover.

Similar to the kidnapping and imprisonment of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab in 2020, the U.S. government believes its sanctions on Venezuela put it above international law. Saab heroically brokered agreements for food, medicine and technical parts in exchange for oil and gold. His capture was clearly retribution for successfully defying the U.S. empire’s attempts to ruin life for everyday Venezuelans.

The international campaign to Free Alex Saab included a spirited rally and press conference outside Saab’s Miami court appearance, embarrassing the Biden administration. In December 2023, clever Venezuelan statecraft secured the freedom of Alex Saab as he left the clutches of U.S. detention and rejoined his family.

This time, it’s not a human who “thwarted” the sanctions regime of the dying U.S. empire, but a $13 million jet. The U.S. claims it was purchased in the U.S. by Venezuela despite U.S. sanctions.

For over 20 years, the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela has been a national democratic revolution that ushered in a radical transformation. Once a primarily oil export state, by nationalizing its oil to serve the needs of the people, Venezuela drastically reduced extreme poverty and achieved tremendous gains in health, housing and education.

Mutually beneficial international trade agreements have resulted in support for domestic industrial production and agriculture. Once mocked for leaving so much productive land unused, resulting in more than 80% of food imported, Venezuela can now feed itself. With this base, it has been able to buttress its people against the wicked sanctions apparatus started under President Obama, continued under Trump, and now by Biden.

From coup attempts, to lockouts, to sanctions and assassination attempts, the success of the Bolivarian Revolution has been to frustrate and overcome U.S. attacks, while strengthening self-reliance and advancing. The U.S. sanctions are like medieval siege warfare.

The timing of Biden’s pirate act is not lost on those who pay attention to the affairs of the Bolivarian Revolution. This same Monday, September 2 also saw the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office issue a warrant for the arrest of failed U.S.-backed presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez on charges of “crimes associated with terrorism.” The prosecutor’s office issued similar charges to another opposition leader, Marina Corina Machado, who lives in Florida. Machado could not run for office in Venezuela due to prior legal violations. Both Gonzalez and Machado represent the richest of the rich in Venezuela and Miami, wishing to roll back the gains of working class Venezuelans.

This July, Maduro won with 51% and Gonzalez, the handpicked candidate of Wall Street and the Biden administration, lost with 44%. Other candidates split the remainder. Of course, the U.S. government and all of its stenographers in the corporate media have been disputing the results and supporting the outrageous claim by the opposition that Gonzalez won in a landslide.

As in past incidents, the U.S. regime change operation kicked into gear after it was clear the U.S.-backed candidate lost the election. Like election fakers elsewhere, the rich people and their paid lackeys launched protests that turned into violent clashes, attempting to sow chaos and distrust. Like so many other times before, the Venezuelan masses took to the streets in far greater numbers to support President Maduro and once again defend their Bolivarian Revolution.

It is clear: this is an attack on President Nicolas Maduro, the Venezuelan state, and the Bolivarian Revolution. Much like the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s genocide against Palestine, the Democrats supporting the elite opposition of Venezuela is gross and a failure.

#International #Venezuela #Maduro #Commentary

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/commentary-biden-administration-pirates-presidential-plane-violates Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:08:19 +0000 A culmination of lies: Commentary on the consecration day of Ram Mandir https://fightbacknews.org/a-culmination-of-lies-commentary-on-the-consecration-day-of-ram-mandir?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[The government of India has declared January 22 as a holiday in several states on the manufactured occasion of "Pran Prathistha Diwas" or consecration day of the Ram Temple. This is relevant because the ones in power in India - the Bhartiya Janata Party - has an ideological strain of an extremist right-wing Hinduism, otherwise known as Hindutva. This ideological strain has proven be a bane for India in its entirety, for poor people, for the working class, for farmers, for journalists, for students, for Muslims, for the so-called lower castes, for the tribals, for women and everyone in opposition to this extremist government. !--more-- The question is, why is this a manufactured holiday? The region of Awadh in ancient India, and present-day Ayodhya, is a site of religious significance to three major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. During the time of the Mughal Emperor Mir Baqi a mosque was constructed, called Babri Masjid, in honor of the Mughal Emperor Babar in the year 1528. India, like several countries in the world, was a subject of colonization from the British Empire, so when the British arrived on Indian shores the goal was to subjugate India and create an atmosphere of communal and religious disharmony. The seeds of disharmony were spread by the British in order to perform their goal of divide and rule and they did so by creating a sense of division between the Hindu and Muslim communities. The British also wrongly deduced in their own observations that India had no documentation of their own history, so they went ahead to reconstruct India's past through the lens of their own goals and interests. As Romila Thapar, a notable Indian historian observes, several British historians from the time of colonization would establish that India had two nations, a Hindu nation, and a Muslim nation, distinct, separate, and with no interaction between each other, whereas in reality, this was absolutely a falsehood. Several Hindu kings would often allow the construction of Islamic structures, and many Muslim landlords would allow Hindu temples to be constructed within their empires. The Babri Masjid was one such mosque. It was the target of controversy by the British empire, who cemented the idea into the minds of several kings, and in particular Jai Singh II, that the site of Bari Masjid was the birthplace of the mythological character from the Ramayana, Ram. In the 1800s British surveyors Francis Buchanan-Hamilton and Montgomery Martin alleged that the mosque was built on that site of a Hindu temple, despite there being no tangible evidence of this being the case at the time. Several Indian historians, such as R.S. Sharma, Suraj Bhan, M. Athar Ali and Dwijendra Narayan Jha, pushed back against the narrative that the site was occupied by a Hindu temple and point out that calls for destructions of the Masjid started only in the 1900s and after the rise of the Hindu nationalist movement. In 1925 the Rashtriya Samajsevak Sangh (RSS) a right-wing organization was formed on the basis that India was a Hindu country and their one only objective was to establish a Hindurashtra or Hindu ethnostate, drawing their inspiration from Mussolini's fascist party. By 1947, the RSS was declared a terrorist organization and banned several times, preventing from contesting in elections. The RSS then formed the precursor of the Bharatiya Janta Party, known as the Jan Sangh. In December 1949, the Hindu organization Akhil Bharatiya Ramayana Mahasabha led a nine-day protest just outside the mosque and ended the event by placing idols of Ram inside of the mosque. By the 1980s the RSS facilitated the creation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or the international wing; the Bharatiya Janata Party, it's electoral wing, and the Bajrang Dal or the youth wing. These groups openly called for the destruction of the masjid and the creation of Ram Mandir or Ram Temple in its place. with their reasoning being that the Bari Masjid was built on top of Hindu shrines in 1984. By 1989 LK Advani of the BJP embarked on a cross country Rath Yatra (religious-political rally) that would unite the right-wing elements, flaming the tensions between the Hindu and Muslim communities and leaving a trail of murder and destruction. By 1992, the Rath Yatra came to a close in Ayodhya where the RSS, BJP, VHP and the Bajrang Dal arrived with the intension of being karsevaks (religious volunteers) and destroyed the Babri Masjid. In the days following the destruction of the Babri Masjid, 3000 people were killed, in the following weeks several religious riots followed, across India and lead to the creation of Islamist groups in India and present-day Pakistan. In 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India, on the orders of the Allahabad court, conducted an inspection of the mosque site, and their report concluded that there was a shrine underneath the mosque remains but were unable to conclude exactly what religious structure this was. Several politicians and historians criticized the fact that the report ignored the animal remains and lime-mortar presence at the site. Pressurized by Hindu groups, the court however upheld this report in 2010, and by 2019, at the height of the power of the BJP government, the site was handed over to a trust to construct a Hindu temple at the site. Today in 2024 this temple has now been constructed with much fanfare from the BJP government, which declared this day as the "Pran-Prathista Diwas" or consecration day of the temple. This is a holiday built on several dangerous, and vile lies on the backs of thousands killed and millions disillusioned by the idea of a sovereign secular democratic republic that India promised to be after Independence. The other question: Is the temple demand relevant in today's India? The short answer is no. The temple cost was approximately 1800 crore ($200 million). This comes at a time when India has some of the highest unemployment rates in Indian history following independence and a poverty rate of 11%, with over 190 million people going to bed hungry every night. The right-wing government has alienated millions and millions of its poorest people. Political and religious lynchings are becoming an everyday reality and progressive news sites either becoming absorbed by the capitalists or being shut down and investigated by government agencies on falsified charges. Journalists are harassed and jailed for questioning the powers at be, and historians of international repute are vilified and labeled liars and anti-Indians. How is this relevant for the U.S.? The VHP, or the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, is the international wing of the RSS; it is the international wing of the Hindu right wing. This organization exists in the U.S., Canada and the UK. Historically the VHP has been accused of funneling in foreign cash to fund Hindu nationalist groups existent in India. The VHP was established in New York in 1970 as a non-profit organization by Mahesh Mehta, who received training from the RSS chief M.S. Golwalkar, who himself idealized Nazism and was a violent anti-communist. He even suggested a holocaust of Muslims in India. This organization has also pressurized local state governments across the U.S. to bend local laws in their favor. The VHP operate in 21 chapters across the U.S. and has smaller local organizations such as the American Hindus Against Defamation, Hindu Students Council, Hindu Mandir Executive Conference and Hindu University of America. Leading up to the consecration day, the U.S. chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), has erected over 40 billboards in ten states, including Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Georgia, and are planning car caravans in 12 or more cities across the U.S. The VHP in the past has also received funding to the tune of millions of dollars from the U.S. government and transferred these funds to hundreds of right-wing groups across India. The BJP government has utilized several issues to build its election campaigns. In 2024 they have made the temple consecration the primary issue that they believe will create a wave of support to get them back into office. They believe that despite their several failings, this will be the uniting issue that will keep them in power. What they are missing, however, is that people are embittered by their governance and that it will be difficult for them to retain power to the extent that they expect. In any case, the consecration day remains a stain on India's contemporary history, and only with the removal of the vile reactionary BJP government can India begin to wipe away this stain. #Commentary #International #India #BJP #Hindutva div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> The government of India has declared January 22 as a holiday in several states on the manufactured occasion of “Pran Prathistha Diwas” or consecration day of the Ram Temple. This is relevant because the ones in power in India – the Bhartiya Janata Party – has an ideological strain of an extremist right-wing Hinduism, otherwise known as Hindutva. This ideological strain has proven be a bane for India in its entirety, for poor people, for the working class, for farmers, for journalists, for students, for Muslims, for the so-called lower castes, for the tribals, for women and everyone in opposition to this extremist government.

The question is, why is this a manufactured holiday?

The region of Awadh in ancient India, and present-day Ayodhya, is a site of religious significance to three major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. During the time of the Mughal Emperor Mir Baqi a mosque was constructed, called Babri Masjid, in honor of the Mughal Emperor Babar in the year 1528.

India, like several countries in the world, was a subject of colonization from the British Empire, so when the British arrived on Indian shores the goal was to subjugate India and create an atmosphere of communal and religious disharmony.

The seeds of disharmony were spread by the British in order to perform their goal of divide and rule and they did so by creating a sense of division between the Hindu and Muslim communities. The British also wrongly deduced in their own observations that India had no documentation of their own history, so they went ahead to reconstruct India's past through the lens of their own goals and interests.

As Romila Thapar, a notable Indian historian observes, several British historians from the time of colonization would establish that India had two nations, a Hindu nation, and a Muslim nation, distinct, separate, and with no interaction between each other, whereas in reality, this was absolutely a falsehood.

Several Hindu kings would often allow the construction of Islamic structures, and many Muslim landlords would allow Hindu temples to be constructed within their empires. The Babri Masjid was one such mosque. It was the target of controversy by the British empire, who cemented the idea into the minds of several kings, and in particular Jai Singh II, that the site of Bari Masjid was the birthplace of the mythological character from the Ramayana, Ram.

In the 1800s British surveyors Francis Buchanan-Hamilton and Montgomery Martin alleged that the mosque was built on that site of a Hindu temple, despite there being no tangible evidence of this being the case at the time. Several Indian historians, such as R.S. Sharma, Suraj Bhan, M. Athar Ali and Dwijendra Narayan Jha, pushed back against the narrative that the site was occupied by a Hindu temple and point out that calls for destructions of the Masjid started only in the 1900s and after the rise of the Hindu nationalist movement.

In 1925 the Rashtriya Samajsevak Sangh (RSS) a right-wing organization was formed on the basis that India was a Hindu country and their one only objective was to establish a Hindurashtra or Hindu ethnostate, drawing their inspiration from Mussolini's fascist party.

By 1947, the RSS was declared a terrorist organization and banned several times, preventing from contesting in elections. The RSS then formed the precursor of the Bharatiya Janta Party, known as the Jan Sangh.

In December 1949, the Hindu organization Akhil Bharatiya Ramayana Mahasabha led a nine-day protest just outside the mosque and ended the event by placing idols of Ram inside of the mosque. By the 1980s the RSS facilitated the creation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or the international wing; the Bharatiya Janata Party, it's electoral wing, and the Bajrang Dal or the youth wing.

These groups openly called for the destruction of the masjid and the creation of Ram Mandir or Ram Temple in its place. with their reasoning being that the Bari Masjid was built on top of Hindu shrines in 1984. By 1989 LK Advani of the BJP embarked on a cross country Rath Yatra (religious-political rally) that would unite the right-wing elements, flaming the tensions between the Hindu and Muslim communities and leaving a trail of murder and destruction.

By 1992, the Rath Yatra came to a close in Ayodhya where the RSS, BJP, VHP and the Bajrang Dal arrived with the intension of being karsevaks (religious volunteers) and destroyed the Babri Masjid.

In the days following the destruction of the Babri Masjid, 3000 people were killed, in the following weeks several religious riots followed, across India and lead to the creation of Islamist groups in India and present-day Pakistan.

In 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India, on the orders of the Allahabad court, conducted an inspection of the mosque site, and their report concluded that there was a shrine underneath the mosque remains but were unable to conclude exactly what religious structure this was. Several politicians and historians criticized the fact that the report ignored the animal remains and lime-mortar presence at the site. Pressurized by Hindu groups, the court however upheld this report in 2010, and by 2019, at the height of the power of the BJP government, the site was handed over to a trust to construct a Hindu temple at the site.

Today in 2024 this temple has now been constructed with much fanfare from the BJP government, which declared this day as the “Pran-Prathista Diwas” or consecration day of the temple. This is a holiday built on several dangerous, and vile lies on the backs of thousands killed and millions disillusioned by the idea of a sovereign secular democratic republic that India promised to be after Independence.

The other question: Is the temple demand relevant in today's India?

The short answer is no.

The temple cost was approximately 1800 crore ($200 million). This comes at a time when India has some of the highest unemployment rates in Indian history following independence and a poverty rate of 11%, with over 190 million people going to bed hungry every night. The right-wing government has alienated millions and millions of its poorest people.

Political and religious lynchings are becoming an everyday reality and progressive news sites either becoming absorbed by the capitalists or being shut down and investigated by government agencies on falsified charges. Journalists are harassed and jailed for questioning the powers at be, and historians of international repute are vilified and labeled liars and anti-Indians.

How is this relevant for the U.S.?

The VHP, or the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, is the international wing of the RSS; it is the international wing of the Hindu right wing. This organization exists in the U.S., Canada and the UK. Historically the VHP has been accused of funneling in foreign cash to fund Hindu nationalist groups existent in India. The VHP was established in New York in 1970 as a non-profit organization by Mahesh Mehta, who received training from the RSS chief M.S. Golwalkar, who himself idealized Nazism and was a violent anti-communist. He even suggested a holocaust of Muslims in India. This organization has also pressurized local state governments across the U.S. to bend local laws in their favor.

The VHP operate in 21 chapters across the U.S. and has smaller local organizations such as the American Hindus Against Defamation, Hindu Students Council, Hindu Mandir Executive Conference and Hindu University of America. Leading up to the consecration day, the U.S. chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), has erected over 40 billboards in ten states, including Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Georgia, and are planning car caravans in 12 or more cities across the U.S. The VHP in the past has also received funding to the tune of millions of dollars from the U.S. government and transferred these funds to hundreds of right-wing groups across India.

The BJP government has utilized several issues to build its election campaigns. In 2024 they have made the temple consecration the primary issue that they believe will create a wave of support to get them back into office. They believe that despite their several failings, this will be the uniting issue that will keep them in power. What they are missing, however, is that people are embittered by their governance and that it will be difficult for them to retain power to the extent that they expect.

In any case, the consecration day remains a stain on India's contemporary history, and only with the removal of the vile reactionary BJP government can India begin to wipe away this stain.

#Commentary #International #India #BJP #Hindutva

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/a-culmination-of-lies-commentary-on-the-consecration-day-of-ram-mandir Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:42:53 +0000 Nicaragua battles the U.S. intervention playbook https://fightbacknews.org/nicaragua-battles-us-intervention-playbook?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Tucson, AZ - In November of 2016, president of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega was elected for a third term with 72% approval. Despite what the U.S. government says about Nicaraguan elections, the Carter Center’s election observer teams routinely praise Nicaragua’s fair and free elections. It is clear the U.S. government is unhappy with the results, so U.S. interference with deadly consequences is the order of the day. !--more-- Since returning to power in 2006, Ortega and the Sandinistas, formally the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN), have reversed the neoliberal agenda of privatizing important public services like water and electricity. Not only that, but they have overseen significant achievements in public housing, Zero Hunger programs, Zero Usury microcredit programs, free public education, increases in productivity, development of a strong cooperative sector, and a diversification of economic activity that even the U.S.-controlled World Bank is forced to acknowledge. The Sandinista view is that government should serve the people, not the other way around. Despite all these accomplishments that have lifted Nicaragua out of being the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, violence and terrorism are now gripping the country. For nearly two months, violent protesters are aiming to destabilize the country and force out President Ortega. On the surface, the U.S. corporate press makes it seem as if the entire country wants Ortega to step down amid a controversy over social security changes. To combat this distortion, we must examine deeper issues and seek truth from facts. Media stokes opposition with twisted story Most observers agree that the point of origin for the unrest and violence was a proposed change by the Sandinista government to social security benefits. However, after the initial student protests began at the Managua Technical University, President Ortega immediately rescinded the proposal. It is important to note, it was merely a proposed change, hoping to break the impasse between the business sector, labor unions and the government, which have an agreed-upon tripartite relationship. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was attempting to push the business sector to cut benefits, reduce health coverage and privatize public sector clinics. What has the FSLN government done since returning to power? Fight neoliberal attacks against public services. So the government proposed modest, fairly distributed increases to the social security contribution for both employer and employee, and in addition, improved healthcare coverage for pensioners. All of this sounds rather routine for negotiations, except if the right-wing dominated press twists the story and feeds the students a slanted version. It is not conspiracy to say that the family that controls one of the country’s largest newspapers that daily calls Ortega a dictator is the same family that produced Violeta Chamorro, the U.S.-backed candidate for president in 1990. This paper is currently running stories comparing Ortega to the U.S.-backed dictatorship of the Somozas. The world turned upside down. Similarly, when quoting the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), the corporate press is not clear that all the deaths since late April are related to protests, with other deaths being lumped into the figures. Moreover, neither the corporate press nor the groups claiming the large death toll have made the qualification of who is dying at whose hands? It has been made to appear that all deaths are at the hands of the government. In fact, many videos and stories have surfaced showing the ultraderechistas (ultra-rightists) being violent and committing acts of terror. This was also the character of the opposition guarimbas in Venezuela. As well, the corporate media in both the U.S. and Nicaragua have failed to report that many of the NGO groups promoted in their stories are heavily funded by the U.S. government. U.S. funding opposition NGOs and media From 2014 to 2017, the U.S. State Department’s National Endowment for Democracy (NED) funneled 55 grants worth $4.2 million to NGOs that create media stories for the opposition. One of the groups often quoted by U.S. media received over $220,000 since 2014 and is run by the son of ex-president Violeta Chamorro. The U.S. corporate media reports one-sided accounts that omit important facts: police are being murdered by ultras, the ultras’ blockades are harmful to working people, and the ultras are burning people’s houses. The one-sided reporting fits with what the U.S. government has said about Ortega, despite his popularity, since the 1980s. It also aligns with U.S. imperialism’s goals of attempting to reverse the rising tide of left movements and independent governments in Latin America. Character of the violence reveals character of the opposition It must be made clear: Who is being attacked? Where are the attacks being centered? In the traditional stronghold areas of the FSLN like Masaya and Leon, FSLN offices have been attacked and destroyed by the ultraderechistas (ultra-rightists). The attacks also include the private homes and small businesses of long-time Sandinistas who are working class, small owners and campesinos. It is clear the politics of the attackers are against the most popular political party in the country and speaks to their obvious connection with the goals of U.S. imperialism. Furthermore, in small towns, the blockading of roads has cut off vital services of food and fuel to families and communities in more distant areas. This also displays the anti-working class character of the protesters. Like in Venezuela where two children’s hospitals were set on fire, Nicaragua’s violent opposition attacked health care workers. These facts allow us to conclude that the opposition is not aimed at improving Nicaragua but bringing about its destabilization. The far right hope to invite U.S. intervention and a full-on assault on public services and any gains accomplished by the Sandinistas since 2010. While criticisms can certainly be made of some of Ortega’s concessions to the Catholic Church on abortion rights, the Sandinistas making those criticisms are also being attacked by the ultraderechistas. The U.S. media pundits will use anything they can against President Ortega’s popular leadership. As internationalists we must call for “Hands off Nicaragua” and support a restoration of peace. U.S. imperialism continues Monroe Doctrine In 1823, with the anti-colonial rebellions throwing off the Spanish empire throughout Latin America, the U.S. boldly declared to European empires that the region was the U.S.’s ‘backyard.’ Since then, U.S. intervention in Latin America has left millions dead, while supporting military dictatorships, and massive theft of natural resources and wealth by corporations. The 21st century has seen little change to the U.S. approach to its southern neighbors. In April 2004, U.S. imperialism attempted a coup against democratically elected President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Since 2014, the U.S. also supported two coup attempts against democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Maduro successfully thwarted them and came out stronger. Last month, the U.S. strengthened its military presence in South America by having Colombia join as a partner in NATO. Colombia’s eastern neighbor Venezuela immediately recognized the threat posed to their Bolivarian Revolution by having a nuclear-armed partner on their doorstep. Many on the left recognize the U.S. is attempting to regain nations that broke away from U.S. domination when the U.S. was occupied with invading and destroying Iraq in the early 2000s. In this time period, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Brazil and Honduras all saw left-leaning parties claim significant electoral victories as the movements against U.S. domination grow inside their countries. It is clear that U.S. imperialism wishes to reverse the popular trend by sowing terror and destruction through violence and calls for ‘regime change.’ Legacy of anti-imperialism The resolve of Nicaraguans to resist and at times, successfully defeat U.S. imperialism, cannot be overstated. Their commitment to their country and their people, and to fight off the imperialists is nothing short of heroic. The way forward for internationalists in the U.S. must be to call for “U.S. hands off Nicaragua!” Lifting the enormous influence and burden of U.S. imperialism in Nicaragua allows for a process internal to Nicaraguans to develop. The responsibility of ending the U.S. intervention machine falls squarely on the shoulders of the anti-war movement in the US. Once again, Nicaraguans are suffering through a playbook designed by U.S. imperialism to collapse an ardent anti-imperialist government whose track record of improving conditions for the workers and campesinas and campesinos stand head and shoulders above the neoliberal regimes of the 1990s. U.S. hands off Nicaragua! No U.S. funding to opposition groups! Dialogue and peace now! #Nicaragua #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #OpEd #Commentary div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Tucson, AZ – In November of 2016, president of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega was elected for a third term with 72% approval. Despite what the U.S. government says about Nicaraguan elections, the Carter Center’s election observer teams routinely praise Nicaragua’s fair and free elections. It is clear the U.S. government is unhappy with the results, so U.S. interference with deadly consequences is the order of the day.

Since returning to power in 2006, Ortega and the Sandinistas, formally the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN), have reversed the neoliberal agenda of privatizing important public services like water and electricity. Not only that, but they have overseen significant achievements in public housing, Zero Hunger programs, Zero Usury microcredit programs, free public education, increases in productivity, development of a strong cooperative sector, and a diversification of economic activity that even the U.S.-controlled World Bank is forced to acknowledge. The Sandinista view is that government should serve the people, not the other way around.

Despite all these accomplishments that have lifted Nicaragua out of being the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, violence and terrorism are now gripping the country. For nearly two months, violent protesters are aiming to destabilize the country and force out President Ortega. On the surface, the U.S. corporate press makes it seem as if the entire country wants Ortega to step down amid a controversy over social security changes. To combat this distortion, we must examine deeper issues and seek truth from facts.

Media stokes opposition with twisted story

Most observers agree that the point of origin for the unrest and violence was a proposed change by the Sandinista government to social security benefits. However, after the initial student protests began at the Managua Technical University, President Ortega immediately rescinded the proposal. It is important to note, it was merely a proposed change, hoping to break the impasse between the business sector, labor unions and the government, which have an agreed-upon tripartite relationship.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was attempting to push the business sector to cut benefits, reduce health coverage and privatize public sector clinics. What has the FSLN government done since returning to power? Fight neoliberal attacks against public services. So the government proposed modest, fairly distributed increases to the social security contribution for both employer and employee, and in addition, improved healthcare coverage for pensioners.

All of this sounds rather routine for negotiations, except if the right-wing dominated press twists the story and feeds the students a slanted version. It is not conspiracy to say that the family that controls one of the country’s largest newspapers that daily calls Ortega a dictator is the same family that produced Violeta Chamorro, the U.S.-backed candidate for president in 1990. This paper is currently running stories comparing Ortega to the U.S.-backed dictatorship of the Somozas. The world turned upside down.

Similarly, when quoting the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), the corporate press is not clear that all the deaths since late April are related to protests, with other deaths being lumped into the figures. Moreover, neither the corporate press nor the groups claiming the large death toll have made the qualification of who is dying at whose hands? It has been made to appear that all deaths are at the hands of the government. In fact, many videos and stories have surfaced showing the ultraderechistas (ultra-rightists) being violent and committing acts of terror. This was also the character of the opposition guarimbas in Venezuela. As well, the corporate media in both the U.S. and Nicaragua have failed to report that many of the NGO groups promoted in their stories are heavily funded by the U.S. government.

U.S. funding opposition NGOs and media

From 2014 to 2017, the U.S. State Department’s National Endowment for Democracy (NED) funneled 55 grants worth $4.2 million to NGOs that create media stories for the opposition. One of the groups often quoted by U.S. media received over $220,000 since 2014 and is run by the son of ex-president Violeta Chamorro. The U.S. corporate media reports one-sided accounts that omit important facts: police are being murdered by ultras, the ultras’ blockades are harmful to working people, and the ultras are burning people’s houses. The one-sided reporting fits with what the U.S. government has said about Ortega, despite his popularity, since the 1980s. It also aligns with U.S. imperialism’s goals of attempting to reverse the rising tide of left movements and independent governments in Latin America.

Character of the violence reveals character of the opposition

It must be made clear: Who is being attacked? Where are the attacks being centered? In the traditional stronghold areas of the FSLN like Masaya and Leon, FSLN offices have been attacked and destroyed by the ultraderechistas (ultra-rightists). The attacks also include the private homes and small businesses of long-time Sandinistas who are working class, small owners and campesinos.

It is clear the politics of the attackers are against the most popular political party in the country and speaks to their obvious connection with the goals of U.S. imperialism. Furthermore, in small towns, the blockading of roads has cut off vital services of food and fuel to families and communities in more distant areas. This also displays the anti-working class character of the protesters. Like in Venezuela where two children’s hospitals were set on fire, Nicaragua’s violent opposition attacked health care workers. These facts allow us to conclude that the opposition is not aimed at improving Nicaragua but bringing about its destabilization. The far right hope to invite U.S. intervention and a full-on assault on public services and any gains accomplished by the Sandinistas since 2010.

While criticisms can certainly be made of some of Ortega’s concessions to the Catholic Church on abortion rights, the Sandinistas making those criticisms are also being attacked by the ultraderechistas. The U.S. media pundits will use anything they can against President Ortega’s popular leadership. As internationalists we must call for “Hands off Nicaragua” and support a restoration of peace.

U.S. imperialism continues Monroe Doctrine

In 1823, with the anti-colonial rebellions throwing off the Spanish empire throughout Latin America, the U.S. boldly declared to European empires that the region was the U.S.’s ‘backyard.’ Since then, U.S. intervention in Latin America has left millions dead, while supporting military dictatorships, and massive theft of natural resources and wealth by corporations.

The 21st century has seen little change to the U.S. approach to its southern neighbors. In April 2004, U.S. imperialism attempted a coup against democratically elected President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Since 2014, the U.S. also supported two coup attempts against democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Maduro successfully thwarted them and came out stronger. Last month, the U.S. strengthened its military presence in South America by having Colombia join as a partner in NATO. Colombia’s eastern neighbor Venezuela immediately recognized the threat posed to their Bolivarian Revolution by having a nuclear-armed partner on their doorstep. Many on the left recognize the U.S. is attempting to regain nations that broke away from U.S. domination when the U.S. was occupied with invading and destroying Iraq in the early 2000s. In this time period, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Brazil and Honduras all saw left-leaning parties claim significant electoral victories as the movements against U.S. domination grow inside their countries. It is clear that U.S. imperialism wishes to reverse the popular trend by sowing terror and destruction through violence and calls for ‘regime change.’

Legacy of anti-imperialism

The resolve of Nicaraguans to resist and at times, successfully defeat U.S. imperialism, cannot be overstated. Their commitment to their country and their people, and to fight off the imperialists is nothing short of heroic. The way forward for internationalists in the U.S. must be to call for “U.S. hands off Nicaragua!”

Lifting the enormous influence and burden of U.S. imperialism in Nicaragua allows for a process internal to Nicaraguans to develop. The responsibility of ending the U.S. intervention machine falls squarely on the shoulders of the anti-war movement in the US. Once again, Nicaraguans are suffering through a playbook designed by U.S. imperialism to collapse an ardent anti-imperialist government whose track record of improving conditions for the workers and campesinas and campesinos stand head and shoulders above the neoliberal regimes of the 1990s.

U.S. hands off Nicaragua! No U.S. funding to opposition groups! Dialogue and peace now!

#Nicaragua #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #OpEd #Commentary

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/nicaragua-battles-us-intervention-playbook Sun, 10 Jun 2018 18:30:22 +0000 Middle income is not ‘middle class’ https://fightbacknews.org/middle-income-not-middle-class?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Report shows rising income inequality while maintaining myth of the middle class - Commentary by Masao Suzuki San José, CA - In December of 2015 the Pew Research Center released a report on the decline in middle-income Americans, who now make up a minority of the population, down from 60% in the 1970s. Their share of income has fallen even more, from more than 60% in the 1970s to only 43% in 2014, as upper-income households share has risen from 30% to 49% over the same period of time. The Pew report also has other important information on wealth, debt, occupation and education, which were generally not reported in the mainstream corporate media. !--more-- But the report, and to an even larger extent, mainstream corporate media articles on the report, used ‘middle-income’ to mean ‘middle class’ when the two are not the same. Middle-income, in the Pew report, was defined as households earning between two-thirds and twice the median income, or $42,000 to $126,000 a year for a household of three. Middle class refers to those who are between the working class (who have to work for others) and capitalists, who make a living from the businesses, land and financial assets that they own. The middle class would include small businesspeople and farmers, managers and supervisors, as well as high-skilled professionals such as doctors, lawyers and four-year college professors. Most of the households that the Pew report calls middle-income are in reality working class. Only 20% of middle-income households in 2015 were made up of executives, managers, professionals such as engineers, and medical professionals who could be considered middle-class. The other 80% were more working class occupations such as clerical workers, sales workers, service workers, mechanics and others. The Pew report also documented the growing inequality in wealth, as defined as the difference between household assets and debt. Between 1983 and 2013, the wealth of lower-income households shrank 18%. The wealth of middle-income households stayed about the same, while the wealth of upper-income households doubled. Another way to put this was that in 1983 upper-income households held 30 times the wealth of lower-income households, but by 2013 upper-income households had 70 times the wealth of lower-income households. Lower and middle-income households also had their debts rising faster than upper income households as they tried to make up for lost income by borrowing more. Debt for upper-income households rose 90% between 1983 and 2013, while middle-income household debt went up 132%. Lower-income households had the largest increase in debt, which rose 183% or almost tripled between 1983 and 2013. Teachers were the occupation that lost the most, -8.6, meaning that the percentage of teachers who were low income increased 8.6 percentage points more than the growth of high-income teachers. Factory workers (-6.4) and clerical (-6.2) were other occupations that lost the most ground in terms of income. Not surprisingly, executives and managers were among the occupations that gained the most (+20.4) in terms of more high-income and less low-income households. College education also became more necessary to earn enough to be middle-income. In 1971, only 24% of middle-income households were headed by someone with some college, the vast majority (76%) had no college and 35% didn’t even graduate from high-school. But by 2015, 60% of middle-income households had at least some college, and only 9% had not graduated from high-school. Despite the rising level of education over the last 45 years, the middle-income household sector has shrunk, showing that more schooling is not the key to reducing income inequality. Masao Suzuki is a professor of economics at Skyline College. The Pew report is online here. #SanJoseCA #housing #Capitalism #economics #EconomyMasaoSuzuki #Commentary #Income div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Report shows rising income inequality while maintaining myth of the middle class – Commentary by Masao Suzuki

San José, CA – In December of 2015 the Pew Research Center released a report on the decline in middle-income Americans, who now make up a minority of the population, down from 60% in the 1970s. Their share of income has fallen even more, from more than 60% in the 1970s to only 43% in 2014, as upper-income households share has risen from 30% to 49% over the same period of time. The Pew report also has other important information on wealth, debt, occupation and education, which were generally not reported in the mainstream corporate media.

But the report, and to an even larger extent, mainstream corporate media articles on the report, used ‘middle-income’ to mean ‘middle class’ when the two are not the same. Middle-income, in the Pew report, was defined as households earning between two-thirds and twice the median income, or $42,000 to $126,000 a year for a household of three. Middle class refers to those who are between the working class (who have to work for others) and capitalists, who make a living from the businesses, land and financial assets that they own. The middle class would include small businesspeople and farmers, managers and supervisors, as well as high-skilled professionals such as doctors, lawyers and four-year college professors.

Most of the households that the Pew report calls middle-income are in reality working class. Only 20% of middle-income households in 2015 were made up of executives, managers, professionals such as engineers, and medical professionals who could be considered middle-class. The other 80% were more working class occupations such as clerical workers, sales workers, service workers, mechanics and others.

The Pew report also documented the growing inequality in wealth, as defined as the difference between household assets and debt. Between 1983 and 2013, the wealth of lower-income households shrank 18%. The wealth of middle-income households stayed about the same, while the wealth of upper-income households doubled. Another way to put this was that in 1983 upper-income households held 30 times the wealth of lower-income households, but by 2013 upper-income households had 70 times the wealth of lower-income households.

Lower and middle-income households also had their debts rising faster than upper income households as they tried to make up for lost income by borrowing more. Debt for upper-income households rose 90% between 1983 and 2013, while middle-income household debt went up 132%. Lower-income households had the largest increase in debt, which rose 183% or almost tripled between 1983 and 2013.

Teachers were the occupation that lost the most, -8.6, meaning that the percentage of teachers who were low income increased 8.6 percentage points more than the growth of high-income teachers. Factory workers (-6.4) and clerical (-6.2) were other occupations that lost the most ground in terms of income. Not surprisingly, executives and managers were among the occupations that gained the most (+20.4) in terms of more high-income and less low-income households.

College education also became more necessary to earn enough to be middle-income. In 1971, only 24% of middle-income households were headed by someone with some college, the vast majority (76%) had no college and 35% didn’t even graduate from high-school. But by 2015, 60% of middle-income households had at least some college, and only 9% had not graduated from high-school. Despite the rising level of education over the last 45 years, the middle-income household sector has shrunk, showing that more schooling is not the key to

reducing income inequality.

Masao Suzuki is a professor of economics at Skyline College. The Pew report is online here.

#SanJoseCA #housing #Capitalism #economics #EconomyMasaoSuzuki #Commentary #Income

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/middle-income-not-middle-class Sat, 02 Jan 2016 16:38:12 +0000 Newark, NJ: Justice for Police Murder Victim Basire Farrell https://fightbacknews.org/newark-justice-for-police-murder-victim-basire-farrell?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Photo of the People's Organization for Progress holding protest signs. He was “unarmed, brutally assaulted and murdered, kicked and beaten on the ground while he was handcuffed, tasered, placed in a body bag but not zipped up…” !--more-- Is this a story from the Third Reich? The old south? Iraq’s occupied Abu Ghraib? No: it was the May 15 killing of Basire Farrell, 30, African-American, by white officers of the Newark Police Department, as related by the aunt of the deceased, Sharonda Smalls. She spoke at an Aug. 8 street protest outside the headquarters of the Newark Police Department. The protest was called by the Farrell family, the People’s Organization for Progress and the New Black Panther Party, among others. Sharonda Smalls raised demands for an investigation by the New Jersey attorney general, prosecution of the killers, creation of a civilian police complaint review board and an end to genocide and police brutality against black people. The protest reflected a volcanic anger rising in Newark’s African-American community. Speaker after speaker compared the situation today with the conditions that led to the great Newark Rebellion of 1967. They demanded that killer cops be jailed and raised the cry, “Power to the people!” People’s Organization for Progress Chairman Lawrence Hamm said, “You talk about Guantanamo, we got torture and murder right here. Cops think they are judge, jury and executioner. Nothing in the training manual says when you arrest someone you have to hit him with a car, beat him so bloody you have to wash his blood off your hands.” He recalled the savage beating in 1967 of cabdriver John Smith by Newark police. “The Fourth Precinct is notorious for torture and murder,” he said. “People thought he was dead. That’s what touched off the Rebellion. If you’re serious about preventing future rebellions you got to fire those cops right now.” He added that Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy also needs to be fired. Earl Williams, the father of Earl Faison, also spoke. The killing of Earl Faison, 26, by Orange, New Jersey cops led to an epic five-year struggle that finally sent five of the killer cops to jail for civil rights violations. Speaking rhetorically to the police, Williams said, “We used to look up to you and respect you, but who knows the pain especially if it’s someone right in your family who’s been killed and it’s been done by those who are supposed to protect you. How can we look up to you now?” Of the 1967 events, Williams said to call it a ‘riot’ is a “word game - it was a rebellion, but just a dress rehearsal of what is to come if this continues. This ain’t no game and people are getting tired of it. I got mad love for some of you guys but there’s a flip side and it’s a rifle with sights on it. You don’t know what can happen. Newark 67 signs are all over the place. Things can get a hell of a lot worse very quick - to this day there have been no murder charges against the cops who killed my son.” “We ask why life in the black skin is worth less than life in the white skin,” said Sharonda Smalls. Long ago Karl Marx raised the same question to the entire working class when he said, “Labor cannot emancipate itself in the white skin while in the black it is branded.” The working class and all progressive people must unite in the struggle to end racism and police brutality. Only then can a better society for all be built. #NewarkNJ #Commentary #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #PeoplesOrganizationForProgress #BasireFarrell #NewBlackPantherParty div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Photo of the People's Organization for Progress holding protest signs.

He was “unarmed, brutally assaulted and murdered, kicked and beaten on the ground while he was handcuffed, tasered, placed in a body bag but not zipped up…”

Is this a story from the Third Reich? The old south? Iraq’s occupied Abu Ghraib? No: it was the May 15 killing of Basire Farrell, 30, African-American, by white officers of the Newark Police Department, as related by the aunt of the deceased, Sharonda Smalls. She spoke at an Aug. 8 street protest outside the headquarters of the Newark Police Department. The protest was called by the Farrell family, the People’s Organization for Progress and the New Black Panther Party, among others.

Sharonda Smalls raised demands for an investigation by the New Jersey attorney general, prosecution of the killers, creation of a civilian police complaint review board and an end to genocide and police brutality against black people.

The protest reflected a volcanic anger rising in Newark’s African-American community. Speaker after speaker compared the situation today with the conditions that led to the great Newark Rebellion of 1967. They demanded that killer cops be jailed and raised the cry, “Power to the people!”

People’s Organization for Progress Chairman Lawrence Hamm said, “You talk about Guantanamo, we got torture and murder right here. Cops think they are judge, jury and executioner. Nothing in the training manual says when you arrest someone you have to hit him with a car, beat him so bloody you have to wash his blood off your hands.”

He recalled the savage beating in 1967 of cabdriver John Smith by Newark police. “The Fourth Precinct is notorious for torture and murder,” he said. “People thought he was dead. That’s what touched off the Rebellion. If you’re serious about preventing future rebellions you got to fire those cops right now.” He added that Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy also needs to be fired.

Earl Williams, the father of Earl Faison, also spoke. The killing of Earl Faison, 26, by Orange, New Jersey cops led to an epic five-year struggle that finally sent five of the killer cops to jail for civil rights violations.

Speaking rhetorically to the police, Williams said, “We used to look up to you and respect you, but who knows the pain especially if it’s someone right in your family who’s been killed and it’s been done by those who are supposed to protect you. How can we look up to you now?”

Of the 1967 events, Williams said to call it a ‘riot’ is a “word game – it was a rebellion, but just a dress rehearsal of what is to come if this continues. This ain’t no game and people are getting tired of it. I got mad love for some of you guys but there’s a flip side and it’s a rifle with sights on it. You don’t know what can happen. Newark 67 signs are all over the place. Things can get a hell of a lot worse very quick – to this day there have been no murder charges against the cops who killed my son.”

“We ask why life in the black skin is worth less than life in the white skin,” said Sharonda Smalls.

Long ago Karl Marx raised the same question to the entire working class when he said, “Labor cannot emancipate itself in the white skin while in the black it is branded.” The working class and all progressive people must unite in the struggle to end racism and police brutality. Only then can a better society for all be built.

#NewarkNJ #Commentary #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #PeoplesOrganizationForProgress #BasireFarrell #NewBlackPantherParty

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/newark-justice-for-police-murder-victim-basire-farrell Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:10:50 +0000 En-Dependencia https://fightbacknews.org/poema?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[por Anónimo Independencia !--more-- Estancia Falsa Creacion de Opresion Naciones destruidas... ...una celebracion que nos ha dejado destituidas a las razas masivas hay que despertar de la falsedad y quebrar la independencia para crear una nacion de esta supuesta independencia Revolucion...pues una opcion Creativa...alternativa reemplasar la interdependencia Independencia. #EstadosUnidos #Commentary #ChicanoLatino div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> por Anónimo

Independencia

Estancia

Falsa

Creacion de

Opresion

Naciones destruidas...

...una celebracion que nos ha dejado

destituidas

a las razas masivas

hay que despertar de la falsedad

y quebrar la independencia

para crear una nacion

de esta supuesta independencia

Revolucion...pues una opcion

Creativa...alternativa

reemplasar la interdependencia

Independencia.

#EstadosUnidos #Commentary #ChicanoLatino

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/poema Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:44:38 +0000 Ocho años debido a seis dólares https://fightbacknews.org/omarpilgrim-np91?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[El caso de Omar Pilgrim El caso de Omar Pilgrim en el Condado Union en New Jersey es un ejemplo flagrante de los abusos racistas del sistema de “justicia” penal de los Estados Unidos. En marzo de este año, el juez John Triarsi condenó a Omar, un afroamericano, con una sentencia en el cárcel de ocho años por una primera ofensa en un asunto que tiene que ver con $6.75. Tiene que cumplir seis años antes de ser elegible por la libertad condicional (parole). !--more-- En el momento del incidente del caso, Pilgrim tenía 19 años. Trabajaba como guardia de seguridad por la Junta Directiva de Educación de Irvington, New Jersey. Fue matriculado en el programa de justicia penal en el instituto Essex County College. Nunca había tenido ningunos problemas con la ley. Aproximadamente a las 7:00 por la mañana el 4 de enero de 2004, Pilgrim compró $10.00 de gasolina en el pueblo Union Township. Entonces encontró que solamente tenía $3.25. Ofreció dejar su licencia de conducir con el mozo de gasolinera. Hizo dos llamadas telefónicas documentadas de la gasolinera tratando de conseguir el dinero. El mozo es un inmigrante que no habla el inglés. Se empezó una disputa en lo cual ningún podía entender el otro. Miembros de la familia dicen que el mozo llamó a Pilgrim “nigger” \[grosería para “negro”\]. Dicen también que Pilgrim había estado celebrando y que no quería enfrentar a la policía. Como no sabía qué hacer en tal situación, Pilgrim dejó la gasolinera en pánico sin pagar los $6.75 que faltaba. El mozo llamó a la policía y declaró que Omar le amenazó con un arma. La policía paró a Pilgrim en el pueblo cercano East Orange a las 8:00 por la mañana. Se saqueó el carro de él, pero no se encontró un arma. Nunca se ha encontrado un arma en conexión con el incidente. La policía retuvo y interrogó a Pilgrim solo. Tenía 19 años. En su niñez, se había estado diagnosticado con síndrome de hiperactividad. Había estado despierta por más que veinticuatro horas. No estaba presente ningún miembro de la familia ni abogado. El investigador de la policía le dijo que si firmara una declaración, le dejaría irse a casa. Bajo esas circunstancias, Pilgrim fue inducido firmar una renuncia de sus derechos a tener un abogado. También firmó una declaración, la cual su familia dice que no había leído. La declaración dice que simuló tener un arma y que exigió al mozo darle dinero. En este base, Pilgrim fue acusado de agresión agravada, tener un arma, y robo. Sin embargo, hasta ahora, los miembros de la familia no han sido permitidos leer la declaración completa. Además, Pilgrim nunca admitió el robo. El juicio fue un lío de contradicciones y problemas. Se alegó que Pilgrim usó una gorra suave como una casquete (“skully”) para asustar al mozo y hacerle pensar que tuviera un arma. El fiscal trajo un arma a la sala del tribunal y la mostró al demandante y al jurado diciendo que la supuesta gorra “parecía” a este arma. Cuando el abogado de defensa se opuso a esta violación grave del proceso, el Juez Triarsi botó la objeción. Triarsi no permitía una acusación menor que robo contra Pilgrim. Muchas veces dijo al jurado que la acusación era robo. Cuando la defensa preguntó si una persona blanca habría sido sujeto a tales procesos, Triarsi dijo que la defensa “jugaba el naipe de raza.” Sin embargo, la familia y los amigos de Omar sentía que Triarsi era racista y que fue activamente hostil hacia el acusado. Se encontró a Omar culpable de robo, pero no de posesión de un arma ni de agresión agravada. Basado en esta condenación manchada, Omar fue ofrecido una sentencia de cuatro años si se declararía culpable de robo. Se negó hacerlo. La familia dice que fue visible que Triarsi se enojó. Dio a Omar una sentencia de ocho años, de los cuales, tiene que cumplir seis antes de ser elegible para la libertad condicional. Patrón de Injusticia Este caso demuestra un patrón de mala conducto que siempre ha sido común en el sistema de “justicia penal” de los Estados Unidos, pero que se empeora. Primero, se interrogó a Omar en violación de sus derechos. Se admitió la declaración resultante como evidencia. Había por lo menos una violación grande del proceso, la introducción al juicio de un arma que no tenía nada que ver con los cargos. Siguió con una oferta para declararse en la cual la amenaza de una sentencia severa fue usada para esconder estos abusos con una declaración de culpable. Se falló el intento cuando Omar negó declararse culpable. Oficialmente fue condenado por robo, pero de veras fue por negar a aceptar la tapadera. Si una persona blanca habría sido involucrado con el incidente original, es muy probable que habría sido poca disputa. Las probabilidades son mucho mejor que la policía habría seguido los procedimientos correctos. Es dudoso que el caso habría llegado al punto de un juicio. Si a pesar de todos esos pronósticos, el caso tuviera un juicio, es poco probable que tal resulta habría ocurrido. Si habría sido una persona blanca de ingresos medios o altos, se puede decir con certitud que nada de eso habría pasado. Lo que pasó a Omar fue racista desde el principio hasta el fin. Los Estados Unidos tiene el nivel más alto de encarcelamiento de todo el mundo. Un cuarto de las personas encarceladas en el mundo están en los Estados Unidos. Los afroamericanos son un octavo de la población total, pero son la mitad de la población encarcelada. La “justicia” in los Estados Unidos sistemáticamente criminaliza al pueblo afroamericano. Un miembro de la familia, Grace Francis, dice, “El sistema blanca de justicia está tratando de esclavizar el pueblo afroamericano de nuevo.” El capitalismo de monopoliza, un sistema que sirve los ricos y los poderosos pierde su habilidad de dominar el mundo en nombre de ganancias. La clase dominante tiene miedo ante los problemas que se aumentan. Sujeta al pueblo trabajador y a las nacionalidades oprimidas a todo tipo de condiciones más y más malas. Se caen los sueldos y los estándares de vivir. Se cortan los servicios de la educación y salud. El sistema sigue aún más racista y represivo. El caso de Omar Pilgrim es una barbaridad contra el pueblo afroamericano y la clase obrera entera de los Estados Unidos. Los apoyantes de Pilgrim no aceptan esta injusticia sin luchar. El caso está siendo apelado. Los miembros familiares y los amigos de Pilgrim escribieron cartas al Director de Justicia Penal de New Jersey para quejarse de la manera en que Triarsi llevaba el juicio y para demandar que se lo quita del tribunal. Se hará una aplicación por una perdón del Gubernador de New Jersey. La Organización del Pueblo para el Progreso (The People´s Organization for Progress), una organización de derechos humanos y civiles basado en New Jersey apoya la lucha de librar a Pilgrim. Personas que quieren expresarse sobre este caso pueden escribir a: People’s Organization for Progress PO Box 22505 Newark, NJ 07101 O se puede enviar cartas de exigir la justicia para Omar Pilgrim a: Mr. Vaughn L. McKoy, Director of Criminal Justice Hughes Justice Complex 25 Market St. Trenton, NJ 08625 -0085 #NewarkNJ #Commentary #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #OmarPilgrim #OrganizaciónDelPuebloParaElProgreso div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> El caso de Omar Pilgrim

El caso de Omar Pilgrim en el Condado Union en New Jersey es un ejemplo flagrante de los abusos racistas del sistema de “justicia” penal de los Estados Unidos. En marzo de este año, el juez John Triarsi condenó a Omar, un afroamericano, con una sentencia en el cárcel de ocho años por una primera ofensa en un asunto que tiene que ver con $6.75. Tiene que cumplir seis años antes de ser elegible por la libertad condicional (parole).

En el momento del incidente del caso, Pilgrim tenía 19 años. Trabajaba como guardia de seguridad por la Junta Directiva de Educación de Irvington, New Jersey. Fue matriculado en el programa de justicia penal en el instituto Essex County College. Nunca había tenido ningunos problemas con la ley.

Aproximadamente a las 7:00 por la mañana el 4 de enero de 2004, Pilgrim compró $10.00 de gasolina en el pueblo Union Township. Entonces encontró que solamente tenía $3.25. Ofreció dejar su licencia de conducir con el mozo de gasolinera. Hizo dos llamadas telefónicas documentadas de la gasolinera tratando de conseguir el dinero.

El mozo es un inmigrante que no habla el inglés. Se empezó una disputa en lo cual ningún podía entender el otro. Miembros de la familia dicen que el mozo llamó a Pilgrim “nigger” [grosería para “negro”]. Dicen también que Pilgrim había estado celebrando y que no quería enfrentar a la policía. Como no sabía qué hacer en tal situación, Pilgrim dejó la gasolinera en pánico sin pagar los $6.75 que faltaba.

El mozo llamó a la policía y declaró que Omar le amenazó con un arma. La policía paró a Pilgrim en el pueblo cercano East Orange a las 8:00 por la mañana. Se saqueó el carro de él, pero no se encontró un arma. Nunca se ha encontrado un arma en conexión con el incidente.

La policía retuvo y interrogó a Pilgrim solo. Tenía 19 años. En su niñez, se había estado diagnosticado con síndrome de hiperactividad. Había estado despierta por más que veinticuatro horas. No estaba presente ningún miembro de la familia ni abogado. El investigador de la policía le dijo que si firmara una declaración, le dejaría irse a casa.

Bajo esas circunstancias, Pilgrim fue inducido firmar una renuncia de sus derechos a tener un abogado. También firmó una declaración, la cual su familia dice que no había leído. La declaración dice que simuló tener un arma y que exigió al mozo darle dinero. En este base, Pilgrim fue acusado de agresión agravada, tener un arma, y robo. Sin embargo, hasta ahora, los miembros de la familia no han sido permitidos leer la declaración completa. Además, Pilgrim nunca admitió el robo.

El juicio fue un lío de contradicciones y problemas. Se alegó que Pilgrim usó una gorra suave como una casquete (“skully”) para asustar al mozo y hacerle pensar que tuviera un arma. El fiscal trajo un arma a la sala del tribunal y la mostró al demandante y al jurado diciendo que la supuesta gorra “parecía” a este arma. Cuando el abogado de defensa se opuso a esta violación grave del proceso, el Juez Triarsi botó la objeción.

Triarsi no permitía una acusación menor que robo contra Pilgrim. Muchas veces dijo al jurado que la acusación era robo. Cuando la defensa preguntó si una persona blanca habría sido sujeto a tales procesos, Triarsi dijo que la defensa “jugaba el naipe de raza.” Sin embargo, la familia y los amigos de Omar sentía que Triarsi era racista y que fue activamente hostil hacia el acusado. Se encontró a Omar culpable de robo, pero no de posesión de un arma ni de agresión agravada.

Basado en esta condenación manchada, Omar fue ofrecido una sentencia de cuatro años si se declararía culpable de robo. Se negó hacerlo. La familia dice que fue visible que Triarsi se enojó. Dio a Omar una sentencia de ocho años, de los cuales, tiene que cumplir seis antes de ser elegible para la libertad condicional.

Patrón de Injusticia

Este caso demuestra un patrón de mala conducto que siempre ha sido común en el sistema de “justicia penal” de los Estados Unidos, pero que se empeora. Primero, se interrogó a Omar en violación de sus derechos. Se admitió la declaración resultante como evidencia. Había por lo menos una violación grande del proceso, la introducción al juicio de un arma que no tenía nada que ver con los cargos. Siguió con una oferta para declararse en la cual la amenaza de una sentencia severa fue usada para esconder estos abusos con una declaración de culpable. Se falló el intento cuando Omar negó declararse culpable. Oficialmente fue condenado por robo, pero de veras fue por negar a aceptar la tapadera.

Si una persona blanca habría sido involucrado con el incidente original, es muy probable que habría sido poca disputa. Las probabilidades son mucho mejor que la policía habría seguido los procedimientos correctos. Es dudoso que el caso habría llegado al punto de un juicio. Si a pesar de todos esos pronósticos, el caso tuviera un juicio, es poco probable que tal resulta habría ocurrido. Si habría sido una persona blanca de ingresos medios o altos, se puede decir con certitud que nada de eso habría pasado. Lo que pasó a Omar fue racista desde el principio hasta el fin.

Los Estados Unidos tiene el nivel más alto de encarcelamiento de todo el mundo. Un cuarto de las personas encarceladas en el mundo están en los Estados Unidos. Los afroamericanos son un octavo de la población total, pero son la mitad de la población encarcelada. La “justicia” in los Estados Unidos sistemáticamente criminaliza al pueblo afroamericano. Un miembro de la familia, Grace Francis, dice, “El sistema blanca de justicia está tratando de esclavizar el pueblo afroamericano de nuevo.”

El capitalismo de monopoliza, un sistema que sirve los ricos y los poderosos pierde su habilidad de dominar el mundo en nombre de ganancias. La clase dominante tiene miedo ante los problemas que se aumentan. Sujeta al pueblo trabajador y a las nacionalidades oprimidas a todo tipo de condiciones más y más malas. Se caen los sueldos y los estándares de vivir. Se cortan los servicios de la educación y salud. El sistema sigue aún más racista y represivo. El caso de Omar Pilgrim es una barbaridad contra el pueblo afroamericano y la clase obrera entera de los Estados Unidos.

Los apoyantes de Pilgrim no aceptan esta injusticia sin luchar. El caso está siendo apelado. Los miembros familiares y los amigos de Pilgrim escribieron cartas al Director de Justicia Penal de New Jersey para quejarse de la manera en que Triarsi llevaba el juicio y para demandar que se lo quita del tribunal. Se hará una aplicación por una perdón del Gubernador de New Jersey.

La Organización del Pueblo para el Progreso (The People´s Organization for Progress), una organización de derechos humanos y civiles basado en New Jersey apoya la lucha de librar a Pilgrim. Personas que quieren expresarse sobre este caso pueden escribir a:

People’s Organization for Progress

PO Box 22505

Newark, NJ 07101

O se puede enviar cartas de exigir la justicia para Omar Pilgrim a:

Mr. Vaughn L. McKoy, Director of Criminal Justice

Hughes Justice Complex

25 Market St.

Trenton, NJ 08625 -0085

#NewarkNJ #Commentary #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #OmarPilgrim #OrganizaciónDelPuebloParaElProgreso

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/omarpilgrim-np91 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:58:32 +0000 Habla Raul Reyes https://fightbacknews.org/hablaraul?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[El Portavoz de las FARC-EP Colombia Action Network se reunieron con el Comandante Raul Reyes. se reunieron con el Comandante Raul Reyes. \(¡Lucha y Resiste!/Redacción\)") Yo le quiero decir al pueblo estadounidense que el pueblo colombiano los admira y quiere tener las mejores relaciones con el. !--more-- Que las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia son parte del pueblo, del pueblo en armas, que esta luchando por la vivienda, por la salud, la educación; que la FARC esta luchando por la defensa de los derechos humanos de todos los colombianos, pues el gobierno del estado colombiano no cumple con la protección de los derechos humanos, en cambio viola los derechos humanos, es un estado terrorista que masacra al pueblo a través de agresiones paramilitares. Hay un sector del ejercito comprometido a efectuar acciones criminales en nombre de los paramilitares, contra la población civil desarmada. La FARC lucha contra todo esto pues lo considera violatorio de los derechos humanos, violatorio a la obligación que tiene todo gobierno de proteger a sus gobernados. La FARC quiere tener mas amigos en los EE UU, quiere hablar con su pueblo con los profesores, con los estudiantes, los trabajadores norteamericanos, con las distintas organizaciones religiosas de los EE UU, con los distintos revolucionarios que también tiene los EE UU, y demás sectores progresistas de este pueblo que están en la izquierda en los mismos partidos, nosotros sabemos que en los demócratas hay un sector activo que esta en contra de la intervención que su gobierno quiere hacer en Colombia. #Commentary #RaulReyes #FARCEP #Colombia #Interviews #Americas div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> El Portavoz de las FARC-EP

Colombia Action Network se reunieron con el Comandante Raul Reyes.

Yo le quiero decir al pueblo estadounidense que el pueblo colombiano los admira y quiere tener las mejores relaciones con el.

Que las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia son parte del pueblo, del pueblo en armas, que esta luchando por la vivienda, por la salud, la educación; que la FARC esta luchando por la defensa de los derechos humanos de todos los colombianos, pues el gobierno del estado colombiano no cumple con la protección de los derechos humanos, en cambio viola los derechos humanos, es un estado terrorista que masacra al pueblo a través de agresiones paramilitares.

Hay un sector del ejercito comprometido a efectuar acciones criminales en nombre de los paramilitares, contra la población civil desarmada.

La FARC lucha contra todo esto pues lo considera violatorio de los derechos humanos, violatorio a la obligación que tiene todo gobierno de proteger a sus gobernados.

La FARC quiere tener mas amigos en los EE UU, quiere hablar con su pueblo con los profesores, con los estudiantes, los trabajadores norteamericanos, con las distintas organizaciones religiosas de los EE UU, con los distintos revolucionarios que también tiene los EE UU, y demás sectores progresistas de este pueblo que están en la izquierda en los mismos partidos, nosotros sabemos que en los demócratas hay un sector activo que esta en contra de la intervención que su gobierno quiere hacer en Colombia.

#Commentary #RaulReyes #FARCEP #Colombia #Interviews #Americas

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/hablaraul Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:51:59 +0000 Comentario: La nueva cara de terror policial https://fightbacknews.org/e-nuevacara?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Chicago, IL - Cuando a Phillip Cline, Superintendente actual de la Policía de Chicago le preguntaron sobre el plan policial del Alcalde Daley para el área africana-americana del Distrito de Harrison, este dijo: “Hace más fácil nuestro trabajo, es como dispararle a peces en un barril.” !--more-- Esa misma noche un policía de Chicago balaceo a Sharron Grant, un muchacho Negro de 23 años de edad, quien murió por los impactos de bala disparados contra él. Los familiares de Grant sostienen que el estaba desarmado y estaba saliendo de una fiesta. Los vecindarios del barrio de Englewood, encendidos de furia, apedrearon y lanzaron botellas a los carros policiales. La policía contesto con más balas y arrestos. Por primera vez, en lo que respecta a nuestra memoria, perros policiales entrenados para atacar fueron llevados al lugar de los hechos. Todo esto ocurrió un Viernes por la noche. Al día siguiente, sábado por la mañana, el área estaba sellada. Los líderes de las iglesias hicieron un llamado a los residentes para que se quedaran en sus casas, mientras una delegación compuesta por la familia de Grant y activistas comunitarios fueron a la estación de policía. Dos personas fueron arrestadas por el sólo hecho de estar paradas afuera cerca de las puertas de la estación de policía. Estos eventos son parte de la verdadera historia detrás del famoso porcentaje de asesinatos en Chicago y de lo que el Alcalde Daley está haciendo para contrarrestarlo. 665 homicidios se han cometido en la ciudad de Chicago, ésta poseá el primer lugar en muertes a lo largo y ancho de la nación. Daley quiere reducir este número para así poder atraer a los sectores suburbanos blancos, de la clase media y alta de regreso a la urbe metropolitana, esto es después de 35 años de suburbanizacion. Él ha invertido los últimos dólares de la ciudad en un puñado de Escuelas “Trofeo,” arreglos florales públicos, esculturas en parques y festivales de música. Finalmente, Daley ha estado del lado de las corporaciones, al borde de la ciudad, con toda clase de prebendas y ofertas monetarias. Al mismo tiempo, el Alcalde Daley tiene el mismo trabajo que cualquier otro Alcalde de ciudad grande - desde el punto de vista de la clase dominante, la gente que esta fuera del círculo de poder debe de ser controlada. Las Panteras Negras se referían a la policía como “un ejercito de ocupación,” por alguna razón. La población negra de Chicago, 37%, la más golpeada por la explosión del desempleo y recortes en los servicios es una caja con explosivos (polvorín) a los ojos de Daley. A la clase media negra se le ofrecen algunas prebendas, al resto, el garrote policial nocturno. Para mantener subyugados a los africano-americanos y latino americanos, hay una tacita criminalización hacía los jóvenes de estas comunidades. Para el año 2010 el Departamento de Justicia calcula que 7.7 millones de personas habrán servido tiempo en prisión. Según este calculo, 1 de cada 3 hombres negros irán a la prisión, comparado con 1 de cada 6 hombres Latinos (hispanos), y 1 de cada 17 hombres blancos (anglos). El Alcalde Daley esta implementando el mismo modelo policial que Nueva York ha usado. Este modelo, o algo parecido a este, esta siendo implementado en Detroit, Minneapolis, e incluso, exportado a México. En Junio, en un evento por demás obvio, el Alcalde envió 100 oficiales en una Unidad de Respuesta dirigida al Distrito de Harrison. Esto es en el Oeste de la ciudad, donde ocurre el más alto índice de muertes. Algunos fines de semana más de 200 personas fueron arrestadas en una noche. El racismo de este plan reside en el hecho de que las autoridades de Chicago usan la palabra “crimen” para justificar el encierro de jóvenes negros de una comunidad que la ciudad ha ignorado o robado de todo, menos los servicios especiales de la policía. Lo que ha hecho más obvio el racismo de estas acciones, es el de separar a los arrestados. A las personas arrestadas por comprar drogas les pusieron cargos por mala conducta. Los adolescentes blancos que fueron arrestados fueron enviados a los suburbios, sin mencionar una sola palabra sobre la guerra en contra de las drogas. De hecho, solo 3 de los 60 clientes de drogas, arrestados en un fin de semana, viven en el Distrito de Harrison. Sin embargo, los jóvenes Negros son los más perseguidos. Hay nuevas cámaras vigilantes ($ 20,000.00 cada una) que serán usadas para respaldar casos en la corte. En estos días, los jueces tienen acceso a un sistema de Fax que funciona las 24 horas, lo que les permite girar órdenes inmediatas de arresto o cateos de viviendas. La estrategia de Nueva York incluye reporteros de la corte que viajan con los policías para transcribir las palabras de las personas que son sorprendidas en la calle, para así usarlas en su contra cuando más tarde tienen que enfrentar a la corte. No es ninguna coincidencia que el plan piloto de Nueva York “arresto para los hombres limpia ventanas (squeegee men)” forma parte de los primeros tres planes favoritos del nuevo superintendente, este subió a la fama for su manejo de la situación en un barrio de Washington Heights donde ordenó el acordonamiento e interrogamiento de todos aquellos que entraban al mismo. El Verano del 2003 fue el verano de la rebelión en Benton Harbor. Fue el verano en el que la clase dominante se apresuró a escribir mini-cheques para paliar la situación. Pero, Chicago es una ciudad mucho más grande e importante en la escala de pobreza. A los presupuestos del Estado y del Condado se les esta pidiendo meter el hombro al costo de mantener la sobreabundante fuerza laboral de un sistema económico en decline profundo. Y no pueden firmar ese tal mini-cheque. El presupuesto al sistema Correccional del estado de Illinois ha crecido en un 110% de 1985 al 2000, mientras que el presupuesto para la Educación Superior ha sido recortado. Enfrentados a esta profunda crisis económica, los políticos y los económicamente poderosos no quieren hacer este tipo de gasto. Fue un verano en el que los políticos empezaron ha hablar más y más sobre el poco personal presidiario y programas de trabajo para los que salen en libertad, simple y sencillamente porque las prisiones están llenas. Mientras tanto, los policías de la ciudad en uniformes nuevos antimotínes hacen barridas y arrestos masivos todas las noches, metiéndole miedo a los residentes, quienes viven temerosos ante el fantasma del crimen. En realidad, Chicago tiene actualmente el mas bajo nivel en crimen que se ha vivido en los últimos 30 anos. La policía de Chicago no tiene ningún interés en poner fin a los crímenes en los barrios Africano americanos, Puerto Riqueños o Latino americanos. Están apuntando a estos barrios para así obligar a estos sectores oprimidos a abandonar las áreas donde han vivido por generaciones. Las mentiras del Alcalde Daley pueden confundir a algunos por algún tiempo, pero la verdad está saliendo a flote, y los hechos dan la pauta de que la gente oprimida continuará luchando por sus derechos. #ChicagoIL #Commentary #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #BentonHarbor #PhilipCline #AfricanAmericanHarrisonDistrict #ShurronGrant #BlackPanthers #elBarrioDeEnglewood div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Chicago, IL – Cuando a Phillip Cline, Superintendente actual de la Policía de Chicago le preguntaron sobre el plan policial del Alcalde Daley para el área africana-americana del Distrito de Harrison, este dijo: “Hace más fácil nuestro trabajo, es como dispararle a peces en un barril.”

Esa misma noche un policía de Chicago balaceo a Sharron Grant, un muchacho Negro de 23 años de edad, quien murió por los impactos de bala disparados contra él. Los familiares de Grant sostienen que el estaba desarmado y estaba saliendo de una fiesta. Los vecindarios del barrio de Englewood, encendidos de furia, apedrearon y lanzaron botellas a los carros policiales. La policía contesto con más balas y arrestos. Por primera vez, en lo que respecta a nuestra memoria, perros policiales entrenados para atacar fueron llevados al lugar de los hechos. Todo esto ocurrió un Viernes por la noche.

Al día siguiente, sábado por la mañana, el área estaba sellada. Los líderes de las iglesias hicieron un llamado a los residentes para que se quedaran en sus casas, mientras una delegación compuesta por la familia de Grant y activistas comunitarios fueron a la estación de policía. Dos personas fueron arrestadas por el sólo hecho de estar paradas afuera cerca de las puertas de la estación de policía.

Estos eventos son parte de la verdadera historia detrás del famoso porcentaje de asesinatos en Chicago y de lo que el Alcalde Daley está haciendo para contrarrestarlo. 665 homicidios se han cometido en la ciudad de Chicago, ésta poseá el primer lugar en muertes a lo largo y ancho de la nación. Daley quiere reducir este número para así poder atraer a los sectores suburbanos blancos, de la clase media y alta de regreso a la urbe metropolitana, esto es después de 35 años de suburbanizacion. Él ha invertido los últimos dólares de la ciudad en un puñado de Escuelas “Trofeo,” arreglos florales públicos, esculturas en parques y festivales de música. Finalmente, Daley ha estado del lado de las corporaciones, al borde de la ciudad, con toda clase de prebendas y ofertas monetarias.

Al mismo tiempo, el Alcalde Daley tiene el mismo trabajo que cualquier otro Alcalde de ciudad grande – desde el punto de vista de la clase dominante, la gente que esta fuera del círculo de poder debe de ser controlada. Las Panteras Negras se referían a la policía como “un ejercito de ocupación,” por alguna razón. La población negra de Chicago, 37%, la más golpeada por la explosión del desempleo y recortes en los servicios es una caja con explosivos (polvorín) a los ojos de Daley. A la clase media negra se le ofrecen algunas prebendas, al resto, el garrote policial nocturno.

Para mantener subyugados a los africano-americanos y latino americanos, hay una tacita criminalización hacía los jóvenes de estas comunidades. Para el año 2010 el Departamento de Justicia calcula que 7.7 millones de personas habrán servido tiempo en prisión. Según este calculo, 1 de cada 3 hombres negros irán a la prisión, comparado con 1 de cada 6 hombres Latinos (hispanos), y 1 de cada 17 hombres blancos (anglos).

El Alcalde Daley esta implementando el mismo modelo policial que Nueva York ha usado. Este modelo, o algo parecido a este, esta siendo implementado en Detroit, Minneapolis, e incluso, exportado a México. En Junio, en un evento por demás obvio, el Alcalde envió 100 oficiales en una Unidad de Respuesta dirigida al Distrito de Harrison. Esto es en el Oeste de la ciudad, donde ocurre el más alto índice de muertes. Algunos fines de semana más de 200 personas fueron arrestadas en una noche. El racismo de este plan reside en el hecho de que las autoridades de Chicago usan la palabra “crimen” para justificar el encierro de jóvenes negros de una comunidad que la ciudad ha ignorado o robado de todo, menos los servicios especiales de la policía.

Lo que ha hecho más obvio el racismo de estas acciones, es el de separar a los arrestados. A las personas arrestadas por comprar drogas les pusieron cargos por mala conducta. Los adolescentes blancos que fueron arrestados fueron enviados a los suburbios, sin mencionar una sola palabra sobre la guerra en contra de las drogas. De hecho, solo 3 de los 60 clientes de drogas, arrestados en un fin de semana, viven en el Distrito de Harrison.

Sin embargo, los jóvenes Negros son los más perseguidos. Hay nuevas cámaras vigilantes ($ 20,000.00 cada una) que serán usadas para respaldar casos en la corte. En estos días, los jueces tienen acceso a un sistema de Fax que funciona las 24 horas, lo que les permite girar órdenes inmediatas de arresto o cateos de viviendas. La estrategia de Nueva York incluye reporteros de la corte que viajan con los policías para transcribir las palabras de las personas que son sorprendidas en la calle, para así usarlas en su contra cuando más tarde tienen que enfrentar a la corte. No es ninguna coincidencia que el plan piloto de Nueva York “arresto para los hombres limpia ventanas (squeegee men)” forma parte de los primeros tres planes favoritos del nuevo superintendente, este subió a la fama for su manejo de la situación en un barrio de Washington Heights donde ordenó el acordonamiento e interrogamiento de todos aquellos que entraban al mismo.

El Verano del 2003 fue el verano de la rebelión en Benton Harbor. Fue el verano en el que la clase dominante se apresuró a escribir mini-cheques para paliar la situación. Pero, Chicago es una ciudad mucho más grande e importante en la escala de pobreza. A los presupuestos del Estado y del Condado se les esta pidiendo meter el hombro al costo de mantener la sobreabundante fuerza laboral de un sistema económico en decline profundo. Y no pueden firmar ese tal mini-cheque. El presupuesto al sistema Correccional del estado de Illinois ha crecido en un 110% de 1985 al 2000, mientras que el presupuesto para la Educación Superior ha sido recortado. Enfrentados a esta profunda crisis económica, los políticos y los económicamente poderosos no quieren hacer este tipo de gasto.

Fue un verano en el que los políticos empezaron ha hablar más y más sobre el poco personal presidiario y programas de trabajo para los que salen en libertad, simple y sencillamente porque las prisiones están llenas. Mientras tanto, los policías de la ciudad en uniformes nuevos antimotínes hacen barridas y arrestos masivos todas las noches, metiéndole miedo a los residentes, quienes viven temerosos ante el fantasma del crimen. En realidad, Chicago tiene actualmente el mas bajo nivel en crimen que se ha vivido en los últimos 30 anos.

La policía de Chicago no tiene ningún interés en poner fin a los crímenes en los barrios Africano americanos, Puerto Riqueños o Latino americanos. Están apuntando a estos barrios para así obligar a estos sectores oprimidos a abandonar las áreas donde han vivido por generaciones. Las mentiras del Alcalde Daley pueden confundir a algunos por algún tiempo, pero la verdad está saliendo a flote, y los hechos dan la pauta de que la gente oprimida continuará luchando por sus derechos.

#ChicagoIL #Commentary #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #BentonHarbor #PhilipCline #AfricanAmericanHarrisonDistrict #ShurronGrant #BlackPanthers #elBarrioDeEnglewood

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/e-nuevacara Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:21:42 +0000 Comentario: Elvira Arellano inspira unidad y acciones masivas https://fightbacknews.org/elvira-ygz6?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Carlos Montes (izquierda) con Elvira Arellano y su hijo Saul con Elvira Arellano y su hijo Saul \(¡Lucha y Resiste!\)") Los Ángeles, CA - Yo me reuní brevemente con Elvira Arellano el 18 de agosto en la plaza de la Iglesia Católica en Los Ángeles, después de nuestra marcha por los derechos de los inmigrantes en el Centro de la ciudad. Yo estaba muy cansado, pero al reunirme con ella y Saulito, ellos me emocionaron y me inspiraron. !--more-- Ella es una mujer muy fuerte, comprometida por la justicia de 12 millones de inmigrantes indocumentados viviendo bajo los ataques de la administración del presidente Bush. Nosotros pasamos un momento feliz hablando de cómo podemos organizar a Los Ángeles y de la historia de los chicanos aquí, por ejemplo las caminatas que hicieron en el este de los Ángeles. Ella había visto la película de HBO sobre los estudiantes chicanos que luchaban por una mejor educación. Saulito, el hijo de Elvira, me preguntó quien era chicano, y yo le respondí que él era chicano. El siguiente día Elvira, Saul, Emma Lozano y el Reverendo Slim Coleman pasaron el domingo en la iglesia con las masas de la comunidad inmigrante en Los Ángeles. Ellos se fueron de la iglesia a la 1:30 de la tarde para ir a otras iglesias santuarios, pero a una cuadra después cuatro carros del departamento de Homeland Security, con casi diez agentes armados, los detuvieron y arrestaron a Elvira. A las 10:00 de la noche ella ya había sido deportada hacia Tijuana, México. Ella ha dicho desde Tijuana que va a seguir con la lucha por la legalización y la justicia de las familias inmigrantes. El arresto de ella fue condenado por todo el movimiento de los derechos de los inmigrantes y ha creado la unidad de aquellos que exigen su regreso, la legalización ahora y el paro inmediato de las redadas, detenciones y deportaciones. Una nueva red unida se ha formado incluyendo la Coalición 25 de Marzo, CHIRLA y los Líderes Religiosos. Ellos llamaron a una protesta masiva el 25 de agosto en Los Ángeles, conjunta con la llamada nacional para protestar en Washington D.C. el 12 de septiembre, la cual también urge un paro laboral y económico a nivel nacional. Elvira estuvo refugiada en un santuario en Chicago por más de un año para no ser deportada o separada de su hijo. Ella se ha convertido en un símbolo de esperanza e inspiración para millones de inmigrantes y para el movimiento de los derechos de los inmigrantes que lucha por la legalización y la igualdad de derecho. Carlos Montes es un líder veterano del movimiento de los derechos de los inmigrantes. El folleto en ingles El folleto en espanol #LosÁngelesCA #LosAngelesCA #Commentary #ChicanoLatino #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #ElviraArellano #LatinosContraLaGuerra div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Carlos Montes (izquierda) con Elvira Arellano y su hijo Saul

Los Ángeles, CA – Yo me reuní brevemente con Elvira Arellano el 18 de agosto en la plaza de la Iglesia Católica en Los Ángeles, después de nuestra marcha por los derechos de los inmigrantes en el Centro de la ciudad. Yo estaba muy cansado, pero al reunirme con ella y Saulito, ellos me emocionaron y me inspiraron.

Ella es una mujer muy fuerte, comprometida por la justicia de 12 millones de inmigrantes indocumentados viviendo bajo los ataques de la administración del presidente Bush. Nosotros pasamos un momento feliz hablando de cómo podemos organizar a Los Ángeles y de la historia de los chicanos aquí, por ejemplo las caminatas que hicieron en el este de los Ángeles. Ella había visto la película de HBO sobre los estudiantes chicanos que luchaban por una mejor educación. Saulito, el hijo de Elvira, me preguntó quien era chicano, y yo le respondí que él era chicano.

El siguiente día Elvira, Saul, Emma Lozano y el Reverendo Slim Coleman pasaron el domingo en la iglesia con las masas de la comunidad inmigrante en Los Ángeles. Ellos se fueron de la iglesia a la 1:30 de la tarde para ir a otras iglesias santuarios, pero a una cuadra después cuatro carros del departamento de Homeland Security, con casi diez agentes armados, los detuvieron y arrestaron a Elvira. A las 10:00 de la noche ella ya había sido deportada hacia Tijuana, México. Ella ha dicho desde Tijuana que va a seguir con la lucha por la legalización y la justicia de las familias inmigrantes.

El arresto de ella fue condenado por todo el movimiento de los derechos de los inmigrantes y ha creado la unidad de aquellos que exigen su regreso, la legalización ahora y el paro inmediato de las redadas, detenciones y deportaciones. Una nueva red unida se ha formado incluyendo la Coalición 25 de Marzo, CHIRLA y los Líderes Religiosos. Ellos llamaron a una protesta masiva el 25 de agosto en Los Ángeles, conjunta con la llamada nacional para protestar en Washington D.C. el 12 de septiembre, la cual también urge un paro laboral y económico a nivel nacional.

Elvira estuvo refugiada en un santuario en Chicago por más de un año para no ser deportada o separada de su hijo. Ella se ha convertido en un símbolo de esperanza e inspiración para millones de inmigrantes y para el movimiento de los derechos de los inmigrantes que lucha por la legalización y la igualdad de derecho.

Carlos Montes es un líder veterano del movimiento de los derechos de los inmigrantes.

El folleto en ingles

El folleto en espanol

#LosÁngelesCA #LosAngelesCA #Commentary #ChicanoLatino #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #ElviraArellano #LatinosContraLaGuerra

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/elvira-ygz6 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:00:28 +0000 Lucha y Resistencia: Un comentario sobre la moratoria Chicana https://fightbacknews.org/moratoria?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[El contingente de Centro CSO en la marcha historica anti-guerra de 20 de abril") Los Ángeles, CA - Treinta y dos años es una capsula en la larga historia de activismo en la comunidad Chicano/a -Mexiana. Hace tres decadas la mobilizacion Chicana mas grande en contra de la guerra de Vietnam fue vista como una amenaza del movimiento del pueblo que cuestiono las polizas de Los Estados Unidos en otras partes del mundo y los efectos negativos que estaban causando estas polizas en la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana en Estados Unidos. Un alto número de Chicanos se mandaron a pelear una guerra en contra del pueblo Vietnamita, en los propios files y mismas tierras que Vietnam usaba para el sosten de su pueblo. Al igual que en sus hogares y comunidades en E.U, muchos Chicanos trataron de aumentar el nivel de entendimiento y a denuciar que "la destrucción de las tierras de otra patria era lo mismo que la destrucción en los barrios de Los Angeles - California, Nuevo Mexico, Colorado, Illinois y muchas otras tierras del Sur-oeste (o Southwest)." !--more-- Jovenes, familias, niños/as y organizadores se unieron al primer Moratorio Nacional Chicano en 1970 para denunciar el involucramiento de E.U. en Vietnam y señalar los males que Los Estados Unidos causa aun dentro de las fronteras que por si solo creo segun con la intension de "proteger a todo el imigrante y los deshabitados", como dice la estatua de libertad en Nueva York. La demostracion de más de 30,000 raza demostro la oposición y resistencia de una lucha organizada por el pueblo Chicano/Mexicano que se dio cuenta y entendia los efectos de la invasion Estado Unidense. Estas mismas fuerzas Estado Unidenses tomaron las tierras de sus ancestros Mexicanos/as con el Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo hace mas de 150 años aqui en en el sur-oeste en 1848. En 1970, los desendientes de esas mismas tierras del sur-oeste de donde deciende el pueblo Chicano, se organizaron a protestar en el parque Belvedere en el Este de Los Angeles. Un vocero del periodico Los Angeles Times, Ruben Salazar, fue asesinado ese mismo día del 29 de agosto en 1970 porque señalaba el desplaso de la comunidad Chicana dentro de la sociedad "americana" incluyendo las estadisticas de Chicano/Mexicanos que estaban en las filas de la guerra en Vietnam. La muerte de Salazar por un 'sheriff' del condado de Los Angeles, demostro la brutal censura del reconocimiento de la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana. Fue una represion muy clara de la formacion de identidad del pueblo Chicano y la urgencia de la policia estatal Estado Unidense a silenciar las realidades deplorables economicas, educacionales y politicas que la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana estaba denuciando y tratando de protestar. Muchos y muchas Chicanas, participantes del Moratorio Chicano Nacional, fueron golpeados y aterrorizados ese día en 1970 con mayonetas por policias del departamento de Los Angeles. Las polizas agresivas de E.U. estan una vez mas a niveles mas altos metiendo fuerzas militares en las Filipinas, Colombia y el Medio-oriente. Despues del 11 de septiembre 2001, un nuevo "terrorista" se ha identificado y el enfoque esta una vez mas en la comunidad (Chicana/Mexicana/Latina) que en otras ocasiones es invisible pero para pelear la segun "guerra al terrorismo" no. Los jovenes de los barrios y escuelas secundarias estan siendo reclutados imediatamente para la industria militar. La realidad habla por si misma cuando se cuentan los pocos consejeros en las secundarias para reclutar a los estudiantes a la universidad pero la oficiana del "Army" o fuerzas armadas de E.U. esta en frente de una secundaria local en el este de Los Angeles. Este diseño educacional es para mandar a los jovenes Chicanos de regreso a pelear otra guerra creada por los Estados Unidos como se hizo en Vietnam y numerosas otras guerras. Salazar señalaba estas contradicciones en sus articulos en el periódico. Las conclusiones del pueblo Chicano/a fue de que después de analizar a fondo las preoridades de los E.U. se dieron cuenta que en realidad E.U. estaba creando guerras inecesarias y no estaba respondiendo a las cuestiones y necidades educacionales y de un mejor estar por decir "en su propia casa." En lugar estaba creando poderes militares al costo de las vidas de la gente de color o "minorias." Al igual es la situación con los ataques a Palestina, las Filipinas y a otras naciones mientras que la industria de Prisiones en casa esta encarcelando jovenes y hombres Chicano-Mexicanos para explotar su labor y el labor de muchos imigrantes incluyendo las manos de las mujeres Latinas y Chicana/Mexicanas para avances imperialistas y ganancias de grandes corporaciones. La comunidad imigrante Latina esta siendo señalada a traves del país siendo caracterizada como "terroristas sospechosos" causando hasta un número más alto de trabajos que se les esta quitando y dejando más y más en condiciones deplorables y sin saldos dignos de vivir que ya los esfuerzos de uniones han estado peleando. Otro ejemplo es que muchos estan siendo despedidos/as de los aeropuertos porque no son ciudadanos naturalizados; Sin embargo sin importar su estatus migratorio se les permite enlistarse al ejercito. El 1 de Mayo del 2002 arriba de 15,000 manifestantes, incluyendo El Comite del Este de Los Angeles en Contra la Guerra, con una contingencia oponiendose a la agresion Estado Unidense y la guerra en Palestina demostro una protesta en contra el acoso y represion a los Latinos, Afro-Americanos, Asiaticos del sur-oeste y pueblos Indigeno Americanos. Los esfuerzos de muchos organizadores es denunciar el capitalismo y imperialismo de E.U. para hacer los responsables por la represion de las naciones oprimidas y para exijir la renovación de estas comunidades reestableciendo la nación Chicana/Mexicana, su pueblo y su auto- determinación económica y política. Las demandas incluyen derechos basicos que continuan siendo negados por el presidente Bush y E.U. quien esta una vez mas creando demonios y haciendo excusas para pelear "el terrorismo" en Afghanistan y en el estranjero para edificar la maquina de guerra como hizo en Vietnam. La comunidad Chicana y varias naciones bajo opresion hoy estan organizadas y continuan la lucha y resistencia por las mismas demandas que el Moratorio exijia en 1970. El pueblo organizado exije: Auto determinación de el pueblo Mexicano/a -Chicano/a, Trabajos de sindicato y salarios dignos, Viviendas y cuidado médico, Un alto al abuso y terrorización policíaco y migratorio (INS), Educación Bilingue y relacionada al pueblo, Alto al estado policíaco en los vecindarios, Fuerzas armadas de E.U fuera de Latino America, el Medio-oriente, las Filipinas y Colombia como lista agregada. Resistencia Afro-Americana, Filipina, Asiatica y Nativo Americana como la de los estudiantes de las grandes caminatas de las secundarias, los "Brown Berets", los de "Crusade for Justice", Mechistas, madres, padres, hermanas, hermanos, el Centro CSO y la comunidad de Boyle Heights continuan mobilizandose y organizandose a través de enseñanzas comunitarias y desarollando liderasgo en la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana. Hoy, desde agosto 29 de 1970 a agosto 29 del 2002, El Comite del Este de Los Angeles en Contra la Guerra del Centro CSO llama a la comunidad que enseñe resistencia para organizar y luchar por la Auto Determinacion de la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana en el Sur-oeste (o Southwest). ¡Unase a La Lucha! El Centro CSO 511 Echandia St., Boyle Heights, California 90033 (323) 221-4000 #LosÁngelesCA #LosAngelesCA #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #Commentary #ChicanoLatino #laMoratoriaChicana div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> El contingente de Centro CSO en la marcha historica anti-guerra de 20 de abril

Los Ángeles, CA – Treinta y dos años es una capsula en la larga historia de activismo en la comunidad Chicano/a -Mexiana. Hace tres decadas la mobilizacion Chicana mas grande en contra de la guerra de Vietnam fue vista como una amenaza del movimiento del pueblo que cuestiono las polizas de Los Estados Unidos en otras partes del mundo y los efectos negativos que estaban causando estas polizas en la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana en Estados Unidos. Un alto número de Chicanos se mandaron a pelear una guerra en contra del pueblo Vietnamita, en los propios files y mismas tierras que Vietnam usaba para el sosten de su pueblo. Al igual que en sus hogares y comunidades en E.U, muchos Chicanos trataron de aumentar el nivel de entendimiento y a denuciar que “la destrucción de las tierras de otra patria era lo mismo que la destrucción en los barrios de Los Angeles – California, Nuevo Mexico, Colorado, Illinois y muchas otras tierras del Sur-oeste (o Southwest).”

Jovenes, familias, niños/as y organizadores se unieron al primer Moratorio Nacional Chicano en 1970 para denunciar el involucramiento de E.U. en Vietnam y señalar los males que Los Estados Unidos causa aun dentro de las fronteras que por si solo creo segun con la intension de “proteger a todo el imigrante y los deshabitados”, como dice la estatua de libertad en Nueva York. La demostracion de más de 30,000 raza demostro la oposición y resistencia de una lucha organizada por el pueblo Chicano/Mexicano que se dio cuenta y entendia los efectos de la invasion Estado Unidense. Estas mismas fuerzas Estado Unidenses tomaron las tierras de sus ancestros Mexicanos/as con el Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo hace mas de 150 años aqui en en el sur-oeste en 1848. En 1970, los desendientes de esas mismas tierras del sur-oeste de donde deciende el pueblo Chicano, se organizaron a protestar en el parque Belvedere en el Este de Los Angeles.

Un vocero del periodico Los Angeles Times, Ruben Salazar, fue asesinado ese mismo día del 29 de agosto en 1970 porque señalaba el desplaso de la comunidad Chicana dentro de la sociedad “americana” incluyendo las estadisticas de Chicano/Mexicanos que estaban en las filas de la guerra en Vietnam. La muerte de Salazar por un 'sheriff' del condado de Los Angeles, demostro la brutal censura del reconocimiento de la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana. Fue una represion muy clara de la formacion de identidad del pueblo Chicano y la urgencia de la policia estatal Estado Unidense a silenciar las realidades deplorables economicas, educacionales y politicas que la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana estaba denuciando y tratando de protestar. Muchos y muchas Chicanas, participantes del Moratorio Chicano Nacional, fueron golpeados y aterrorizados ese día en 1970 con mayonetas por policias del departamento de Los Angeles.

Las polizas agresivas de E.U. estan una vez mas a niveles mas altos metiendo fuerzas militares en las Filipinas, Colombia y el Medio-oriente. Despues del 11 de septiembre 2001, un nuevo “terrorista” se ha identificado y el enfoque esta una vez mas en la comunidad (Chicana/Mexicana/Latina) que en otras ocasiones es invisible pero para pelear la segun “guerra al terrorismo” no. Los jovenes de los barrios y escuelas secundarias estan siendo reclutados imediatamente para la industria militar. La realidad habla por si misma cuando se cuentan los pocos consejeros en las secundarias para reclutar a los estudiantes a la universidad pero la oficiana del “Army” o fuerzas armadas de E.U. esta en frente de una secundaria local en el este de Los Angeles. Este diseño educacional es para mandar a los jovenes Chicanos de regreso a pelear otra guerra creada por los Estados Unidos como se hizo en Vietnam y numerosas otras guerras.

Salazar señalaba estas contradicciones en sus articulos en el periódico. Las conclusiones del pueblo Chicano/a fue de que después de analizar a fondo las preoridades de los E.U. se dieron cuenta que en realidad E.U. estaba creando guerras inecesarias y no estaba respondiendo a las cuestiones y necidades educacionales y de un mejor estar por decir “en su propia casa.” En lugar estaba creando poderes militares al costo de las vidas de la gente de color o “minorias.” Al igual es la situación con los ataques a Palestina, las Filipinas y a otras naciones mientras que la industria de Prisiones en casa esta encarcelando jovenes y hombres Chicano-Mexicanos para explotar su labor y el labor de muchos imigrantes incluyendo las manos de las mujeres Latinas y Chicana/Mexicanas para avances imperialistas y ganancias de grandes corporaciones.

La comunidad imigrante Latina esta siendo señalada a traves del país siendo caracterizada como “terroristas sospechosos” causando hasta un número más alto de trabajos que se les esta quitando y dejando más y más en condiciones deplorables y sin saldos dignos de vivir que ya los esfuerzos de uniones han estado peleando. Otro ejemplo es que muchos estan siendo despedidos/as de los aeropuertos porque no son ciudadanos naturalizados; Sin embargo sin importar su estatus migratorio se les permite enlistarse al ejercito.

El 1 de Mayo del 2002 arriba de 15,000 manifestantes, incluyendo El Comite del Este de Los Angeles en Contra la Guerra, con una contingencia oponiendose a la agresion Estado Unidense y la guerra en Palestina demostro una protesta en contra el acoso y represion a los Latinos, Afro-Americanos, Asiaticos del sur-oeste y pueblos Indigeno Americanos. Los esfuerzos de muchos organizadores es denunciar el capitalismo y imperialismo de E.U. para hacer los responsables por la represion de las naciones oprimidas y para exijir la renovación de estas comunidades reestableciendo la nación Chicana/Mexicana, su pueblo y su auto- determinación económica y política.

Las demandas incluyen derechos basicos que continuan siendo negados por el presidente Bush y E.U. quien esta una vez mas creando demonios y haciendo excusas para pelear “el terrorismo” en Afghanistan y en el estranjero para edificar la maquina de guerra como hizo en Vietnam.

La comunidad Chicana y varias naciones bajo opresion hoy estan organizadas y continuan la lucha y resistencia por las mismas demandas que el Moratorio exijia en 1970. El pueblo organizado exije:

Auto determinación de el pueblo Mexicano/a -Chicano/a, Trabajos de sindicato y salarios dignos, Viviendas y cuidado médico, Un alto al abuso y terrorización policíaco y migratorio (INS), Educación Bilingue y relacionada al pueblo, Alto al estado policíaco en los vecindarios, Fuerzas armadas de E.U fuera de Latino America, el Medio-oriente, las Filipinas y Colombia como lista agregada.

Resistencia Afro-Americana, Filipina, Asiatica y Nativo Americana como la de los estudiantes de las grandes caminatas de las secundarias, los “Brown Berets”, los de “Crusade for Justice”, Mechistas, madres, padres, hermanas, hermanos, el Centro CSO y la comunidad de Boyle Heights continuan mobilizandose y organizandose a través de enseñanzas comunitarias y desarollando liderasgo en la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana.

Hoy, desde agosto 29 de 1970 a agosto 29 del 2002, El Comite del Este de Los Angeles en Contra la Guerra del Centro CSO llama a la comunidad que enseñe resistencia para organizar y luchar por la Auto Determinacion de la comunidad Chicana/Mexicana en el Sur-oeste (o Southwest). ¡Unase a La Lucha!

El Centro CSO 511 Echandia St., Boyle Heights, California 90033 (323) 221-4000

#LosÁngelesCA #LosAngelesCA #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #Commentary #ChicanoLatino #laMoratoriaChicana

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/moratoria Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:32:06 +0000 The Legacy of Stonewall https://fightbacknews.org/stonewall?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has had an important victory! On May 17, Massachusetts performed the first legal civil marriages of same-sex couples in the country. In November 2003, the Massachusetts State Supreme Court ruled that the state’s ban on same sex marriages was illegal. It ordered that such marriages be legalized within six months. As queers and allies celebrate the victory in Massachusetts, it is important to reflect on where the movement has been and where it should go. !--more-- Stonewall: The Birth of the Modern Queer Liberation Movement Thirty-five years ago on June 27, 1969, the LGBT community fought back in a new way. In the face of a brutal police raid on the Stonewall Inn, gays, lesbians and drag queens waged a historic fight back against police brutality and harassment. This group of working class, mostly black and Latino, queers fought against a police raid with rocks and bottles. Police attempts to put down the violence that they began failed. The intensity of the rebellion increased as police backup arrived. Word quickly spread throughout Greenwich Village about the events at the Stonewall and supporters came to aid in the fight. The rebellion was not an isolated incident of militancy. Gays and lesbians had been organizing for decades. However, the public, out in the open and militant nature of the Stonewall Rebellion acted as a spark for the LGBT community in New York and internationally. During the next five days, demonstrators returned by the thousands. They called for an end to police repression. Leaflets demanded, “Get the Mafia and cops out of gay bars!” The community mobilized for ‘Gay Power.’ The Future for the Queer Movement The battle against discrimination and for civil rights continues today. The issue that has created the most current controversy is that of gay marriage. This is an issue of civil rights. The federal government extends 1,425 benefits and privileges only to heterosexual married couples. This is wrong. The issue of gay marriage is being used by the Republican Party as a wedge to divide the people. They want people to focus on it instead of the economic and social crisis at home and the failure of U.S. policy in the Middle East. All progressive forces must continue to demand that the victory in Massachusetts be extended throughout the country. Unfortunately, much conservative talk about family values has buried unique and successful thinking about love, family and commitment in the queer community. Historically, the LGBT community has defined relationships and family much more broadly than the nuclear family made up of two adults whose main purpose is to birth and raise children. Friends, relatives, children and romantic partners all fall under the definition of family in the queer community. It is important that we don’t lose this history when we advocate for the civil right of marriage for everyone. We must also remember that the queer movement stands for social change reaching far beyond the marriage issue - change that will benefit everyone, from the right to privacy in the workplace to affordable healthcare for all. This summer there will be festivals and marches throughout the country celebrating the victories of the LGBT community. It is important to continue to fight to expand civil rights by continuing the spirit and legacy of Stonewall! #UnitedStates #Commentary #Editorials #Stonewall #sameSexMarriage div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has had an important victory! On May 17, Massachusetts performed the first legal civil marriages of same-sex couples in the country. In November 2003, the Massachusetts State Supreme Court ruled that the state’s ban on same sex marriages was illegal. It ordered that such marriages be legalized within six months. As queers and allies celebrate the victory in Massachusetts, it is important to reflect on where the movement has been and where it should go.

Stonewall: The Birth of the Modern Queer Liberation Movement

Thirty-five years ago on June 27, 1969, the LGBT community fought back in a new way. In the face of a brutal police raid on the Stonewall Inn, gays, lesbians and drag queens waged a historic fight back against police brutality and harassment. This group of working class, mostly black and Latino, queers fought against a police raid with rocks and bottles. Police attempts to put down the violence that they began failed. The intensity of the rebellion increased as police backup arrived. Word quickly spread throughout Greenwich Village about the events at the Stonewall and supporters came to aid in the fight.

The rebellion was not an isolated incident of militancy. Gays and lesbians had been organizing for decades. However, the public, out in the open and militant nature of the Stonewall Rebellion acted as a spark for the LGBT community in New York and internationally. During the next five days, demonstrators returned by the thousands. They called for an end to police repression. Leaflets demanded, “Get the Mafia and cops out of gay bars!” The community mobilized for ‘Gay Power.’

The Future for the Queer Movement

The battle against discrimination and for civil rights continues today. The issue that has created the most current controversy is that of gay marriage. This is an issue of civil rights. The federal government extends 1,425 benefits and privileges only to heterosexual married couples. This is wrong. The issue of gay marriage is being used by the Republican Party as a wedge to divide the people. They want people to focus on it instead of the economic and social crisis at home and the failure of U.S. policy in the Middle East. All progressive forces must continue to demand that the victory in Massachusetts be extended throughout the country.

Unfortunately, much conservative talk about family values has buried unique and successful thinking about love, family and commitment in the queer community. Historically, the LGBT community has defined relationships and family much more broadly than the nuclear family made up of two adults whose main purpose is to birth and raise children. Friends, relatives, children and romantic partners all fall under the definition of family in the queer community. It is important that we don’t lose this history when we advocate for the civil right of marriage for everyone. We must also remember that the queer movement stands for social change reaching far beyond the marriage issue – change that will benefit everyone, from the right to privacy in the workplace to affordable healthcare for all.

This summer there will be festivals and marches throughout the country celebrating the victories of the LGBT community. It is important to continue to fight to expand civil rights by continuing the spirit and legacy of Stonewall!

#UnitedStates #Commentary #Editorials #Stonewall #sameSexMarriage

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/stonewall Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:39:22 +0000 Lideres de la base dicen: No hay progreso sin lucha https://fightbacknews.org/base?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Berg y Fox son lideres de la base del Local 743 de los Teamsters. !--more-- El sistema se basa en el avaricio. ¿Cuál sistema? Usted sabe....el sistema, america capitalista, llámelo lo que se prefiere. Donde trabajamos, en los hospitales de la Universidad de Illinois, o en cualquier hospital, las decisiones se hacen a base del lucro. No hacen decisiones importantes basandose en la justicia ni en la calidad de cuidado de salud para los pacientes, sino siempre basado en dinero. ¡DINERO, DINERO, DINERO! Esto no es solo el caso en el cuidado de salud sino tambien en todo negocio y toda industria en el país entero.n El patrón siempre dice, si no enfaticemos primordialmente el dinero, el negocio al otro lado de la calle, nuestro competidor, acabará con nosotros. Este sistema de egoísmo no comprende a las familias que carecen de cuidado adecuado de salud, trabajadores cansados que necesitan vacaciones, estudiantes que carecen de colegiatura o una familia desamparada en una noche fría. Este sistema solo hace lo que es correcto cuando no hacerlo cuesta aun mas dinero. Ahí entramos nosotros. Necesitamos construir un movimiento suficientemente fuerte para conseguirnos la justicia. Como lo dijo mejor el gran luchador anti-esclavitud Frederick Douglass, si no hay lucha, no hay progreso. Como trabajadores, nos encontramos en la mejor situación para exigir y ganar justicia para todo el pueblo. Nuestro trabajo produce toda la riqueza, pero son los ricos y poderosos que hacen todas las decisiones. ¿Queremos cuidado de salud, o un aumento se salario para el presidente del hospital, o el presidente de alguna compañía de aseguranza? Debemos construir un movimiento que puede conseguir cuidado de salud para todos, salarios decentes y beneficios para los trabajadores de cuidad de salud. Para lograr todo esto, necesitamos un movimiento sindical mas fuerte. Los sindicatos son las organizaciones mas importantes de los trabajadores. Ocupan una posición como para poder dar liderato a nuestra lucha pro-justicia. Son nuestro mejor oportunidad para hacer las cosas mejores para la gente común y corriente. Pero muchos de nuestros dirigentes sindicales creen que sus intereses son los mismos que los intereses del patrón. Cooperan con el patrón, poniendo su propio egoísmo adelante de los intereses de los obreros que ellos reciben salarios para proteger. A menudo esta forma de liderato sindical tambien conlleva la corrupción. Pero con o sin corrupción, es una calle sin salida para los trabajadores. No puede conducir a la justicia. Hay una batalla dentro del movimiento laboral, entre aquellos líderes que desean luchar para una vida mejor para los trabajadores, y los lideres colaboracionistas y vendidos. Nosotros creemos que Frederick Douglass tuvo razón. Ha llegado el momento para unir a todos los trabajadores detras de un programa de lucha obrera. Ha llegado el momento de transformar a nuestros sindicatos en instrumentos de lucha para justicia para la clase trabajadora. #ChicagoIL #Commentary #Teamsters #UniversityOfChicagoHospitals #corrupcionDeSindicatos div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Berg y Fox son lideres de la base del Local 743 de los Teamsters.

El sistema se basa en el avaricio. ¿Cuál sistema? Usted sabe....el sistema, america capitalista, llámelo lo que se prefiere.

Donde trabajamos, en los hospitales de la Universidad de Illinois, o en cualquier hospital, las decisiones se hacen a base del lucro. No hacen decisiones importantes basandose en la justicia ni en la calidad de cuidado de salud para los pacientes, sino siempre basado en dinero. ¡DINERO, DINERO, DINERO!

Esto no es solo el caso en el cuidado de salud sino tambien en todo negocio y toda industria en el país entero.n El patrón siempre dice, si no enfaticemos primordialmente el dinero, el negocio al otro lado de la calle, nuestro competidor, acabará con nosotros.

Este sistema de egoísmo no comprende a las familias que carecen de cuidado adecuado de salud, trabajadores cansados que necesitan vacaciones, estudiantes que carecen de colegiatura o una familia desamparada en una noche fría. Este sistema solo hace lo que es correcto cuando no hacerlo cuesta aun mas dinero.

Ahí entramos nosotros. Necesitamos construir un movimiento suficientemente fuerte para conseguirnos la justicia. Como lo dijo mejor el gran luchador anti-esclavitud Frederick Douglass, si no hay lucha, no hay progreso.

Como trabajadores, nos encontramos en la mejor situación para exigir y ganar justicia para todo el pueblo. Nuestro trabajo produce toda la riqueza, pero son los ricos y poderosos que hacen todas las decisiones. ¿Queremos cuidado de salud, o un aumento se salario para el presidente del hospital, o el presidente de alguna compañía de aseguranza?

Debemos construir un movimiento que puede conseguir cuidado de salud para todos, salarios decentes y beneficios para los trabajadores de cuidad de salud.

Para lograr todo esto, necesitamos un movimiento sindical mas fuerte. Los sindicatos son las organizaciones mas importantes de los trabajadores. Ocupan una posición como para poder dar liderato a nuestra lucha pro-justicia. Son nuestro mejor oportunidad para hacer las cosas mejores para la gente común y corriente.

Pero muchos de nuestros dirigentes sindicales creen que sus intereses son los mismos que los intereses del patrón. Cooperan con el patrón, poniendo su propio egoísmo adelante de los intereses de los obreros que ellos reciben salarios para proteger.

A menudo esta forma de liderato sindical tambien conlleva la corrupción. Pero con o sin corrupción, es una calle sin salida para los trabajadores. No puede conducir a la justicia.

Hay una batalla dentro del movimiento laboral, entre aquellos líderes que desean luchar para una vida mejor para los trabajadores, y los lideres colaboracionistas y vendidos.

Nosotros creemos que Frederick Douglass tuvo razón. Ha llegado el momento para unir a todos los trabajadores detras de un programa de lucha obrera. Ha llegado el momento de transformar a nuestros sindicatos en instrumentos de lucha para justicia para la clase trabajadora.

#ChicagoIL #Commentary #Teamsters #UniversityOfChicagoHospitals #corrupcionDeSindicatos

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/base Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:48:18 +0000 La Juventud Exige Justicia https://fightbacknews.org/juventud?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Este es un foto de una marcha contra la Proposición 21.") Los Ángeles Este, CA - La campana para derrotar la propuesta 21, una ley que permitirá que jóvenes menores de edad puedan ser enjuciados como adultos, llegó as su etapa mas avanzada. Miles de jóvenes a través del estado de California protestaron en el Este de los Angeles exigiendo "escuelas no prisiones." !--more-- Al compás de los tambores la New Raza Left (Raza Izquierdista) organizó una marcha en apoyo de la juventud el 26 de Febrero de este año. Se reunieron los jóvenes y miembros de la comunidad afuera de la cárcel del condado, sin temor los estudiantes y miembros de la comunidad hablaron del racismo y el maltrato que se recibe por medio del la policía. Maestro se opusieron a que se sigan construyendo mas prisiones cuando las escuelas necesitan mas fondos económicos. Resumen de la Campana El sector electoral conservador apoyaro el pase de la propuesta 21 el 7 de Marzo de este año. El gobernador, un demócrata elegido por el voto Latino, apoyo la propuesta, así como otros grupos Xikanos de clase media como Henry Cisneros, presidente de Univisión, que abusó de su poder al expresar su apoyo en un comercial televisado en el estado de California. No solo se puede utilizar el voto como vía hacia el cambio social. El sistema electoral se a convertido en la "manera legal" de oprimir a nuestra gente. La New Raza Left con el apoyo de Youth Organizing Communities, han mobilizado a la comunidad a que exija sus derechos de una manera militante. Otras organizaciones liberales reformistas como la American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), de la cual Henry Cisneros es miembro, solo hacen promesas y siguen al margen de estrategias que solo ayudan a continuar la opresión porque no solo exigen nuestra pasividad al participar en el sistema electoral. No tenemos ninguna noción de que cambien las cosas a través del voto, siendo este solo un cambio temporal. Se necesita un movimiento militante, un cambio fundamental que beneficie a todos no solo a la clase burguesa. Para mas información sobre La New Raza Left llamen al 323 266-1408 Carlos Montes es Miembro de La New Raza Left. Una manifestacion contra la Proposición 21.") #LosÁngelesEsteCA #LosAngelesCA #Commentary #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #LaNuevaRazaIzquierda #ElComiteParaOrganizarLaJuventud #Proposición21 div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Este es un foto de una marcha contra la Proposición 21.

Los Ángeles Este, CA – La campana para derrotar la propuesta 21, una ley que permitirá que jóvenes menores de edad puedan ser enjuciados como adultos, llegó as su etapa mas avanzada. Miles de jóvenes a través del estado de California protestaron en el Este de los Angeles exigiendo “escuelas no prisiones.”

Al compás de los tambores la New Raza Left (Raza Izquierdista) organizó una marcha en apoyo de la juventud el 26 de Febrero de este año. Se reunieron los jóvenes y miembros de la comunidad afuera de la cárcel del condado, sin temor los estudiantes y miembros de la comunidad hablaron del racismo y el maltrato que se recibe por medio del la policía. Maestro se opusieron a que se sigan construyendo mas prisiones cuando las escuelas necesitan mas fondos económicos.

Resumen de la Campana

El sector electoral conservador apoyaro el pase de la propuesta 21 el 7 de Marzo de este año. El gobernador, un demócrata elegido por el voto Latino, apoyo la propuesta, así como otros grupos Xikanos de clase media como Henry Cisneros, presidente de Univisión, que abusó de su poder al expresar su apoyo en un comercial televisado en el estado de California.

No solo se puede utilizar el voto como vía hacia el cambio social. El sistema electoral se a convertido en la “manera legal” de oprimir a nuestra gente. La New Raza Left con el apoyo de Youth Organizing Communities, han mobilizado a la comunidad a que exija sus derechos de una manera militante. Otras organizaciones liberales reformistas como la American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), de la cual Henry Cisneros es miembro, solo hacen promesas y siguen al margen de estrategias que solo ayudan a continuar la opresión porque no solo exigen nuestra pasividad al participar en el sistema electoral.

No tenemos ninguna noción de que cambien las cosas a través del voto, siendo este solo un cambio temporal. Se necesita un movimiento militante, un cambio fundamental que beneficie a todos no solo a la clase burguesa.

Para mas información sobre La New Raza Left llamen al 323 266-1408

Carlos Montes es Miembro de La New Raza Left.

Una manifestacion contra la Proposición 21.

#LosÁngelesEsteCA #LosAngelesCA #Commentary #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #LaNuevaRazaIzquierda #ElComiteParaOrganizarLaJuventud #Proposición21

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/juventud Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:12:22 +0000 Crítica del Libro "Crusade for Justice": Historia de la Liberación Chican@ https://fightbacknews.org/libro?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[El libro nuevo, Crusade for Justice, Chicano Militancy (La Crusada por Justicia: Militancia Chicana), por Ernesto B. Vigil es una contribución muy grande a la historia Chicana y Estadounidense. La edición de la Prensa de la Universidad de Wisconsin que apareció en mayo de 1999 habla sobre la historia de Crusade for Justice (Crusada por Justicia) o CFJ y las luchas de sus militantes por la Liberación Chicana en el fin de los años 60 y los años 70. !--more-- Basado en Denver, Colorado, CFJ hizo un impacto en todo el movimiento por organizar la Conferencia Nacional de la Liberación de Jóvenes Chicanos en 1968. Más que 2,000 personas asistieron a la conferencia, cuál terminó en la formación del Plan Espiritual de Aztlan. Este evento significante subió a la lucha de una para derechos civiles a una lucha por auto-determinación y una revolución para Chicanos en el Suroeste. El libro de Vigil describe el apoyo de CFJ para la lucha terrana de la Alianza Federal de Mercedes, su parte en el Partido La Raza Unida, y la Moratoria Chicana contra la Guerra Vietnam el 29 de agosto de 1970. Este libro nuevo, el resulto de 10 años de trabajo, agarra información de los archivos de Libertad de Información del FBI y de policía local. Muestra como CFJ y el movimiento eran víctimas de represión por la policía, de trampas, de espías, y de interrupciones. El libro, Crusada por Justicia suma las lecciones importantes para la lucha actual que sigue por la Liberación Chicana. La necesidad de seguir construyendo organizaciones democráticas, militantes, y del pueblo en la comunidad para que los jóvenes, las mujeres, y la clase de trabajadores ganen liberación verdadera. También subraya la necesidad de unir fuerzas radicales de muchos lugares en las luchas por cambio revolucionario. #EstadosUnidos #Commentary #ChicanoLatino #ErnestoBVigil #LaCrusadaPorJusticiaMilitanciaChicana #laHistoriaChicana div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> El libro nuevo, Crusade for Justice, Chicano Militancy (La Crusada por Justicia: Militancia Chicana), por Ernesto B. Vigil es una contribución muy grande a la historia Chicana y Estadounidense. La edición de la Prensa de la Universidad de Wisconsin que apareció en mayo de 1999 habla sobre la historia de Crusade for Justice (Crusada por Justicia) o CFJ y las luchas de sus militantes por la Liberación Chicana en el fin de los años 60 y los años 70.

Basado en Denver, Colorado, CFJ hizo un impacto en todo el movimiento por organizar la Conferencia Nacional de la Liberación de Jóvenes Chicanos en 1968. Más que 2,000 personas asistieron a la conferencia, cuál terminó en la formación del Plan Espiritual de Aztlan. Este evento significante subió a la lucha de una para derechos civiles a una lucha por auto-determinación y una revolución para Chicanos en el Suroeste. El libro de Vigil describe el apoyo de CFJ para la lucha terrana de la Alianza Federal de Mercedes, su parte en el Partido La Raza Unida, y la Moratoria Chicana contra la Guerra Vietnam el 29 de agosto de 1970.

Este libro nuevo, el resulto de 10 años de trabajo, agarra información de los archivos de Libertad de Información del FBI y de policía local. Muestra como CFJ y el movimiento eran víctimas de represión por la policía, de trampas, de espías, y de interrupciones.

El libro, Crusada por Justicia suma las lecciones importantes para la lucha actual que sigue por la Liberación Chicana. La necesidad de seguir construyendo organizaciones democráticas, militantes, y del pueblo en la comunidad para que los jóvenes, las mujeres, y la clase de trabajadores ganen liberación verdadera. También subraya la necesidad de unir fuerzas radicales de muchos lugares en las luchas por cambio revolucionario.

#EstadosUnidos #Commentary #ChicanoLatino #ErnestoBVigil #LaCrusadaPorJusticiaMilitanciaChicana #laHistoriaChicana

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/libro Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:39:16 +0000