‘One would never know from reading the American press, watching the evening news, or listening to the statements of politicians that hunger, poverty and long-term joblessness remain at their highest levels in decades.’
The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, the world’s largest stock exchange per total market capitalization of its listed companies| Wikimedia Commons
By Andre Damon, 6 January 2015 (WSWS)* — As the New Year begins, the social crisis gripping tens of millions of working people in the United States is worsening. Hunger, poverty and long-term joblessness remain at the highest levels in decades, while vital social services continue to be slashed.
One would never know this from reading the press, watching the evening news, or listening to the statements of politicians. The official discourse is dominated by the supposed revival of the American economy, characterized by record corporate profits and stock prices.
The fact that the great majority of the population finds it increasingly difficult to make ends meet finds no reflection in the media or official politics.
“Life is a struggle, no matter where it is,” says Azize, a Syrian refugee living in Turkey. With a Turkish language certificate earned, and university studies in nursing underway, Azize is determined to help heal others – and her home country.
By Ayberk Yurtsever, Mersin, Turkey* — Hers was a happy, peaceful life. Azize used to lead a “normal” life with her mother, her father and her 7 siblings. They had a house in both Latakia and in their village, just one hour from the city.
They would pass the summer in their village house. Azize’s eyes sparkle as she recounts those times. She remembers how they would watch the weddings, the dances and the festivals from their blue house facing the village square.
Azize was in her third year, studying Physics at the Tishreen University when the violence in her country intensified. She had her sights set on contributing to her country through science.
Yes, what is it?–let us start this New Year on a positive note. Keeping in mind that peace is an honor word, like health, salvation for many: a focus of dreams and wishes, a summum bonum that should be both very precise and amenable to professional peace work and kept open, filled with new dreams and aspirations. Like for health, new aspects come up all the time; for instance in positive psychology.
Peace presupposes absence, or low level, of violence, direct as well as structural, and of the cultural violence justifying the other two. But we can also go for a more limited concept: absence of direct violence, of killing and wounding with arms, hurting with words. And we should include the absence of the attitudinal side of that, hatred.
With the deadline for the unconditional surrender of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) having passed on 2 January, and no significant additional surrenders of FDLR combatants registered since June, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is working to address the situation, a UN spokesperson on 5 January 2015 said*
A MONUSCO attack helicopter provides aerial protection for a convoy carrying FDLR ex-combatants from Kanyabayonga transit camp, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Photo: MONUSCO/Force
He said the Mission would work with regional and international stakeholders including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), which established the deadline for the FDLR’s surrender, as well as with national partners.
With the introduction of a new minimum wage for workers in the garment and footwear industry in Cambodia, United Nations experts have called on global brands that source their products from the country to play a part in helping the industry to absorb the cost increases.
A woman irons fabric at a garments factory at the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: World Bank/Chhor Sokunthea | Source: UN News Centre
The new minimum wage of $128 per month, which came into effect on 1 January 2015, is projected by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to increase overall average wages in the garment industry – which include bonuses and overtime – from $183 to $217 per month, increasing factories’ wage bills by approximately 18.7 per cent.*
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a disastrous trade agreement designed to protect the interests of the largest multi-national corporations at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment and the foundations of American democracy. It will also negatively impact some of the poorest people in the world.
**Photo: Bernie Sanders
The TPP is a treaty that has been written behind closed doors by the corporate world. Incredibly, while Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry and major media companies have full knowledge as to what is in this treaty, the American people and members of Congress do not. They have been locked out of the process.
Further, all Americans, regardless of political ideology, should be opposed to the “fast track” process which would deny Congress the right to amend the treaty and represent their constituents’ interests.
Opening speech at the Kinneret College conference on the connection between Archeology and Ideology.[*]
FIRST OF ALL, let me thank you for inviting me to address this important conference. I am neither a professor nor a doctor. Indeed, the highest academic title I ever achieved was SEC (Seventh Elementary Class).
But like many members of my generation, from early youth I took a profound interest in archeology.
The wealthiest 400 people in the world saw their combined net worth grow by $92 billion last year, hitting $4.1 trillion. The bonanza for the super-rich was underwritten by governments and central banks around the world, which fueled surging stock markets and record corporate profits by pumping hundreds of billions into the financial markets.
The figures were provided by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which was initiated in 2012 and tracks the wealth of the 400 richest people in the world.
The combined net worth of these 400 individuals is greater than the gross domestic product of Germany, the fourth largest economy in the world. The average net worth of each of the billionaires grew by $240 million, to $10.25 billion.
2014 was a year of construction, of setting in motion, of changing the wheels while the car is still moving. It was an intrepid year that ruffled all our hair and allowed us also to doubt many beliefs that we thought were certain.
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(Image by Dahtamnay) | Source: Pressenza
No account can be completely positive, but neither can it be completely negative, because there have been advances and setbacks in all fields, on all continents.
Casualty figures for Iraq in 2014 were at their highest in over five years amid a spate of deadly violence which has been convulsing the country, the United Nations mission in the country reported on 2 January 2015.
According to the latest figures issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), last year saw a total of 12,282 Iraqis killed and another 23,126 injured, registering as the worst outburst of violence experienced by the country since the 2006-2007 biennium.*
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 