World Social Struggles Newswire Archive

"These players are promoting a tricky way to whack Social Security benefits, but to do it behind closed doors so the public cannot see what's happening or figure out which politicians to blame. The essential transaction would amount to misappropriating the trillions in Social Security taxes that workers have paid to finance their retirement benefits. This swindle is portrayed as "fiscal reform." In fact, it's the political equivalent of bait-and-switch fraud.

Defending Social Security sounds like yesterday's issue--the fight people won when they defeated George W. Bush's attempt to privatize the system in 2005. But the financial establishment has pushed it back on the table, claiming that the current crisis requires "responsible" leaders to take action. Will Obama take the bait? Surely not. The new president has been clear and consistent about Social Security, as a candidate and since his election. The program's financing is basically sound, he has explained, and can be assured far into the future by making only modest adjustments.
But Obama is also playing footsie with the conservative advocates of "entitlement reform" (their euphemism for cutting benefits). The president wants the corporate establishment's support on many other important matters, and he recently promised to hold a "fiscal responsibility summit" to examine the long-term costs of entitlements. That forum could set the trap for a "bipartisan compromise" that may become difficult for Obama to resist, given the burgeoning deficit. If he resists, he will be denounced as an old-fashioned free-spending liberal. The advocates are urging both parties to hold hands and take the leap together, authorizing big benefits cuts in a circuitous way that allows them to dodge the public's blame. In my new book, Come Home, America, I make the point: "When official America talks of 'bipartisan compromise,' it usually means the people are about to get screwed."
The Social Security fight could become a defining test for "new politics" in the Obama era. Will Americans at large step up and make themselves heard, not to attack Obama but to protect his presidency from the political forces aligned with Wall Street interests? This fight can be won if people everywhere raise a mighty din--hands off our Social Security money!--and do it now, before the deal gains momentum."

There’s a lot to be said for having progressive targets in all sorts of things, foremost among these is reducing the amount of climate changing gas being poured into the atmosphere; so when, for instance, a government (like that of the UK) says that it will aim to reduce the amount of carbon the nation is sending into the atmosphere by 80% by the year 2050, then it’s good to know that somewhere down the line people are going to check that they are on target. That said, of course 80% by 2050 is hopelessly inadequate, given that that only a net reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - as distinct from the amount being emitted - by, say, 2050, will have any chance of preventing the worst effects of climate change.

Raphael & Oluseye have left the UK
"I am sorry to have to report that, despite everyone's efforts, Raphael & Oluseye were taken from Yarl's Wood and put on a flight to Lagos yesterday morning. Five-year -old Raphael spent 69 days in immigration detention. Thank you all for all your support for mother and son."
Best wishes, George Heron
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine103/Raphael.html

It isn’t too soon to protest. He told us right away that there is no change we can believe in. We don’t have to wait for bombs to fall on Iran or for more prisoners to be denied their human rights.

It is time to take not only Obama to task, but faux progressives to task as well. They are the Obamites who claimed they would hold his feet to the fire if we would just shut up and let him get elected. It is time to protest against them too and call them out for being the hypocrites they are.

07/02/09: Attempted arson on cars
06/02/09: Administrative building of the police attacked with butyric acid
05/02/09: Attack against the CDU offices
01/02/09: „Car-Lofts“ attacked with stones and color
01/02/09: Several buildings spraypainted
31/01/09: Again two arsons against upperclass cars
30/01/09: CDU offices trashed
30/01/09: Porsche torched
28/01/09: Action against DHL: letter boxes painted olive green
28/01/09: BMW burned
27/01/09: Again a car burned in Berlin: state security investigates

Great news for all you lovely people - Pegah Emambakhsh is here to Stay
"We have just heard today that Pegah has finally been granted refugee status in the UK.  This is fantastic, wonderful, wonderful news and a great reward for all the hard work you all put in to ensure she was not sent back to Iran - so thank you, thank you, thank you.  Will be in touch again as soon as we have more details.  This  has been a long struggle but is a real vindication of what can be achieved when we all work together."

Love to all, Lesley, for Friends of Pegah Campaign

Background: Pegah Emambakhsh Must Stay!
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/emmaginnsfolder/emmaginnsfolder/aug%2007/pegah.htm

Leila, Soorena and Danoush put through the mangle
So it goes, when we last posted information the family had been taken to the airport on Thursday 6th February put on a plane taken off the plane and returned to Yarl's Wood.

On Monday night 9th February they were deported to Iran, on Tuesday 10th February they were brought back to the UK, released from immigration detention and are back in Halifax. No one at this stage is quite clear on what happened and why it happened the way it did. Once we have a factual summary of events, we will update everyone. Leila, Soorena and Danoush have had their world turned upside down and are deeply traumatized by the events. Seems pretty certain that we will be putting the family in touch with Bhatt Murphy solicitors, see next article.
Leila, Soorena and Danoush belong to Halifax
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine103/Leila.html

...the story of war and plunder in Congo is not unreported. It is a story that has been censored, manipulated and covered up even when it is ostensibly being told.

More than 1000 people, including 920 elected delegates, attended the inaugural congress of Power of the Masses Party (PLM) on January 30.

The delegates represented mass organisations of workers, urban poor, peasants, students, street vendors, jeepney and tricycle drivers, women and senior citizens — a mass base estimated at 300,000 according to PLM leaders.

The Chinese government is facing a massive unemployment crisis, far worse than in the late 1990s, when lay-offs of more than 30 million workers from state enterprises led to a wave of militant protests. This time, the growing army of unemployed mainly consists of internal migrant workers from the countryside, who have been hit hard by plunging export orders in the urban manufacturing centres and the collapse of the construction boom.

Click on the link to read the entire 2008 year-end report (PDF File) compiled by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office: This report contains 2008 actions (including diagrams) as well as a discussion of future directions, and a prisoners and snitches section. If you'd like a hard copy edition of this report please e-mail  press@animalliberationspressoffice.org

8th-10th February

CIRCUS ADS COME DOWN (France)
GASOLINE SPILLED INSIDE CHICKEN SLAUGHTERHOUSE (Mexico)
TELMEX PHONES DAMAGED BY FIRE (Mexico)

In his weekly radio address Saturday, President Barack Obama endorsed the compromise stimulus plan worked out by a small group of Republican senators, right-wing Democratic Senator Ben Nelson and “independent Democrat” Joseph Lieberman, a fervent supporter of the war in Iraq who backed Republican presidential candidate John McCain against Obama in the November elections.

The walk-outs and demonstrations by workers in oil refineries and power stations over the question of unemployment show the depth of anger in the working class faced with the tidal wave of redundancies brought about by the economic crisis. This wave of lay-offs and short-time working is not confined to Britain but is engulfing the globe. From the USA to China, from western Europe to Russia, no workers' job is safe; and even when they have work, wages are being cut and working conditions worsened.

A car bomb exploded in Madrid at 9am today near the offices of Ferrovial, owners of BAA. No one was injured. The Basque separatist organisation ETA has claimed responsibility.

Oluseye Shauba and her son Raphael nationals of Nigeria and residents of Bury are currently detained in Yarl's Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Thursday 12th February on British Airways flight BA0075 from terminal 5 Heathrow airport at 10:30hrs to Lagos.

One more attempt to undermine the capitalist system one bit further (a job it's quite good at doing these days anyway).

Patrick Masengo, still here after raising a stink
As Patrick was on the plane close to take off and not aware of last minute court order to stay removal, (it is still unclear whether the escorts were informed that a judge had stayed the removal), he decided to take on-board evasive action which made quite a stink (I kid you not) and resulted in Patrick being taken off the plane and returned to Colnbrook IRC. Patrick alleges he was roughed up on the plane and in the escort van. He has now been moved to Dover IRC. Thanks to all who faxed/emailed on Patrick's behalf.
Background: Keep Patrick Masengo in the UK, no removals to DR Congo
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine103/Patrick.html

With this message from the Crisi collective, begins the Banks users strike

Three of the top Greek banks have been downgraded by the economic agency Moody’s, after losing 70 per cent of their share price in the Athens Stock Exchange during 2008.