March 12, 2011 :: The Editors :: 3 Comments
Republican governors have unabashedly joined in their party’s national campaign to undermine the economic recovery and marginalize their people in a concerted effort to harm Pres. Obama and derail his re-election bid. In Florida, the new Tea Partyist governor has refused to accept any federal funding for a high-speed rail project that would have stimulated economic growth and job creation in his state, despite Florida being granted $2.4 billion out of the $2.6 billion needed, and the previous governor having explicitly requested the funds.
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March 11, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Two nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan, are now reported to be unable to cool the nuclear fuel in their cores, and radioactive materials may have seeped into the environment. The reactors reportedly suffered service interruption after the worst earthquake in Japanese history. The magnitude 8.9 quake unleashed a massive tsunami the pushed far inland at Sendai, northeast of Tokyo.
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March 10, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Rachel Maddow reports on the Michigan governor’s legislation giving himself emergency powers, including the power to dissolve local governments, take over cities, unincorporate entire municipalities —the equivalent of erasing them from the political map— and remove elected officials, replacing them with his own unilaterally appointed substitutes.
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March 10, 2011 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
Last night, the Republican party is Wisconsin decided to shirk the law, ignore a direct warning from the Assembly minority leader that their actions were a flagrant violation of the law, ignore established process and pass a fiscal proposal as if it were not a fiscal provision. The Senate majority leader, responsible for staging and carrying out this maneuver, said openly that the ban on collective bargaining was intended to make it more difficult for Pres. Obama to win re-election.
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March 10, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
In Wisconsin last night, the Republican state Senate stripped public employees of nearly all collective bargaining rights in a hastily called vote, in a dubious parliamentary maneuver. They did not notify the public or the minority party of their actions with adequate time for debate, and in just 13 minutes, they erased 50 years of progress on labor rights in Wisconsin.
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March 10, 2011 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
The majority leader of the Wisconsin state Senate, Scott Fitzgerald, admitted today on FOX News that the radical budget plan he and his brother and Gov. Walker are trying to force on the people of Wisconsin is a deliberate strategy to cripple the Democratic party in 2012 and make it harder for Pres. Obama to win the state of Wisconsin.
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March 9, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Republicans in the Wisconsin state Senate have voted to force through a bill banning collective bargaining for public employees in the state. The move is being described as a new parliamentary move, without precedent and possibly without any legal foundation. There are now accusations of clear ethics violations in the process used to force the measure through, and threats of legal action.
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March 9, 2011 :: staff :: One Comment
The governor of Michigan is trying to force through the legislature a bill that would establish emergency rule, LITERALLY. Gov. Snyder is seeking emergency powers that would enable him to 1) unilaterally declare a “financial emergency”, 2) disincorporate entire municipal governments, 3) dismiss elected officials with no replacement election to follow, 4) seize control of local civil services, 5) hand taxpayer money, services and POWERS to private, for-profit firms.
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March 3, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Every wave on the ocean that has ever risen up and refused to lay back down has been dashed on the shore, but it is the very purpose of a wave to rise up, because once it rises up above the horizon it finally has the perspective to see that it’s not just a wave, that it’s a part of a mighty ocean. And the sharpest rock on the wildest shore can never break that ocean apart, they can never wear that ocean down, because it’s the ocean that shapes the shore.
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March 3, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The United States of America is a nation of immigrants. It is a nation that has wrestled with vicious undercurrents of racism and xenophobia, and has emerged ever more democratic, generally trending toward a more perfect union representing the foundational ideals that were, in the 18th century, so far out of reach, but so necessary as core aspirations. And over time, it is a nation that has become richer, stronger and more democratic, by getting closer to those foundational ideals.
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March 3, 2011 :: Denver Lessing :: Comments Off
FOX News has begun to escalate what appears to be a partisan campaign against the people of the state of Wisconsin. The network was caught yesterday using fake footage, stock footage of another protest, in Florida, at another time, where there were physical scuffles going on, while reporting that this was taking place in Wisconsin. [...]
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March 2, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
After the governor of Wisconsin first ordered the state capitol closed to the public, then ejected protesters, then refused to ease restrictions on access, a judge has ordered the closure reversed, requiring that the state government allow full public access to the building during business hours. The governor’s officials responded that by allowing public officials, staff and scheduled visitors to enter, they were already in compliance.
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February 28, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
There is a myth that is often put forth as evidence that conservatives are unserious about democracy, which is that they favor rapacious capitalist behemoths. Many do, especially those for whom conservatism means capitalism. But most conservatives are ordinary people who want the little guy to be free of the imposing will of major power interests. It confuses matters to assert that all conservatives are interested in promoting big business interests.
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February 27, 2011 :: The Editors :: 2 Comments
Pres. Barack Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, yesterday said to the UN that “When a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against [his] people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule.” The Obama administration has now taken the position that Muammar Qadhafi can no longer be recognized as leader of Libya, and an interim government should be instituted to oversee a transition to democracy.
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February 26, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Last week, a man pretending to be oil billionaire David Koch, one of the major Republican donors thought to be behind the concerted operation by Republican governors to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights, spoke with Gov. Scott Walke by phone. During the conversation, Gov. Walker revealed much about his own thinking in relation to using the claim of a “budget crisis” to impose massive cuts on public servants’ compensation and to strip them of basic workplace fairness rights.
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February 26, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
On Friday, Republicans in the Wisconsin state Assembly used unusual rules to push through legislation stripping public servants of collective bargaining rights, at 1:00 am. Opponents and Democrats chanted “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at the Republicans as they filed unceremoniously out of the chamber. The vote has been assailed by critics as a political assault on groups and individuals who don’t support the Republican party. Even FOX News has reported that the bill is “pure politics” and that the so-called “budget crisis” is a false claim being used by Republicans to attack their opponents.
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February 26, 2011 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
In a desperate move to force his controversial budget measure through the state legislature, Gov. Scott Walker, Republican of Wisconsin, is now threatening to fire 12,000 state employees. Critics say there is no budget shortfall significant enough to warrant this action, and that Walker is again using threats and aggression to force his legislation through. The bill he is backing would strip public employees of all collective bargaining rights.
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February 26, 2011 :: staff :: One Comment
Benghazi, Tobruk and much of the east of Libya are now said to be firmly under the control of anti-Qadhafi protesters. Tripoli and smaller surrounding cities have been the scene of intense gun battles, reportedly including helicopter gunships and rocket-propelled grenades fired into crowds of demonstrators. Today, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on [...]
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February 26, 2011 :: The Editors :: 2 Comments
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, today called for “concrete action” by the Security Council to stop the violence in Libya. He did not make clear if the action he considered “concrete” would be sanctions or military action. While no UN official has raised this prospect explicitly, there is mounting speculation there could [...]
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February 25, 2011 :: staff :: 2 Comments
Muammar Qadhafi has ruled Libya in strictly authoritarian fashion for 42 years. Now, as his grip on power appears to be slipping, with major parts of the country no longer under his control and top officials defecting to the opposition, he has vowed to wage war against his own people till the last drop of his blood.
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February 23, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
On Tuesday, thousands of demonstrators protesting the Ohio governor’s plan to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public servants were denied access to their state’s capitol. The refusal to allow them entry last for hours, until finally, thousands were able to enter. The governor has already been accused to trying to thwart opposition to his plan by blocking basic rights and denying the people access to their government.
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February 22, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
This ad is now running statewide in Wisconsin. Firefighters and other public servants are joining together to oppose the campaign to eliminate collective bargaining rights in their state. They are calling on all Wisconsinites to stand with them in defense of basic civil rights.
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February 22, 2011 :: staff :: 4 Comments
As Muammar Qadhafi has ordered his air force to attack the capital city, Tripoli, his regime appears to be collapsing. According to the Egyptian military’s Facebook page, Libyan border guards have abandoned their posts. Two Libyan air force colonels reportedly flew their fighter jets to Malta, where they defected and revealed that Qadhafi had ordered the bombing of protesters. They seem to have fled to avoid participating in the violence against unarmed civilians. Qadhafi’s own UN ambassador has accused him of “genocide” and says the UN delegation stands with the protesters.
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February 21, 2011 :: staff :: One Comment
As tens of thousands rallied for the 7th consecutive day at the state capitol of Wisconsin, the governor has repeated his demand that Democrats return to “debate” the legislation, which he says will not be negotiated or altered in any way. The near total ban on collective bargaining rights for public servants in the state of Wisconsin, as proposed by Gov. Walker —in office less than 2 months— has been described as the most extreme reversal of labor rights in US history.
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February 21, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
When the civil disobedience of peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations spreading from Tunisia to Egypt to Yemen reached Libya, there were clear indications of the regime’s sense of its own fragility. Demonstrators occupied a government housing project, demanding better quality housing, and the government responded with a $24 billion fund for improved housing. In the wake of the fall of Hosni Mubarak, demonstrations in Libya have intensified and the Qadhafi regime has used extreme violence to end the protests.
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February 21, 2011 :: The Editors :: 4 Comments
The protest rally opposing Gov. Walker’s draconian plan to eliminate collective bargaining rights is now entering its second week. 14 Democratic lawmakers remain outside the state, in boycott of the plan to impose Walker’s radical agenda on the people of Wisconsin. And today the news comes the last union that had not abandoned Walker, the state police union, has now done so.
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February 20, 2011 :: Denver Lessing :: 4 Comments
The last week has seen mounting protests in Madison, Wisconsin, with crowds occupying the state capitol grounds swelling from 10,000 to 25,000 to 30,000, 40,000 and now on Saturday, 60,000. Schools have been closed, and university faculty and students are striking in order to participate in the protests. The demonstrators oppose Gov. Walker’s plan to strip public employees of all collective bargaining rights.
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February 20, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
What is democracy? That is the first question that is always asked by pro-regime elements, whether in 18th-century Britain or France or 21st-century Egypt or Bahrain, because their aim is to muddy the waters and oppose the spread of democratic freedom. Free and open access to factual information is the cornerstone right of all citizens of a free society. Journalists are the “Fourth Estate” —in the words attributed to Edmund Burke, by Thomas Carlyle—, the watchdogs of the people’s access to truth.
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February 20, 2011 :: staff :: One Comment
After 5 days of violent clashes, pro-democracy demonstrators in Bahrain flooded Pearl Square and caused the military to back out. The king has ordered his son to enter into reform talks with protest leaders and has called for an end to police violence. Tensions remain high, as the population of Bahrain has been shocked and angered by the regime’s violent attacks on civilians, and protesters’ demands for reform have widened.
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February 19, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
The advocacy group Common Cause has found evidence that Clarence Thomas’ office appears to have lied about his participation in a retreat hosted by the Koch brothers, three years ago, and that Thomas appears to be concealing a gift from the oil billionaires, due to the conflict of interest it suggests. It now appears Thomas reported his appearance at the event, at which his office said he “made a brief stop-by”, as an all-expenses-paid four-day trip to Palm Springs.
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February 19, 2011 :: staff :: 2 Comments
From Tripoli to Benghazi, protesters have gathered in the thousands, to demand reform and an end to the dictatorship of Muammar Qadhafi. The security forces’ crackdown against the demonstrators has been persistent and intensifying, and new reports from Libya now say at least 84 people have been killed.
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February 18, 2011 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
Forty thousand Wisconsinites today gathered at, and inside of, the state capitol, to protest Gov. Walker’s plan to eliminate labor rights for public employees. Today, state Assembly Democrats delivered a letter to Gov. Walker, demanding a meeting and offering concessions from union members who have agreed to the financial cuts; Walker refused, saying there was no way to guarantee that costs could be cut for every municipality in Wisconsin unless all collective bargaining rights were eliminated.
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February 18, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Reports this evening from Bahrain say a column of mourners, who had been attending a funeral for unarmed demonstrators killed by security forces yesterday, were “ambushed” as they moved toward Pearl Square. Witnesses reported seeing the security forces “fall back” and take up positions suitable for attacking the demonstrators once they entered a street that would channel them to the square.
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February 17, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
The protest movement taking over the capital of Wisconsin, where tens of thousands of ordinary people have flocked to the state Capitol building, led today to an effort by Democratic lawmakers to prevent a vote that would strip the state’s public employees of fundamental labor rights. The 14 Democratic lawmakers crossed the state line and are seeking asylum in a neighboring state, reportedly Illinois. (Some states will extradite truant lawmakers; some will not.) They are said to be seeking shelter at an undisclosed location.
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February 17, 2011 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
An ABC News reporter in Bahrain has been violently assaulted by a “gang of thugs” working for the government’s security forces. The effort to eliminate witnesses (media), following the same pattern attempted by the Mubarak regime in Egypt, appears to be underway. There are reports emerging from Pearl Square in the center of the Bahraini capital Manama that security forces have fired teargas into crowds of unarmed demonstrators.
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February 16, 2011 :: staff :: 4 Comments
Tens of thousands of citizens of the state of Wisconsin joined the sixth consecutive day of mass protests in Madison, to protest extreme budget cuts and a plan to eliminate all collective bargaining rights for state employees. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to peaceably assemble, which means government acts to prevent organization for the purpose of protecting rights are prohibited. Today, the protests reached their largest numbers yet, and are reported to be spreading.
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February 16, 2011 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
Lara Logan —a courageous CBS News reporter who was abducted by the Mubarak regime, falsely accused of being an Israeli spy and held without charge, for reporting on the protest movement in Egypt— is now reportedly recovering from a sexual assault she suffered while covering the demonstrations. She reportedly was attacked by a “dangerous element” on the very day Hosni Mubarak left power.
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February 15, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
Public broadcasting in the United States is not like state-run television in other countries, where the ruling party often influences the editorial stance and the quality of reporting. In the United States, there is an absolute wall of separation between politicians for elective office and the editorial process that shapes what is produced by public broadcasting.
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February 15, 2011 :: staff :: 3 Comments
Demonstrators in Tehran yesterday defied an official ban on their proposed rally to support the people of Egypt and their ongoing process of democratic change. Security forces clashed with demonstrators, firing tear gas into the crowds. There are reports at least one person was killed, and hardliners within the regime are now calling for opposition leaders to be rounded up and executed.
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February 13, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
What took place in Egypt between Jan. 25 and Feb. 11, 2011, was a revolution, but it was non-violent and it joined together disparate ideological factions, rich and poor, old and young, Christian and Muslim. It gave the lie to the notion that moderation in politics cannot be a revolutionary force for transformative change.
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February 13, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Thousands of demonstrators are gathering at Rome’s Piazza del Popolo, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Demonstrations are being staged across the nation to protest against Berlusconi’s alleged sexual indiscretions and political corruption. Supporters of the conservative politician say the protests are partisan in nature.
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February 13, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
The Egyptian military council now ruling Egypt has announced, by way of an official communique (number 4), that it will suspend the Mubarak-era constitution and dissolve parliament —a central demand of the pro-democracy movement, as Mubarak’s party was given 83% in rigged elections— and that free and fair elections will be held to organize a democratic transition. Protesters remain in Tahrir Square, intent on helping to guide the transition to democracy, and labor strikes are being called.
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February 13, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Across Yemen, pro-democracy protests are spreading, demanding the resignation of a dictator in power for over 30 years. Yemen is one of the world’s least stable countries, with more than one ongoing sporadic insurgency and a regime that after 32 years in power is unable to stabilize the food or water supplies. As the protests in Egypt began to intensify, and it was clear there was a spirit calling for change, Pres. Saleh agreed he would not seek another term in office (he has done this before, only to go back on his word).
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February 13, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Jody Williams believes that peace is defined by human (not national) security and that it must be achieved through sustainable development, environmental justice, and meeting people’s basic needs. To this end, she co-founded the Nobel Women’s Initiative, endorsed by six of seven living female Peace laureates. She chairs the effort to support activists, researchers, and others working toward peace, justice, and equality for women and thus humanity. Williams also continues to fight for the total global eradication of landmines.
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February 12, 2011 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
Across the middle east region, hardline regimes with more or less favorable relations with Washington are reportedly expressing concern about how the United States “abandoned” Mubarak after a 30-year relationship. These complaints show three crucial facts about the situation they find themselves in: 1) they are not evolving psychologically to keep pace with events; 2) they do not understand what gives them legitimacy; 3) they need to institute credible democratic reforms immediately, if what they want is “certainty” about US support.
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February 11, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
By stepping down, President Mubarak responded to the Egyptian people’s hunger for change. But this is not the end of Egypt’s transition. It’s a beginning. I’m sure there will be difficult days ahead, and many questions remain unanswered. But I am confident that the people of Egypt can find the answers, and do so peacefully, constructively, and in the spirit of unity that has defined these last few weeks. For Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day.
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February 11, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Hosni Mubarak resigned today as president of Egypt, ending 3 decades of authoritarian rule. His vice president, Omar Suleiman, said power has been entrusted to the leadership of the Egyptian military. There is music, singing and dancing, in Cairo, as demonstrators hurl fireworks into the air and chant about the fall of Mubarak and the emergence of political freedom.
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February 11, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
Independents of Principle is an experiment, designed to explore the ways in which disparate political factions might come together to find common ground and to forge a better future, by cooperating constructively or by putting the principle of service ahead of the perceived value of one’s own factional interests. It is inconceivable to radicals, conspirators and hardliners, that such constructive cooperation could come to exist, but we believe it is possible.
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February 11, 2011 :: staff :: Comments Off
UPDATE, 11:12 am EST (6:12 pm Cairo): Shortly after 6 pm Cairo time, it was announced by Vice President Omar Suleiman that “President Hosni Mubarak has decided to waive the office of the republic”. Suleiman said the government was now in the hands of the military leadership. No further announcement has been made regarding the status of negotiations to establish a coalition government for the transition to democracy.
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February 11, 2011 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The new expression of political authority in Egypt is beginning to unfold, even as Hosni Mubarak and Omar Suleiman refuse to cede power to the people. Whether credible or not, the regime’s mounting “concessions” are beginning to demonstrate the real political authority of the Egyptian people, whose right to decide what is legitimate for their government is beginning to be recognized at home and abroad. The “perpetual session” of the military’s leadership council, and their “Communique 1″ and “Communique 2″ suggest the military would like to guide events with language of their choosing.
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