Daily Archives: March 21, 2021

2021-03-21: News Headlines

David Swanson (2021-03-21). The Latest Lies About Russia. dissidentvoice.org Things that we now know are not actually true: Russia impacted the U.S. election results in 2016 or 2020. Russia hacked into U.S. election machines. The recent U.S. government report alleging election interference contained any evidence of anything. The report so much as alleged Russian involvement in the Biden-Ukraine-corruption story. Russia changed the GOP platform. …

Thomas Pulliam (2021-03-21). Tanks, Tanks, Tanks: Biden-Era Neoliberalism and the Suffocation of Syria. realprogressives.org "All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind." | Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations | It's not difficult these days to find symbolism for America's culture built on violence and colonialism. Party to party, politician to politician, oligarch to oligarch, everything appears to be an illusion which harms the world the more we believe in it. It was just last January that Joe Biden illegally ordered a missile strike targeted towards Syrian soil. It was aimed at an Iranian-backed militia, and wound up killing at least…

_____ (2021-03-21). We're Hurtling Toward Global Suicide. popularresistance.org On January 13, one week before the inauguration of Joe Biden as the forty-sixth president of the United States and seven long days after the storming of the Capitol by an armed right-wing mob, it was easy enough to miss an article published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science, despite its eye-catching title: "Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Ghastly Future." The headline was itself a train wreck: six dully innocuous words piling up in front of a modifier more suitable to a 1950s horror comic than a sober, academic journal. But there it was: The 17 scientists who co-wrote the article, the…

_____ (2021-03-21). On Contact: America's Secret Government. popularresistance.org On the show this week, Chris Hedges discusses the rise of America's secret government with journalist and author David Talbot. David Talbot's book is 'The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government'.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-21). Paraguayans rise in rage against mishandling of COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org In this episode of Around the World in 8 Minutes, we take a look at protests in Paraguay against the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a massive strike by bank employees in India and a protest by students in South Africa…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-03-21). Green Passes and Dark Inequalities: the Push for COVID Immunity Passports. counterpunch.org Sensible, ideal, wonderful — if you happen to be in the European Union. This is the air of confidence surrounding the March 17 proposal for a digital COVID immunity passport, or what is officially being called the Digital Green Certificate. The Digital Green Certificate is actually a bundle of three: vaccination certificates stating the brand

Celia Farber (2021-03-21). John Magufuli: Death of an African Freedom Fighter, Confronted Big Pharma and the Corrupt Covid Cabal. globalresearch.ca In the Western world, African leaders are invisible, until that is, …

Daniel Raventós, Julie Wark (2021-03-21). West Papua: Rape The Women To Rape The Land. counterpunch.org West Papua is often described as "remote", a handy word conveying two meanings: a pristine place for an exotic holiday and too far away for most people to give a damn. The Jakarta Post gives as its first reason for visiting this wonderland, "Dive with Friendly Whale Sharks". Number 8 on the list is gawking

The Conversation (2021-03-21). Asians are good at math? Why dressing up racism as a compliment just doesn't add up. juancole.com By Niral Shah | — The narrative that "Asians are good at math" is pervasive in the United States. Young children are aware of it. College students' academic performance can be affected by it. On the surface, the "Asians are good at math" narrative sounds like a compliment. After all, what's wrong with saying that …

Ron Jacobs (2021-03-21). The Curse of White Supremacy Must Be Fought, Not Handed Over to a Committee. counterpunch.org In recent years, the United States has once again begun to face a reckoning over its history and practice of white supremacy. In 2020, this reckoning became a raging fire that burned across the nation after Minneapolis police killed a Black man by choking him to death. This latest firestorm led to numerous commissions being

_____ (2021-03-21). Money Is Made Up. popularresistance.org Have you ever noticed how online capitalism cultists who condescendingly tell socialists they "just don't understand economics" are always unable to lucidly defend their own understanding of economics? | If you've never pressed such a character to clearly and concisely explain what it is you "don't understand" using their own words, I highly recommend that you try it, because it's one of the funniest things in the world. If you keep interrogating them about each aspect of their belief system, demanding that they explain exactly what it is they know and how they know it, they will invariably end up getting frustra…

Colin Todhunter (2021-03-21). Walmart, Amazon and the Colonial Deindustrialisation of India. globalresearch.ca In June 2018, the Joint Action Committee against Foreign Retail and …

F. William Engdahl (2021-03-21). "The Great Reset" Is Here: Follow the Money. "Insane Lockdown" of the Global Economy, "The Green Agenda" globalresearch.ca The top-down reorganization of the world economy by a cabal of …

Eli Day (2021-03-21). The Movement for Black Lives Has Been Waiting for This Moment. zcomm.org Racial justice organizers are preparing to take to the streets and the halls of power to push President Biden to meet their demands…

Noam Chomsky (2021-03-21). Biden's Early Agenda Gives Hope, But Activist Pressure Must Not Cease. zcomm.org The dire challenges we face have no borders. Global heating, pandemics, disarmament will be dealt with internationally, if at all…

Loretta Graceffo (2021-03-21). Garment workers win billions in stolen wages. zcomm.org The PayUp campaign's battle against wage theft has clawed back $22 billion from apparel companies during the pandemic, and they're just getting started…

Richard Falk (2021-03-21). Palestine Horizons: Winning the Long Game. zcomm.org The reaction by Israel to the ICC decision rises to apoplectic levels of intensity. The fuming response of Netanyahu was echoed across the whole spectrum of Israeli politicians…

Luis Feliz León (2021-03-21). The Biggest Amazon Union Drive Yet. zcomm.org Please Help ZNet Source: Labor Notes Photo by lev radin/Shutterstock The chilly early-morning scene at a gas station March 9 recalls the morning rush hour anywhere, as workers shuffle into a convenience store for coffee and cigarettes. But look closer—a yellow hanger on a Jeep's rearview mirror is embossed

Paul Haeder (2021-03-21). Milquetoast for all Three Meals: All's Dumb in the United States of A. dissidentvoice.org The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. — aphorism There is dumb-downing, cancel culture (I've been cancelled since beginning in 1972 in high school, way before the trendy terminology), forced consent, manufactured bifurcation, false balance, triangulation, perception as reality, equivocation, a host of propaganda …

Kim Iversen (2021-03-21). Pfizer Executive: Shift from Pandemic to Endemic. "Hiking Vaccine Price after Pandemic Wanes" globalresearch.ca Pfizer execs discuss hiking vaccine price after …

Towards increasing Networking (2021-03-21). Starting Tonight (Sat): Online events w) Chomsky, McKibben, Frida Berrigan & many others. indybay.org Here are some 17 online events taking place over the coming month (and starting tonight, Saturday, March 20), featuring people such as Noam Chomsky, Bill McKibben, Frida Berrigan, Thomas Piketty, Paul Mason, Hazel Henderson, and many others.

Prabir Purkayastha (2021-03-21). Vaccine wars, ASEAN and the Quad. peoplesdispatch.org The COVID-19 pandemic demands that all nations cooperate to vaccinate the entire global population. The usual rules of which countries win and which ones lose do not operate in this civilizational crisis…

Celia Farber (2021-03-21). John Magufuli: Death of an African Freedom Fighter, Confronted Big Pharma and the Corrupt Covid Cabal. globalresearch.ca With humor, cheek, and audacity, Magufuli had crossed a line—exposing the fraud and illegitimacy of the PCR testing apparatus that the WHO relied on to justify the global lockdown, the terror, and the vaccine rollouts.

Timothy Alexander Guzman (2021-03-21). The WHO and Big Pharma Rejected by Tanzania: President John Magufuli Says COVID-19 Vaccines Are "Dangerous and Unnecessary" globalresearch.ca Update | President John Magufuli has passed away. The country has lost …

Juan Cole (2021-03-21). Tens of Thousands Protest "Crime Minister" Netanyahu in Israel as his Political Survival hangs in Balance. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday at various places against Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is being tried for corruption, as the country goes to the polls Tuesday. This was the 39th consecutive weekly demonstration against the beleagured prime minister, who polls suggest faces an extremely close election. If he …

MEE staff (2021-03-21). Yemen: Houthis admit teargas fired by guards caused deadly fire at detention centre. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Houthis admit teargas fired by guards caused deadly fire at detention centre | Houthis say they have detained 11 men from the security forces and senior officials over fire that left 45 migrants dead | Sun, 03/21/2021 – 10: 29 | Members representing African communities in Yemen gather to speak in front of the offices of the International Organisation for Migration in Sanaa on 13 March 2021 (AFP) | Yemen…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-21). Saudi Aramco's 2020 profits plummet on lower crude prices. middleeasteye.net Saudi Aramco's 2020 profits plummet on lower crude prices | Saudi Arabia's cash cow posts a 44.4 percent slump in net profits after Covid-19 weighs heavily on global demand | Sun, 03/21/2021 – 16: 02 | Aramco was listed on the Saudi bourse in December 2019 following the world's biggest initial public offering (Reuters) | Energy giant Saudi Aramco on Sunday posted a 44.4 percent slump in 20…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-21). Egyptian feminist writer Nawal el-Saadawi dies aged 89. middleeasteye.net Egyptian feminist writer Nawal el-Saadawi dies aged 89 | A critic of taboos around women in society, Sadaawi clashed with Egyptian authorities throughout her life | Sun, 03/21/2021 – 16: 23 | Nawal el-Saadawi at a meeting of Egyptian writers in 2001 (AFP) | The Egyptian radical feminist writer Nawal el-Saadawi has died on Sunday aged 89 after a career challenging social and religious taboo…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-21). Jordan makes new US defence agreement public. middleeasteye.net Jordan makes new US defence agreement public | Move, which allows free entry of US forces, aircraft and vehicles onto the kingdom's territory, controversially bypassed parliament | Sun, 03/21/2021 – 18: 03 | A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace on 19 October 2020 shows US-built M60 tanks during a military drill in Jordan's eastern military zone (AFP) | Jordan on Sunday…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-21). Pro-Kurdish MP briefly detained after four nights holed up in Turkey's parliament. middleeasteye.net Pro-Kurdish MP briefly detained after four nights holed up in Turkey's parliament | Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu was controversially expelled from his seat earlier this week as crackdown on HDP continues | Sun, 03/21/2021 – 09: 32 | Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu shows defiance after his dismissal from parliament (AFP) | Turkey briefly detained a pro-Kurdish MP who had been holed up in parliament sinc…

MEE, agencies (2021-03-21). Pro-Kurdish MP detained after four nights holed up in Turkey's parliament. middleeasteye.net Pro-Kurdish MP detained after four nights holed up in Turkey's parliament | Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu was controversially expelled from his seat earlier this week as crackdown on HDP continues | Sun, 03/21/2021 – 09: 32 | Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu shows defiance after his dismissal from parliament (AFP) | Turkey has arrested a pro-Kurdish MP who had been holed up in parliament since being cont…

South Front (2021-03-21). Turkey Refuses to Give Up on Its Interests in Northeastern Syria. globalresearch.ca Turkey and its proxies are rushing to defend Ankara's interests in …

Lee Siu Hin (2021-03-21). 3/20 Lee Siu Hin: The Epoch Times, Trump's Favorite Cult Propaganda Machine. indybay.org The Epoch Times, the propaganda arm of the U.S.-backed Chinese cult Falun Gong, has built an unholy alliance among anti-China, anti-communist Republicans, far right domestic terrorists, and Donald Trump…

Eugene E Ruyle (2021-03-21). Sunday 3/21: The Great Labor Rebellion of the 1930s. indybay.org Zoom meeting. Login info on our website: ICSSMARX.ORG

Claudia Spengler, Johanna Neuhauser (2021-03-21). Unemployment myth and "Migrantization" of precarity. indybay.org Involuntary unemployment is afflicted with many prejudices, which impute a supposed lack of motivation and utility to those affected. Although these prejudices are easy to refute, politicians and representatives of the media cling to the neoliberal notion of individual guilt in unemployment. Unemployment has primarily structural causes and thus requires the assumption of political responsibility.

Socialized Medicine is What We Need (2021-03-21). HR 1976 Medicare for All Act of 2021. indybay.org On March 17, 2021, Rep. Jayapal Pamila of Wash. state and Rep. Deborah Dingell of Michigan introduced this year's version of the urgently needed Medicare for All Act of 2021 with a total of 112 sponsors, all Democrats, and it needs 218 to pass. See www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1976/cosponsors?q={%22search%22: [%22actionSessionCode: \%22117-1 | 1000\%22+AND+billIsReserved: \%22N\%22%22]}&r=9&s=4&searchResultViewType=compact…

Leon Kunstenaar (2021-03-21). Oakland Caravan, Traffic Jam, and Rally to Support Amazon Union Drive. indybay.org Continuing Actions in Support of Alabama Amazon Workers' Union Drive…

Leon Kunstenaar (2021-03-21). Protest at Amazon's New SF Watehouse Site. indybay.org International Day of Protests in Support of Alabama Amazon Workers' Union Drive…

Leon Kunstenaar (2021-03-21). Protest at Amazon's New SF Warehouse Site. indybay.org International Day of Protests in Support of Alabama Amazon Workers' Union Drive…

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (2021-03-21). CA Abandons Its Commitment to Ethnic Studies under Right Wing Pressure—The Fight Continues. indybay.org On March 18, 2021, the California State Board of Education (SBE) rubber-stamped a whitewashed Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) in the face of massive public backlash. This version of the ESMC was panned by teachers, students, community organizations, and Ethnic Studies scholars—including Angela Davis, Cornel West, and Marc Lamont Hill. In disgust, all 20 of the Ethnic Studies educators who drafted the original version of the ESMC demanded that their names be removed.

Editor (2021-03-20). A Brief List of Official Russia Claims That Proved to Be Bogus. scheerpost.com Book Catalog / CC BY 2.0] By Matt Taibbi / TK News The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released a much-hyped, much-cited new report on " Foreign Threats to the 2020 Elections." The key conclusion: We assess that Russian President Putin authorized, and a range of Russian government organizations conducted, influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden's… |

teleSUR (2021-03-20). El Savador: Bukele's Party Wins the Elections by Large Majority. telesurenglish.net The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) confirmed the victory of President Nayib Bukele's party, New Ideas, in the legislative and municipal elections in El Salvador. | RELATED: | With 100 percent of the ballots counted, the TSE confirmed New Ideas won 55 seats in the Legislative Assembly and 116 mayorships. | After these results, Bukele controls almost 45 percent of the mayorships and has only one Assembly seat left to achieve…

Eds. (2021-03-20). Why are hate crimes against Asian Americans on the rise? mronline.org Largely missing from this ongoing discussion is the role of the police and the capitalist state. The media has done an excellent job at depicting these violent acts as interpersonal and individual attacks. | Newswire…

WSWS (2021-03-20). AFT President Randi Weingarten tells Texas teacher Michael Hull: "We're not going to fight to keep the schools closed" wsws.org Hull raised critical points on the dangers of reopening schools, the role of the American Federation of Teachers in working with the Biden administration to implement this policy, and the underlying class issues involved.

Gregory Wilpert (2021-03-20). Biden's Syria Deception: The Norwegian Connection. theanalysis.news Contrary to the Biden administration's claim, it seems that the recent missile strike in Syria was not carried out in consultation with at least one of the US's main allies in the region: Norway. But why is Norway involved in the Middle East anyway? Greg Wilpert talks about the issue with Eirik Vold, a parliamentary advisor to Norway's Red Party.

_____ (2021-03-20). We Fight For Haiti Because We Are Haiti. popularresistance.org The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) seeks to recapture and redevelop the historic anti-war, anti-imperialist, and pro-peace positions of the radical black movement. We fundamentally oppose militarized domestic state repression; the policies of de-stabilization and subversion abroad; and the permanent war agenda of the U.S. state globally. | The reason we're here today in front of the Haiti Consulate-General is simple: we stand in solidarity with the Haitian people against the corrupt and illegitimate regime of Jovenel MoàØse, which is propped up by the Joseph R. Biden administration, the United Nations, and…

_____ (2021-03-20). What's Behind The Biden Administration's New $100 Billion Nuclear Missile System? popularresistance.org One of the more important tasks that the Biden administration will undertake this year will be to review the Pentagon's nuclear weapons budget and modernization strategy. | According to a 2019 Congressional Budget Office report, the U.S. is committed to spending $494 billion on its nuclear forces over the next decade, or about $50 billion per year. Over the next three decades, nuclear weapons modernization plans could cost as much as $1.5-$2 trillion. | This total includes investment in a $100 billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), a land-based nuclear missile, which is slated to replace the aging Minut…

WSWS (2021-03-20). Australian government uses misleading jobless figures to ramp up attack on working conditions. wsws.org A closer examination of the data used points to the use of the mass unemployment caused by the global pandemic as a battering ram against the working class.

WSWS (2021-03-20). Turkish government moves to ban Kurdish-nationalist HDP. wsws.org The Turkish government is initiating legal action to ban the HDP amid the COVID-19 pandemic and mounting expectations of US military intervention in Syria.

WSWS (2021-03-20). Millions of Australian workers forced to deplete their retirement funds amid pandemic. wsws.org Many of those accessing their superannuation accounts were from low-paid and casualised employment in the retail and hospitality sectors, often leaving them with little or no retirement funds.

_____ (2021-03-20). Starve The Pentagon, Feed The People. popularresistance.org The budget for 2021 clocked in at more than $740 billion. Passed during the throes of the pandemic in mid-2020, Congress awarded $130 billion more than requested for the nuclear-armed Columbia class submarine program. While these same legislators whittled down the second round of stimulus payments to Americans to $600, they simultaneously lined defense contractor's pockets. | These priorities, putting weapons before citizens, are clearly to the detriment of not just those living in the United States, but to those across the globe. The Pentagon intends to request more funding for nuclear weapons this year as part…

WSWS (2021-03-20). Pandemic threatens to explode in Massachusetts as Baker administration forces schools open. wsws.org Governor Baker's unelected board voted to give Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley "full power of the law" to force open all state school districts amid dangers of a new surge.

Alan MacLeod (2021-03-20). Financial press fears Brazilians will be allowed to elect president of their choice. mronline.org The Brazilian Supreme Court this month dismissed all charges against former President Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva. A towering figure in national politics, Lula was the country's president for eight years between 2003 and 2011. | Newswire…

WSWS (2021-03-20). Philadelphia school closed for COVID outbreak 10 days after reopening. wsws.org Since reopening schools earlier this month, the city of Philadelphia has seen a 16 percent increase in the 7-day average of new infections.

WSWS (2021-03-20). Ontario government covered up massive coronavirus outbreak at Amazon's Brampton warehouse. wsws.org Ministry of Labour officials were on site at the Heritage Road fulfillment centre just two days before a local health official ordered the facility closed due to a massive COVID-19 outbreak.

WSWS (2021-03-20). Amid health care collapse, Brazil cannot bury its COVID-19 dead. wsws.org Next week, Brazil is expected to reach the grim milestone of 300,000 COVID-19 deaths, 100,000 of which occurred in the first months of 2021.

Brandon Scharles, Julio Cesar Gumeta Ramos (2021-03-20). Milwaukee protesters demand justice for police killing victim Joel Acevedo. liberationnews.org On March 5, several dozen activists and community members gathered at Kosciuszko Park, going door-to-door in the neighborhood where Acevedo was killed, to inform the public about the upcoming trial.

Jay Janson (2021-03-20). Britain Threatens Humanity with Nuclear Winter without Explaining Why It Foresees War. dissidentvoice.org Both before the First World War and before the Second World War, the world public basically simply watched the arms build up and other preparations for war. This lackadaisical blandly interested public attitude seems to be present again. Criminally insane investors in war openly race forward with the inventing and manufacturing of ever new and …

Robert Hunziker (2021-03-20). Nuclear Fuel Buried 108 Feet from the Sea. dissidentvoice.org San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (Credit: Nuclear Regulatory Commission) The most toxic substance on Earth is separated from exposure to society by Ω" of steel encased in a canister. — Paul Blanch, registered professional engineer, US Navy Reactor Operator/Instructor That eye-opener comes from renowned nuclear expert Paul Blanch in reference to spent fuel rods removed …

Eds. (2021-03-20). At least six killed after factory owner calls in military in Hlaing Tharyar. mronline.org Police publicly executed a woman who was the leader of the workers. | Newswire…

The Conversation (2021-03-20). Racism is behind anti-Asian American violence, even when it's not a hate crime. juancole.com By Pawan Dhingra | — Over the past year, attacks on Asian Americans have increased more than 150% over the previous year, including the March 16 murders of eight people, including six Asian American women, in Atlanta. Some of these attacks may be classified as hate crimes. But whether they meet that legal definition or …

ANSWER Coalition (2021-03-20). National Day of Action March 27: Call It What It Is, a Hate Crime! Stop Anti-Asian Violence, Stop China-Bashing! liberationnews.org The following national call to action was issued by the ANSWER Coalition Join the Sat. March 27 National Day of Action! Endorse the national day of action here Organize an event in your city — register your event here Find local actions in your city: San Francisco, CA 11 AM — 12 PM — A …

Greg Plancich (2021-03-20). Neoliberal Seattle mayor rejects federal funding, threatens eviction from hotel shelters to 130 people. liberationnews.org The housing crisis in Seattle and the rest of the country is a symptom of capitalism, where homes are built for profit and not shelter.

Matt Taibbi (2021-03-20). Aaugh! A Brief List of Official Russia Claims that Proved to be Bogus. globalresearch.ca The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-03-20). Demolition of Palestinian houses continues. peoplesdispatch.org The report, prepared by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Territories (OCHA), says that in the month of February alone, at least 305 Palestinians, including 172 children, lost their homes and were displaced due to demolition of homes by the Israeli authorities.

Michael Welch (2021-03-20). The Ides of March 2011: NATO's 'Humanitarian' War on Libya. globalresearch.ca "This is injustice, it is clear aggression, and it is uncalculated risk for its consequences on the Mediterranean and Europe…We are confronting Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, nothing more. What would you do if you found them controlling American …

teleSUR (2021-03-20). Cristina Fernandez Scores Major Win on Google's Defamation Case. telesurenglish.net Argentina's Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by Google against the ruling which forces the company to keep the defamatory information against Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. | RELATED: | Last year, Cristina filed a petition with her country's justice system demanding that U.S. tech giant Google preserve the data naming her as "Thief of the Argentine Nation." | The nickname appeared on Google's platform repla…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-03-20). The 2017 Raqqa Exodus: The US Coalition's "Secret Deal" to Allow ISIS-Daesh Terrorists to Escape… globalresearch.ca US Defense Secretary James "Mad Dog" Mattis confirmed in May Washington's resolve to annihilate the ISIS-Daesh terrorists. | That was the "political narrative" of the Pentagon. The unspoken truth is that Uncle Sam had come to the rescue of the Islamic State.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-03-20). Destroying a Country's Standard of Living: What Libya Had Achieved, What has been Destroyed. globalresearch.ca A historical reversal in Libya economic and social development has occurred. An entire country has been destroyed, its people driven into abysmal poverty.

Aaron Maté (2021-03-20). Fmr. Ambassador Robert Ford on the US role in Syria's 10-year war. thegrayzone.com Former US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford speaks to Aaron Maté about the 10th anniversary of the Syrian war, the US role in the conflict, and why he now supports the withdrawal of US forces. Robert Ford served as US Ambassador to Syria from 2011 to 2014. On the tenth anniversary of the Syrian war, Ford speaks to Aaron Maté about the roots of the conflict; the US role; the current US sanctions that target Syria's reconstruction; chemical weapons allegations …

WSWS (2021-03-20). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Juan Cole (2021-03-20). German Greens come out against Russian Gas Pipeline: "It ought not to Exist" juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Germany's Green Party has come out strongly against the Nord Stream II Baltic natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The pipeline's construction is already advanced. Der Tagesspiegel reports, "Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock warned that the pipeline would undermine European sovereignty and pose an obstacle to a common European …

EMMA (2021-03-20). Kentucky Republicans Are Making it a Crime to Insult or Taunt Police After Uprising for Breonna Taylor. peoplesparty.org On Thursday, the Republican-controlled state senate in Kentucky passed a bill criminalizing free speech and peaceful protest. Under Kentucky The bill also defines a "riot" as a "public disturbance" of five or more people whose "tumultuous and violent conduct creates grave danger of damage or injury to property or persons or substantially obs…

WSWS (2021-03-20). Four years since the life imprisonment of 13 Maruti Suzuki workers. wsws.org During the run-up to the March 18, 2017 sentencing of the Maruti Suzuki workers, the Indian government and judicial authorities, including the Haryana's Congress Party chief minister, repeatedly urged that the workers be subjected to exemplary punishment to reassure international investors.

Mira Oklobdzija (2021-03-20). The Dutch Elections and the Rising Waters. zcomm.org The recent Dutch elections suggest that voters still long to return to an illusory pre-COVID status quo…

Nick Turse (2021-03-20). Will the Biden Administration Shine Light on Shadowy Special Ops Programs? zcomm.org Amid a broad review of American war-making policy, how and where commandos will be used in the coming years hangs in the balance…

Charles Bethea (2021-03-20). The Alabama Workers Trying to Unionize an Amazon Fulfillment Center. zcomm.org South of Birmingham, warehouse employees are voting on whether to form a union. Their decision could have ripple effects around the country…

Mike Ludwig (2021-03-20). Charles Booker Eyes Running Against Rand Paul by Building Urban-Rural Coalition. zcomm.org "We're unified in our fight to heal, to take care of family, to take care of Kentucky, and that is a message that can build new coalitions, and I am excited to tell that story."

Global Research (2021-03-20). Advierten de que en 20 años se duplicó el endeudamiento de América Latina. globalizacion.ca Eric Toussaint y Milan Rivié, especialistas del Comité para la Abolición de las Deudas Ilegítimas (CADTM) señalaron que en los últimos años se asistió a un aumento espectacular del stock y del servicio de la deuda en la región. | ´En…

Staff (2021-03-20). Chomsky: Biden's Early Agenda Gives Hope, But Activist Pressure Must Not Cease. truthout.org Joe Biden's first months in office have comprised a flurry of actions on the domestic front, including a historic stimulus bill. In this exclusive interview, the celebrated public intellectual Noam Chomsky shares his views on some key policies embraced by the Biden administration. Chomsky is Institute Professor Emeritus at MIT and Laureate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona. His latest books are Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal: The Political Economy of Saving th…

Staff (2021-03-20). Animal Testing Is Useless for Determining COVID Vaccine Effectiveness in Humans. truthout.org There have been What is surprising, however, is the complete lack of differing scient…

Staff (2021-03-20). Garment Workers Win $22 Billion in Historic Victory Against Wage Theft. truthout.org This article was originally published on In March 2020, Amanda Lee McCarty was laid off from her job. | For years, she had been working in the fashion industry as a buyer and product developer. But as COVID-19 cases surged and lockdown orders were implemented across the world, retailers were faced with a dramatic plummet in consumer demand for clothing. McCarty, who had…

Staff (2021-03-20). Parties Charge A Lot for Committee and Leadership Roles. Corporations Benefit. truthout.org This article was produced by Federal campaign finance law lets lawmakers take money from PACs sponsored and administered by the corporations and special interest groups that lobby them on how they would like the laws to…

Staff (2021-03-20). Some of the Wealthiest Counties in the US Have Seen the Biggest Rise in Hunger. truthout.org This story also ran on USA Today and GateHouse Media. It can be "Oh, my God, it smells so good!" Sierra, 39, said of the bounty she'd just picked up at a food pantry, pulling out a ready-made salad and a container of soup. | Sierra unpacked the donated food and planned lunch for Rachell and her siblings, ages 9 and 2, as a reporter watched through FaceT…

Common Dreams staff (2021-03-20). Large Pro-Democracy, Anti-Netanyahu Pre-Election Protest in Jerusalem. commondreams.org Over 50,000 demand Benjamin Netanyahu resign for his indictments for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/jerusalem-protest-03202021_0.jpg

Common Dreams staff (2021-03-20). Biden Pushes Colombia to Restart Glyphosate Spraying Program. commondreams.org Experts: "The recently announced decision sends an unfortunate message to the Colombian people that your administration is not committed to abandoning the ineffective and damaging war on drugs internationally." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/colombia-glyphosate-spraying-2000.jpg

Tinashe Goroga, Dana Brown,, Siddhartha Mehta (2021-03-20). All Health Is Public Health. commondreams.org The pandemic has blown up the myth that our health is largely a product of individual choices and personal responsibilities. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covid_public_health.jpg

teleSUR (2021-03-20). EU Threatens To Ban the Export of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday threatened to block exports of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine if the European Union (EU) does not receive what it was promised. | RELATED: | The official said AstraZeneca has only delivered 30 percent of the 90 million vaccines promised to the EU by the first quarter of 2021. | The contract with the Swedish-British lab calls for the delivery of vaccines…

_____ (2021-03-20). Financial Press Fears Brazilians Will Elect President Of Their Choice. popularresistance.org The Brazilian Supreme Court this month dismissed all charges against former President Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva. A towering figure in national politics, Lula was the country's president for eight years between 2003 and 2011. He was later convicted on highly dubious corruption charges and spent 18 months in prison, where his plight drew worldwide attention, making him, in the estimation of Noam Chomsky, the "world's most prominent political prisoner." | Lula's incarceration directly led to far-right authoritarian Jair Bolsonaro coming to power, as Lula, the overwhelming favorite in the polls, was barred from run…

Eds. (2021-03-20). WSJ rage at 'woke' China foreshadows new redbaiting of social justice activists. mronline.org The Wall Street Journal editorial board has accused a major Chinese newspaper, and by extension the People's Republic of China, of exploiting progressive rhetoric around racial justice to create division in the United States. | Newswire…

Andrew Kordik (2021-03-20). Welcome to the age of Modern Monetary Theory: It's turning conventional economics upside down. salon.com Who cares about the deficit? Biden's advisers embrace a hot new economic theory — whether they meant to or not…

Igor Derysh (2021-03-20). Joe Manchin's filibuster demands might end up making Republican obstruction even worse. salon.com There's a very good reason Republican lawmakers "aren't sweating a potential 'talking filibuster' reform"

Fight Back (2021-03-20). Nurses in Madison WI demand a decent contract. fightbacknews.org Madison, WI – Nurses at Meriter Hospital in Madison represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are coming to what could be their final bargaining session with management from UnityPoint Health. | Throughout the COVID pandemic, many of the 850 nurses represented at Meriter Hospital had to use up all or most of their paid time off due to being sick or exposed to the coronavirus. Nurses at Meriter continue to be pressured to work longer hours and extra shifts due to staffing shortages. | A press conference was held March 19 to support these essential frontline health care workers. Speakers included…

_____ (2021-03-20). Biden Continues Conflict With China Through The Quad. popularresistance.org On March 12, the heads of government of four countries, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and US President Joe Biden, met for a virtual meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, better known as the Quad. | Modi's opening remarks illustrate the emptiness of the public agenda; he called the Quad "a force for global good" with no details beyond a list of areas of collaboration ("vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies"). There was no direct mention of China during the meeting. | In the details relating to the launch…

Peter Koenig (2021-03-20). The Coronavirus Vaccine: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020". Vaccination as a Platform for "Digital Identity" globalresearch.ca What is the infamous ID2020? It's an electronic ID program that uses generalized vaccination as a platform for digital identity. The program harnesses existing birth registration and vaccination operations to provide newborns with a portable and persistent biometrically-linked digital identity.

teleSUR (2021-03-20). Brazil: Censorship Law Is Used To Shield Bolsonaro From Critics. telesurenglish.net Protestesters have been arrested in Brasilia after calling Bolsonaro "genocidal" for his mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and displaying a cartoon depicting him as a Nazi. | RELATED: | "They were jailed because the description 'genocidal' suits our president very well. He has contributed to our health care system's collapse due to the lack of vaccines. Police can't silence us," said the geography teacher Katia Garcia.

Nigel Crisp (2021-03-20). [Perspectives] Human flourishing in a health-creating society. thelancet.com The way we think about health and health systems needs to reflect the realities of the society we live in. There is no going back to the world before COVID-19. And, more fundamentally, it is time to finally leave behind the mindsets and practices of 20th-century medicine. COVID-19 is still doing terrible damage. Many countries are in the grip of a second or third wave of infections—in some cases worse than the first. COVID-19 vaccines bring optimism, but access to them is unequal for low-income and middle-income countries.

RT (2021-03-20). Blood clots & one death reported in Denmark after hospital staffers take AstraZeneca vaccine. rt.com Two hospital staffers in Denmark experienced blood clots and cerebral haemorrhaging after they were vaccinated against Covid-19 with AstraZeneca's jab. One has since died. | Denmark The new report comes amid increasing concerns in the European Union over whether Astr…

Liberation Staff (2021-03-20). Cuba launches Phase 3 test of COVID vaccine, the first produced in Latin America. liberationnews.org Despite the most severe blockade conditions imposed by the U.S. government, Cuba's biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries have made outstanding achievements in the campaign to overcome COVID-19.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-03-20). AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine Suspended Across Europe. "Possible Autoimmune Reactions, Blood Clotting, Stroke and Internal Bleeding" globalresearch.ca UPDATE | France, Germany and Italy which had suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine, have resumed "after health officials sought to allay concerns it may cause blood clots" (VA Report) | This resumption of inoculations followed statements by the WHO and the European Medicines …