Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Venezuela, Cuba condemn Israel's massacres in Gaza

Haz click en cualquier video para verlo Puedes ver otros en radiomundial.com.ve
Dozens of protesters rallied outside the Israeli embassy in Caracas on December 28, in opposition to what one speaker referred to as “genocide” by the Israeli “occupation forces”. The protests will continue in front of the embassy, according to a rally organiser, Hindu Anderi. Anderi, a Palestinian human rights activist, thanked the Venezuelan government for its position on the conflict, but demanded concrete action, saying “solidarity needs to mean taking measures that will affect Israel economically and politically, because otherwise the condition of the Palestinian people will not change”.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

¡No pasarĂ¡n! 70 years of the International Brigades

As we near the end of 2008, it is worth remembering an anniversary that fell this year. September 21 marked the 70th anniversary of the disbanding of the international brigades, formed of volunteers across the world to fight the rise of fascism under Franco in Spain.

As much a tribute to the legacy and bravery of men and women worldwide in taking up arms to fight the fascist monster, and to dare to dream that a new world was possible, the memory of those who fought, and those who fell, stands as a stark reminder and warning of the deadly betrayals of Stalinism.

As we enter uncertain economic and political times, where the failure of neoliberal capitalism is only matched by the failure of the left to put forward a robust alternative, we would do well to remember the sacrifices made by past generations in the struggle for a better world, and to renew the strength in our hearts and imbs for the struggle ahead.








The links below are to the Youtube version of Ken Loach's acclaimed 1995 movie "Land and Freedom", on of the most moving antiwar films ever made, and an open window on the reality of the Spanish Civil War.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11

El Salvador: Video -- Unidos por el cambio (Democracy and the 2009 Salvadorean election)


By Committee with the People of El Salvador (CISPES)(USA)

Recent polls in El Salvador show that the leftist FMLN party is 15% ahead over the right-wing presidential candidate from the ruling party. This only confirms what Salvadorans in the social movement, members of the FMLN, and the general public have been saying all along: El Salvador is the next in line to join the Latin American shift to the left!

The Committee with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) has a long solidarity relationship with the Salvadoran people. One way CISPES continues to support real democracy in El Salvador, opposing US economic, military, and political intervention, is by bringing international observers delegations to El Salvador. You too can support free and fair elections and learn about the current situation in El Salvador by joining the CISPES delegation from March 9-19, 2009.

As international observers, we will help to ensure that the elections are carried out in a peaceful climate for people to vote. We will work to guarantee that dirty tricks used in the 2004 elections by the US government and the right-wing ARENA party don’t happen again. And we will denounce any political violence and fraud that might occur during the election.

In addition to being present on the March 15 Election Day, we will:

  • meet with social movement groups to talk about the current economic and political situation
  • learn Salvadoran electoral law and the role of observers
  • prepare people to mobilise in the US through CISPES chapters and the emergency response network in order to challenge fraud OR defend a democratic victory.

Contact CISPES for more information about this delegation!

Contact your local CISPES committee by going to www.cispes.org or the national office at (202) 521-2510 and Elizabeth@cispes.org

Monday, December 22, 2008

The Story of Stuff, Full Version

John Bellamy Foster: The great financial crisis: causes and consequences





A Financial Katrina - Remarks by David Harvey

If you're not in Greece, and need something to do this Christmas, you could do worse than check out David Harvey's website, which now includes his entire series of lessons on Volume One of Marx's Capital, both as video and downloadable audio.

As well as that great resource, he has also been putting up the audio from a number of his talks on the financial crisis, the latest of which can be found below.

[Of course, if you ARE in Greece, and are reading this instead of making new Molotov cocktails, you should be ashamed of yourself. Really...]

*******************************************************

A Financial Katrina
Remarks by Professor David Harvey
From “The Disruption: Left Interpretations of the Financial Crisis” Panel Discussion
Organized by the Center for Place, Culture and Politics, the Center for Humanities and the Brecht Forum
City University of New York Graduate Center
October 29, 2008
26 minutes 33 seconds

Listen now:

Or download MP3 file (24.4 MB)

(To download on a PC right-click on the above file and click ‘Save as’ or ‘Download to’. On a Mac Control-click instead of right-click.)

Slides:

(Slides 1-5 referenced beginning at 6 minutes 30 seconds. Slide 6 referenced at 10 minutes 10 seconds.)


A Wombat Christmas Message...

... courtesy of Alistair Hulett (currently touring Oz and NZ with David Rovics)...




... the great Billy Bragg...



... and the Manic Street Preachers...


Videos and Photos from Greece

The videos and photographs below are from Monthly Review, which has compiled a good swag of resources on the insurgency.

17:00:38
16:56:06
16:47:06
16:19:02
16:06:06
16:03:58
16:02:30
16:01:26
15:55:34
15:53:36
15:52:06
15:51:00
15:33:50
15:26:52