Revolution Will Continue After We Dump Bush: A Letter from Steve Earle
The most important presidential election of our lifetime was less than seven months away and we desperately wanted to weigh in, both as artists and as citizens of a democracy. By the time some of you hear these songs the election will be over. Then the real struggle begins.
--From the liner notes of Earle's most recent album, Revolution.
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ACLU: ‘Surveillance-industrial Complex’ Expands Gov’t Spying Power
In a report released this week [ed. – August 13], the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) describes what it calls a growing 'surveillance-industrial complex' in which the US government is increasingly relying on the private sector to collect personal information about US citizens and residents.
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Sweating for the Olympics
Sportswear companies have negotiated $81 million worth of licenses from the International Olympic Committee, allowing them to adorn their products with the Olympic emblems. Behind the five inter-twined rings and the Athens 2004 kotinos laurel wreath insignia, hidden from the eyes of the world, non-union, underpaid labor will be sewing the shirts, gluing the shoes, and putting zippers to running suits and track apparel branded as Olympic in working conditions that would make even the most highly trained athlete sweat.
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Iraqi Olympic Soccer Teams Gives Bush the Boot
Sometimes we are reminded that the Olympics can serve as an international platform not only for nationalism and truck commercials, but also resistance. In an incredible piece by Grant Wahl on Sports Illustrated.com, the Iraqi Olympic Soccer team has issued a stinging rebuke to George W. Bush's attempt to use them as election year symbols.
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High-Tech Democracy?
Many advocates of information technology claim it brings greater democracy. This optimism is naive if blindly accepted. Information technology must be managed at every step by citizen oversight. The role of new technology will be largely determined by how democratized our institutions are before it is implemented.
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Cuba and US to Cooperate on Anti-cancer Drug Research
ON July 15, and for the first time in 40 years, a cooperation agreement was signed by Cuban and U.S. companies for the transfer of biotechnological technology directed at developing vaccines against cancer. The agreement was signed between the CancerVax Corporation and the Center for Molecular Immunology at the International Conference Center in Havana.
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Prosperity and Poverty in China
Many places in China are surprisingly close to the United States in its economic and social problems in 1929, such as the proportion of agricultural income to GDP and the proportion of farmer's per-capita income to average social income are almost equal. Take another example. The unemployment rate and the moral issue have become problems of serious concerns to society.
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Child Care Promises Fall Through
When the federal welfare program was restructured in 1996, the government promised to provide child care to single parents required to take jobs outside the home. Often, however, that promise is not being kept and families pay the price.
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Dump Bush movement says ‘we can do it’
John Kerry and John Edwards left the Democratic National Convention July 29 to barnstorm across the country, buoyed by ringing calls both inside and outside the convention for George W. Bush’s defeat as a menace to world peace and democracy.
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Chavez Wins Referendum! Viva!
President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela made democratic history today in a triumphant defeat of the recall referendum on his Presidency. After six years in office, in this recall referendum held on Sunday, August 15th, Chávez lead with a 58% majority. Voters clearly exercised their constitutional right to confirm the President in a historic referenda process.
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