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Inequality and the USA: A Nation in Denial?

Sam Pizzigati inequality.org
America’s top central bankers didn’t make time for inequality at their annual hobnob last week. Over in Germany, Nobel Prize winners in economics did. But few Americans noticed.

Making a Living on a Living Planet

Joe Uehlein Portside
Today the American labor movement -- like the rest of American society and like labor movements throughout the world -- is being forced to grapple with global warming, climate chaos, and climate protection strategies. The future of labor’s growth and vitality will depend on its ability to play a central role in the movement to build a sustainable future for the planet and its people.

A Teacher in Kabul

Kathy Kelly Portside
When Zekerullah's teacher, a teacher accustomed to beating pupils, asked the class elementary questions about the environment, Zekerullah had definitely done his homework. But among his recent studies were the history of nonviolent movements, led by people like Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, to resist oppressive forces.

Friday Nite Videos -- August 1, 2014 (Solidarity 2014)

Portside
What is Labor Day about? Dignity. Equality. Solidarity. These five videos talk about those ideals in 2014. Dolly Parton: 9 to 5. The Wage Gap. Walmart: Standing Up Together. Race / Off. Forward Together: A Week of Action. Documentary: The One Percent. Watch, and strengthen your resolve to dream and struggle for another year. -- moderator

Ralph Fasanella, Lest We Forget

Stephen May Antiques and the Arts Weekly
“Ralph Fasanella was a consummate New Yorker and self-taught artist who represented the very best of American ideals,” says Dr Anne-Imelda Radice, executive director of AFAM. “He cared about people who did not have a voice, so he gave them a voice through his paintings.”

Students at the Barricades

Christy Thornton Jacobin
Our attempt to build a stronger, more democratic union isn’t an attack on the UAW — it’s an attempt to make our union as strong as possible, to win the best contract, and to most effectively play a role in ongoing struggles for social justice. It demonstrates not weakness or a division within our ranks, but a deep well of support on campus for a stronger stance with management.

Open-Ended Cease-Fire Reached in Israel/Gaza, but How Long Will It Last?

Juan Cole Truthdig
This open-ended cease-fire is fragile. Some of the goals of the two sides will be very hard to attain. And, at root, the Israel-Gaza war won’t really be over until there is a comprehensive peace settlement with either a two-state or a one-state solution to Palestinian statelessness.

Victory Declared as Market Basket Standoff Ends

Deirdre Fulton Common Dreams
Market Basket employees — who are not unionized — ran a grassroots campaign that included walk-outs, rallies, and online actions. The New York Times describes the saga as "one of the strangest labor actions in American business history," and the Boston Globe notes that these activities "stunned longtime observers of the grocery industry and captured the imagination and attention of a region."

Tidbits - August 28, 2014

Portside
Reader Comments - "I Question America" -- Remembering Fannie Lou Hamer; The Coming Race War Won't Be About Race; Ferguson - Politicians and AFL-CIO - Both Missing; Israelis in US: An Open Letter to American Jews on Gaza; Minnesota Home Health Care Workers Unionize; Ukraine and Neo-Nazis; Sanctions & the Dollar; Economic Democracy Project's first event: Economic Democracy And The Struggle For Black Independence - Sept. 3 - New York

Obama, the Neo-Cons and Liberal Interventionists

Robert Parry ConsortiumNews
The chaos enveloping U.S. foreign policy stems from President Obama’s unwillingness to challenge Official Washington’s power centers which favor neoconservatism and “liberal interventionism”, writes investigative reporter Robert Parry. Obama's failure to confront "neocon absolutism" and "liberal interventionists" has resulted in a foreign policy that is unrealistic, hypocritical, and deadly.