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Crushing Labor Unions and the Middle Class: Is this the American Way?

DIANE RAVITCH Diane Ravitch's Blog
Inequality across much of Europe has widened, but it is still quite modest when compared with the vast income gap in the United States.The question is whether relative equity can hold as workplace institutions that for decades protected European employees’ standard of living give way to a more lightly regulated, American-style approach, where the government hardly interferes in the job market and organized labor has little say.

Media Bits & Bytes - Sorry, Wrong Number Edition

Portside
Judge Declares Phone Spying a No-No; Internet of Things Coming Up Fast; Many "Things" Are Already Plugged In; Social Media Becomes a Trusted News Source; San Francisco Gets Free WiFi

A Challenge

Tom Hayden Peace Exchange Bulletin

Jobless

Tony Auth amuniversal.com

America's Child Soldiers

Ann Jones TomDispatch
It should be no secret that the United States has the biggest, most efficiently organized, most effective system for recruiting child soldiers in the world. With uncharacteristic modesty, however, the Pentagon doesn’t call it that. Its term is “youth development program.”

Turning Mandela

Steve Weissman Reader Supported News
Catering to accumulated private wealth and their mythic "free market" may have helped Mandela consolidate a more peaceful transition to South Africa's justly praised multi-racial democracy. But did he have to pay such a high price? A variety of sources discuss this important question.

Delhi: March For a Minimum Living Wage

Srinivasan Ramani Economic and Political Weekly
On 12 December 2013, more than a lakh workers predominantly from the unorganised sector marched on Parliament to demand a minimum living wage, social security measures and regulariation of work. The call had been given by trade unions across the political spectrum and the participants came from all parts of the country. However, mainstream and popular media remained indifferent and ignored the rally, much like earlier times.

Delhi: March For a Minimum Living Wage

Srinivasan Ramani Economic and Political Weekly
On 12 December 2013, more than 100,00 workers predominantly from the informal sector marched on Parliament to demand a minimum living wage, social security measures and regularized work. The call had been given by trade unions across the political spectrum and the participants came from all parts of the country. However, mainstream and popular media remained indifferent and ignored the rally, much like earlier times.