Refugees Flee Imperialist War, Face Racism in Europe
From Liberation News The U.S. government and other western imperialist powers are trying to deflect blame from a growing number of migrant and human rights organizations for their role in what is being labeled “the European refugee crisis,” which has become a growing humanitarian disaster. According to new figures by the International Organization for Migration, over 332,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea this year alone in an attempt to reach Europe—nearly a 40 percent increase over the year before, which was already a record year for immigration into Europe. Most of… Read More
Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change Biggest Challenges for Humanity
From the Communist Party of Finland Nuclear weapons, along with climate change, now constitute the biggest challenges facing humanity. The mere existence of nuclear arms is a threat against humanity. The use of a tiny part of the over 16,000 existing nuclear weapons, of which 4,000 are operational, would have catastrophic consequences for our planet. The idea of “nuclear deterrence” as the basis for unsustainable and unacceptable military doctrines must be definitely abandoned; far from contributing to nuclear disarmament, they stimulate the perpetual possession of those weapons. The use of nuclear weapons… Read More
Tragedy in the Mediterranean: Immigration and the Crimes of Capitalism
From In Defense of Marxism The death of more than 800 people who drowned when a small fishing boat capsized 60 miles south of the Italian island of Lampedusa late on Saturday brings the death toll to of people among people attempting to reach Europe by boat in 2015 alone to 1,600. This tragic event highlights the dramatic situation that has developed in Africa and the Middle East after years of imperialist meddling. lampedusaThis latest “accident” is a direct result of the cut to the funding of the EU search and rescue… Read More
Victory for Workers’ Rights in Finland
From Building and Wood Worker’s International Finnish wage regulations and collective agreements should apply equally to everyone who works in Finland. That is the outcome of a new ruling by the European Court of Justice. ”The decision has great importance for both Finland the European Union as a whole”, said Martti Alakoski, chair of the Finnish Electrical Workers Union after the announcement on the 12th of February. In short, the ruling finds that all employees must be payed basic wages, holiday bonuses and all other benefits in the general collective agreement –… Read More
The Communist Party of Finland Supports the Recognition of a Third Gender
From the CPF The current Finnish legislation violates physical integrity, protection of privacy and family life, the right to health, as well as the right to self-determination of transsexual people The aim of the labor movement is a society where all people are equal. All should have equal rights and obligations irrespective of their gender or sexual orientation. The legal requirement to live in compliance with a certain gender role is not justified in the light of modern understanding of gender and therefore legislation needs to be updated to meet people’s identities…. Read More
Launching ‘New Era of Political Change,’ Tens of Thousands March in Madrid
From CommonDreams Fed up with conservative economics and fueled by Syriza’s recent victory in Greece, tens of thousands of Spaniards flooded the streets of Madrid on Saturday to say: “No to Austerity and Yes to Change!” The march, dubbed the “March for Change,” is the first mass demonstration in support of the country’s new leftist party, Podemos, which is Spanish for “We Can.” According to reports, demonstrators chanted “yes we can” and “tic tac tic tac” suggesting the clock was ticking for the country’s two main political parties. Many waved Greek and… Read More
This Map Shows Every Attack on French Muslims since the Attack on Charlie Hebdo
From VOX.com According to reports by AFP and others, the attacks have included: Three training grenades thrown at a mosque in Le Man; a bullet hole was also found in one of the mosque windows A bomb blast at a restaurant adjacent to and associated with a mosque in Villefranche-sur-Saone Gunshots fired at a mosque in Port-la-Nouvelle A boar’s head and entrails were left outside an Islamic prayer center in Corsica with a note: “Next time it will be one of your heads.” The attacks have been relatively small-scale, especially compared to the Charlie Hebdo… Read More
Polish Coal Miners Strike over Planned Job Cuts
From Telesur Strikes continued in Poland Wednesday as miners protested government plans to close four state-owned coal mines. The center-right coalition government led by the Citizen’s Platform, with newly-elected Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, is attempting a radical shakeup of the mining industry, which it says is losing money in an ailing market. The standoff involving miners in 12 sites undertaking underground occupations, the hunger strikes, and railway blocks extended after negotiations between the government and strikers broke down Monday. The head of the trade union confederation Solidarnosc, Piotr Duda, has said that… Read More
Canada’s Choice: Austerity or Prosperity?
From CounterPunch Imagine for a moment two societies living side by side. One has discovered the wheel and uses it. The wheel makes life easier for workers and boosts the economy for everyone. Prosperity reigns. The society next door is well aware of the wheel and watches as its neighbours move inexorably ahead, becoming wealthier, more efficient and healthier while creating more leisure time for cultural activities. But the ones who reject the wheel aren’t those who do the work in this society. Those who refuse it are the governing elite, the… Read More
