A Visit to Egypt I had been in Egypt last July at the time that Tahrir Square was under full occupation. At that time I walked around the Square from tent to tent looking for people who spoke English. I got into lots of conversations. People were extremely interested, willing to talk, and also a little suspicious. They wondered whether I was a spy, either for Israel or the US or both. But that didn’t stop them from talking with me and showing me around. I went again early in … Continued
At $16.2 trillion, the European Union is the largest economy in the world. Even when confined to just those countries that use the euro (the “eurozone”), that economy is the second largest after the United States. Given how the world economy is so intertwined, the crisis of the euro is a world crisis. And make no mistake about it, this is a real crisis. The Wall Street Journal described it as “a storm raging among small countries at Europe’s fringe (that is moving) to one that strikes a major economic … Continued
This is what democracy looks like? On November 18 I posted an apology to Occupy Oakland. I had helped sell the idea of a joint march and rally with “organized labor” to the general assembly. I had thought it would be an event at which we – Occupy Oakland – would be able to get our radical message out to the rank and file of some of the unions. Instead, with the collaboration of some of the most radical people in the occupation (as well as some who just recently … Continued
I would like to apologize to those at the general assembly who voted for the joint labor march and rally this Saturday if what I said helped convince you to support it. I was one of the two people who presented the proposal and was the main defender of it against certain criticisms. These criticisms were, in effect, that we would be joining with the union bureaucracy instead of the rank and file. My response was that if the bureaucracy helped build this event, that we could use their support … Continued
UBC Local 713 Endorses Call For 11/2 General Strike Carpenters Local 713 represents 3,000 mostly private sector construction workers in Alameda County, California and passed the following motion tonight (Thurs October 27th,2011) by a standing vote with an overwhelming majority. Local 713 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters stands in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. We support the right of all working people to organize and peacefully assemble to demand their rights. We further agree that the 1% should not continue to go untaxed while the 99% face … Continued
The following is a statement from the Bay Area Industrial Workers of the World passed several weeks ago: The Bay Area General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World enthusiastically welcomes the “Occupation” movement to Oakland and elsewhere in the SF Bay area. The economic crisis that is hitting across the country is nothing new to Oakland, especially within its black and Latino communities. We not only have high unemployment, but we also have police repression and outright murder by police, the closing of schools and libraries, and … Continued