The Digger

"On Feb. 2,  a staunch coalition of activists in Austin demonstrated their support for the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Revolution against the U.S.-backed right-wing coup now being attempted there. Members of the Austin branch of Workers World Party were joined in solidarity with activists from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democratic Socialists of America, Communist Party USA, Austin Anti-War Coalition, EcoSocialists and several independents. The demonstration, lasting roughly two hours, received many excited honks of support from the working-class people of southeast Austin who were out running errands before  the next day’s Super Bowl festivities.  Many pedestrians also stopped to ask questions about the demonstration and current situation in Venezuela, with several inquiring about how they could become involved. Flyers with WWP’s statement about the coup were given out to nearly 100 people, who asked for additional information while waiting f...

This is a great little primer on what people like Mike Pence, a heartbeat or resignation away from Leader of the Free World status, think about Jews and no doubt most all of yous. Great writing as usual from Floyd, who can bring the message as only one raised among the Evangelicals can. So if you ever wondered exactly what the difference is between a fundamentalist Christian and a Nazi, read on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There has been much throwing about of brains on the subject of anti-Semitism lately. But in the ceaseless and almost entirely cynical media-political imbroglio that has followed the “Benjamins” tweet of Rep. Ilhan Omar, I’ve seen nothing said about perhaps the most intense and thoroughgoing form of anti-Semitism in America today: an anti-Semitism that is not only prevalent but dominant in the halls of power at the moment. This virulent anti-Semitism — which in at least one respect surpasses that of the Nazis themselves — is passionately embraced by mil...

@nCphzdsekp:disqus suggested this video of comedian Robert Newman. Timely stuff. Thank you kuji! Here's Philip Roddis's introduction:  The best comedians are the cleverest people on the planet. I’m grateful to a BTL comment on OffGuardian , below a piece of mine on Venezuela, for linking to this forty-five minute video. It has Robert Newman saying exactly what I try to say, but with vastly greater wit and panache, on the history of oil and, more generally, a materialist perspective on history. Performed in 2006, it could have been yesterday given the clueless way we insist on viewing each “pro-democracy” intervention – Iraq, Libya, Syria and now Venezuela – on a case by case basis. Given too the criminal way ‘our’ media ignore the material drivers of war. In both my two posts this week on Venezuela, I described corporate media as having “abdicated a core duty in their refusal to explore motives that cast a very different light on Western interventions sold to us as...

This is a survey of various groups around the world considered to the left of democratic socialism regarding their stances on the Syrian civil war. I have searched the websites of just over 50 left-wing and far left parties, networks, and international tendencies for any articles, blurbs, statements, etc. regarding Syria since 2011. You’ll notice that I tend to focus on American leftist groups, with which I have the most familiarity. Also note that some of the international organizations overlap with each other. I have found that leftists have incredibly diverse attitudes toward Syria, even within ideological tendencies. All the groups profiled below support secularism and socialism (or, in the case of some anarchists, socialist-like systems) and oppose intervention by Western powers, but their attitudes towards the Assad regime , the Kurdish PYD / YPG -led Rojava , the vast and multi-colored opposition , and the so-called Islamic State vary greatly. I will eventually follow...

February 12, 2019 For more than two years U.S. politicians, the media and some bloggers hyped a conspiracy theory. They claimed that Russia had somehow colluded with the Trump campaign to get him elected. An obviously fake 'Dirty Dossier' about Trump, commissioned by the Clinton campaign, was presented as evidence. Regular business contacts between Trump flunkies and people in Ukraine or Russia were claimed to be proof for nefarious deals. A Russian click-bait company was accused of manipulating the U.S. electorate by posting puppy pictures and crazy memes on social media. Huge investigations were launched. Every rumor or irrelevant detail coming from them was declared to be - finally - the evidence that would put Trump into the slammer. Every month the walls were closing in on Trump. At the same time the very real Trump actions that hurt Russia were ignored. Finally the conspiracy theory has run out of steam. Russiagate is finished : After two ...

February 12, 2019 " Information Clearing House " -  On March 1, 2018 the world learned of Russia’s new weapons systems, said to be based on new physical principles. Addressing the Federal Assembly, Putin explained how they came to be: in 2002 the US withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. At the time, the Russians declared that they will be forced to respond, and were basically told “Do whatever you want.” And so they did, developing new weapons that no anti-ballistic missile system can ever hope to stop. The new Russian weapons include one that is already on combat duty (Kinzhal), one that is being readied for mass production (Avangard) and several that are currently being tested (Poseidon, Burevestnik, Peresvet, Sarmat). Their characteristics, briefly, are as follo...

By Nicolás Maduro February 10, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - If I know anything, it is about the people, because just like you, I am a man of the people. I was born and raised in a poor neighborhood of Caracas. I was forged in the heat of popular and union struggles in a Venezuela submerged in exclusion and inequality. I am no tycoon; I am a worker of mind and heart.  Today I have the great privilege of presiding over the new Venezuela, rooted in a model of inclusive development and social equality, which Comandante Hugo Chávez forged starting in 1998, inspired by the legacy of Simón Bolivar. We are living today in a historical crossroad. There are days that will define the future of our countries, giving us a c...