Strikes & protests in France (and demonstrations in the US)

Strikes grow as Macron postpones threat to crush French refinery strike

Related:

French left-wing parties gather protesters to march in Paris, as refinery strikes persist

The French call for NATO exit

MSM was all over the cost of living protests but nothing about the Anti-NATO protests. Videos have emerged of police repression in Paris (at which protest, I’m unsure). Meanwhile, in the US, the Poor People’s Campaign, and allies, held multiple demonstrations to get out the vote (which were mainly covered by local news).

Brazilian Anarchist expert reveals Social War behind key Lula / Bolsonaro Vote

Brazilian Anarchist expert reveals Social War behind key Lula / Bolsonaro Vote

Despite the glowing picture that progressives and social democrats paint of Lula, it was under the PT (Worker’s Party) that Brazil’s government made its turn toward austerity. Given that this will likely be a second term in office for him, how effective do you think left organizations and movements will be at wringing concessions from a Lula-led PT government?

A leftist victory in Brazil’s election could be the lifeline Cuba, Venezuela need right now

A leftist victory in Brazil’s election could be the lifeline Cuba, Venezuela need right now

Yet, Lula will likely not seek major changes that would jeopardize current U.S.-Brazil relations.

Morgenstern adds that, “with Biden, Lula would have an ally with some tension … his interest (in the U.S.) has always been purely economic,” but “Lula’s friends are enemies of even the American left … the communist dictatorships of Latin America, China, Russia, the Palestinian Authority.”

Derosa argues, “the political forces represented by Lula are anti-American by definition,” yet he notes that, “Lula is skilled in negotiations and has always maintained a posture of dialoguing with everyone. He wouldn’t make a trade break, but he will certainly prefer multilateral relations … he would hardly break with the U.S., even more so while the United States is governed by the Democratic Party.”

As to why Lula’s close association with dictatorships has never been wielded against him in Brazil, Morgenstern sees a significant difference between parties in Brazil and elsewhere: “The Brazilian ideological left really believes that ‘social inequality’ is the biggest problem in the universe, so it is a declared fan of dictatorships (Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua), unlike the American left.”

So much wrong with these analyses. I found no evidence that Russia, or the PA, are communist and many would argue that China is communist in name only. As for dictatorships, the Democrats love them! Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, UAE?! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Stand by Ukraine’s anti-fascist resistance!

A very successful online meeting to mobilise international support for the Free the Kononovich Brothers campaign took place on Thursday 25th August, with 50 participants from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, the USA, England and Scotland. Organised by the London-based International Ukraine Anti-Fascist Solidarity campaign (IUAFS), the seminar called for the release of the Kononovich brothers and all Ukrainian political prisoners, and for the restoration of all political and media freedoms.

Stand by Ukraine’s anti-fascist resistance!

Related:

A very successful International Ukraine Anti-Fascist Solidarity campaign (IUAFS) online meeting was held on Thursday 25 August, with speakers from Ukraine, the USA and Russia, at which one of the key speakers was former Labour Party MP Chris Williamson. We are very pleased to publish his superb contribution here.

The Ukraine war – end the silence on the left

European Ukraine’s Lives Matter! Asian, MidEast, African, Latin Lives Didn’t!

While it would be expected for Western media to report fully on civilian life taken in the Ukraine by the military of US designated enemy Russia, and for CIA managed Western media1 to avoid reporting civilian loss of life caused by US/NATO military throughout the Third World, people in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are surely noticing an element of racism with so much media attention given White European lives lost reminding them of the complete absence of compassionate media coverage of the millions of civilian lives lost by peoples of skin of various hues during the many US led neocolonialist wars in their nations since the Second World War.

European Ukraine’s Lives Matter! Asian, MidEast, African, Latin Lives Didn’t!

US Accuses Russia of Interfering in Foreign Elections

Source

An intelligence review commissioned by the Biden administration has concluded that “Russia has secretly funneled at least $300 million to foreign political parties and candidates in more than two dozen countries since 2014 in an attempt to shape political events beyond its borders.”

US Accuses Russia of Interfering in Foreign Elections

Missing Links/Behind Paywalls:

Russia spent millions on secret global political campaign, U.S. intelligence finds (not missing but archive.today’s ads are annoying)

WaPo cites anonymous sources. 🙄

Assistant Secretary Nuland Speaks at U.S.-Ukraine Foundation Conference – U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Geneva (archived)

Since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, the United States has supported Ukrainians as they build democratic skills and institutions, as they promote civic participation and good governance, all of which are preconditions for Ukraine to achieve its European aspirations. We’ve invested over $5 billion to assist Ukraine in these and other goals that will ensure a secure and prosperous and democratic Ukraine.

RESCUING BORIS (archived)

Dermokratiya, USA

10.2 Billion Loan To Russia Approved

Washington Imposes More Sanctions on Iran Over Alleged ‘Malicious’ Cyber Activities

As talks to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) seem to have all but failed, the Joe Biden administration continues to pile sanctions on Iran. The Treasury Department said the new penalties targeted a “group of Iran-based malicious cyber actors” allegedly linked to Tehran’s elite military unit, the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.

Washington Imposes More Sanctions on Iran Over Alleged ‘Malicious’ Cyber Activities

Surging cost of living in US drives class tensions to the breaking point

The latest inflation data published Tuesday shows that the working class confronts months of immense hardships as wages lose their value in the face of rising living costs. The ruling class’s attempt to make the working class pay for the crisis of capitalism is driving workers into struggle across the world, including in the United States, where teachers, nurses, and possibly railroad workers are launching powerful strikes.

Surging cost of living in US drives class tensions to the breaking point