(2021-02-17). Tyranny by Propaganda Is Tyranny by Force. strategic-culture.org 
By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | As people became more educated and more aware of what's going on in their world, they began to decide that they didn't much like being attacked by the ruler's goon squad whenever they stepped out of line. Because there are a lot more ordinary people than rulers, this forced an end to the practice of rule by overt brute force tyranny in some parts of the world. | So a few things changed. First, we began to see rulers shipping their violent goon squad enforcers overseas. While it is now taboo to openly butcher members of your citizenry who oppose you, it is considered perfectly acceptable to…
(2021-02-17). Covid-19: Mass medic migration leaves Iran in pandemic panic. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Mass medic migration leaves Iran in pandemic panic | The pandemic has driven Iran's doctors and nurses to foreign countries that offer better financial and workplace incentives, as well as respect for the healthcare profession | Wed, 02/17/2021 – 14: 42 | As Iran struggles with the coronavirus outbreak, many Iranian doctors and nurses have chosen to emigrate for better pay and…
(2021-02-17). From electric vehicles to corruption — UAW faces huge challenges. workers.org 
General Motors CEO Mary Barra raised more than a few eyebrows Jan. 28, when she announced GM would have an all-electric product line by 2035. This planned phaseout of fossil fuel-burning vehicles represents a serious departure from four years ago, when GM joined the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in calling . . . |
(2021-02-17). Playing politics while Texans freeze? Gov. Abbott grilled after blaming Green New Deal for his state's power woes. rt.com 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has singled out renewable energy as the culprit behind his state's devastating power outages, sparking accusations that he is trying to skirt responsibility for the crisis. | Frigid temperatures have shut down some of Texas' wind turbines and solar panels, as well as natural gas infrastructure in the Lone Star state. As a result, millions of residents have been left in freezing conditions without power, resulting in numerous deaths. | Speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday, Abbott suggested that the failure of so-called "sustainable" energy sources such as wind and solar…
(2021-02-17). Texas disaster is what happens when you DON'T pursue a Green New Deal — AOC. rt.com 
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) has blasted Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the state's infrastructure planning, claiming her Green New Deal would better prepare areas for extreme weather conditions. | "The infrastructure failures in Texas are quite literally what happens when you *don't* pursue a Green New Deal," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday. | The message appeared to be in response to Abbott criticizing a potential Green New Deal due to many renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines failing in the state's historically cold weather. In an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday ev…
(2021-02-17). Venezuela to Launch Its COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Wednesday informed his country will start its vaccination campaign with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine this Thursday. | RELATED: | "We will begin immunizing health workers with the 100,000 doses that arrived in the country on Feb. 15," he said, adding that the government will guarantee the health and lives of the people "thanks to cooperation between Russia and Venezuela." | Law enforcemen…
(2021-02-17). UN expert details crushing human toll of US sanctions on Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Alena Douhan, UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, about her recent trip to Venezuela. In her first interview since the publication of the preliminary findings of her mission to Venezuela, Professor Douhan discusses her main takeaways from the visit, her method for investigating, as well as the response to her report.
(2021-02-17). UN Expert Details Crushing Human Toll Of US Sanctions On Venezuela. popularresistance.org Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Alena Douhan, UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, about her recent trip to Venezuela. | In her first interview since the publication of the preliminary findings of her mission to Venezuela, Professor Douhan discusses her main takeaways from the visit, her method for investigating, as well as the response to her report.
(2021-02-17). The Iran Deal: Biden and Blinken, Wykan and Blynkin. counterpunch.org 
Trump's attack on the Iran Deal was based on his ego, but done in tandem with apartheid-Israel and rogue state Saudi Arabia, whose vile leaders advised him to bomb Iran; he was reportedly on the verge of starting a war (in June 2019 and November 2020) when his more level-headed advisors checked him. (We must always recall that however sickening the Trump years they did not produce another criminal war.) Meantime Trump deeply annoyed the Europeans, such as the Deal's co-signers Germany, Britain and France, by thwarting major investment projects in the Islamic Republic. These included a factory to produce much need…
(2021-02-17). 'We're not a charity case, we're under occupation'. therealnews.com 
Telling Israel to be a kinder occupying force does nothing to address the structural violence of Israeli occupation, which has been laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-02-17). The "Return" of America: Biden's Maiden Foreign Policy Speech. counterpunch.org 
Few could have been slack-jawed at the first significant foreign policy speech of US President Joe Biden. It can easily be filed under the "America is back" label. Back as well, as if the previous administration had been incapable of it, was a promise for that practice unflatteringly called jaw-jaw. "Diplomacy," the President states from
(2021-02-17). Execution cruelty hidden by Trump officials to speed up death sentences. peoplesworld.org 
CHICAGO (AP)—Executioners who put 13 inmates to death in the last months of the Trump administration likened the process of dying by lethal injection to falling asleep and called gurneys "beds" and final breaths "snores." But those tranquil accounts are at odds with reports by The Associated Press and other media witnesses of how prisoners' stomachs rolled, …
(2021-02-17). Texas infrastructure nears collapse, millions without power, water. liberationnews.org 
Four million or more Texans are without power. Outages that were initially called "rolling outages" are now lasting several days. The private non-profit corporation that oversees the electric grid is now admitting that they are "unable to predict" when conditions will stabilize.
(2021-02-17). Trump's right-wing Egyptian allies attack Biden administration and Dems. peoplesworld.org 
Egypt's miserable record on human rights has resulted in two Democrats launching a congressional group to deal with the situation. On Jan. 25, Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Don Beyer of Virginia announced the formation of the "Egypt Human Rights Caucus." Egyptian human rights organizations and activists in the U.S. have responded …
(2021-02-17). 'Faith in the Masses': Communist Party history gives something to believe in. peoplesworld.org 
Faith in the Masses: Essays Celebrating 100 Years of the Communist Party, USA, edited by Tony Pecinovsky, is an ambitious undertaking—almost as ambitious as the work the book describes. These essays cast a wide net aiming to capture the breadth of the Party's efforts to change society over the last century. The celebration is heartfelt, …
(2021-02-17). The Arab Spring Failed But the Rage Against Misery and Injustice Continues. counterpunch.org 
Ten years ago, people across the Middle East and North Africa rose up in protest against their rulers, demanding freedom and democracy. Despotic rulers were toppled or feared that power was being torn from their grasp in countries across the region, as millions of demonstrators surged through the streets, chanting that "the people demand the fall of the regime".
(2021-02-17). 22-year old climate change organizer arrested in India. liberationnews.org 
Disha Ravi is accused of "sedition" for allegedly helping to create a digital "toolkit" to support the farmers' struggle.
(2021-02-17). Columbus OH activists fight closure of park, site of a homeless encampment. liberationnews.org 
The city's decision to close the park without offering alternative plans to house the people who live there exposes the city's failure to care for its most vulnerable residents.
(2021-02-17). To Normalize US-Cuban Relations, Restore Working Embassies. counterpunch.org 
The new Biden administration may soon ease regulations enforcing the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba. However, if Oregon Senator Ron Wyden's new bill, the U.S.-Cuba Trade Act of 2021, becomes law, the blockade itself will disappear. Meanwhile, the two countries' embassies in Havana and Washington are dysfunctional. No normal relations will obtain until they are
(2021-02-17). Remembering Leo Panitch. mronline.org 
I first met Leo personally in 1984. Articling with a progressive law firm in Toronto, I found that Leo was my contact for arranging the visit of Ralph Miliband as guest speaker at the annual Law Union conference. Miliband's presentation was well received, and following the meeting Leo suggested the three of us should repair …
(2021-02-17). Congressional Budget Office Not Competent to Assess Economics of Minimum Wage. counterpunch.org 
A Congressional Budget Office Report on the Raise the Wage Act of 2021 underpins a February 11 Washington Post editorial headlined, "Democrats Must Listen to the Data."
(2021-02-17). COVID-19 Has Made Americans Lonelier Than Ever — Here's how AI can Help. realprogressives.org 
"How does that make you feel?" | In the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are missing a sympathetic ear. Would a response like that make you feel heard, less alone, even if it were a machine writing back to you? | The pandemic has contributed to
(2021-02-17). Montgomery Bus Boycott, Bessemer, prisons — Class struggle then and now. workers.org 
Fifty years after the end of the U.S. Civil War — and during the height of horrific lynchings of Black people in the Deep South by KKK terror — the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History was founded in 1915 by Dr. Carter Woodson and Rev. Jesse . . . |
(2021-02-17). 'Georgia On My Mind: The Third Reconstruction': Connecticut Black history event planned. peoplesworld.org 
"Georgia on My Mind: The Third Reconstruction," is the theme of a series of scheduled events including a Black History Month Youth March / car caravan, a virtual event, and an arts and writing competition highlighting the 47th People's World African American History Celebration in Connecticut. Register here. NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Co-sponsored with the Young Communist …
(2021-02-17). THIS is why 'deregulation' is deadly. therealnews.com 
Millions of Texans are struggling to keep warm and survive Winter Storm Uri. Meanwhile, Republicans like Texas Gov. Greg Abbot are rushing to save their own asses, pushing the blame for power grid failures onto anyone but themselves; but they, and years of market-serving conservative governance, caused this mess.
(2021-02-17). Israelis, In God's Name, Why? counterpunch.org 
"The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is a time to mourn those who disappeared and to reflect upon the choice of the individuals and governments that allowed this genocide to unfold. It is also a call for vigilance and for action, to address the root causes of hatred
(2021-02-17). Twitch.tv: A new frontier for the Left. dsausa.org 
Will Twitch hold an active role in the next campaign cycle? Will the Left be able to utilize this platform not only for electoral politics, but for direct action too?
(2021-02-17). Vulture Funds plan to use the Pandemic to pillage the Global Economy. mronline.org 
Before the pandemic, private equity had amassed $2.5 trillion—more than the GDP of Italy—in 'dry powder,' waiting for distressed assets to plunder. Covid-19 provided them with the perfect opportunity.
(2021-02-17). Unsubstantiated 'sonic attack' allegations still hobble U.S.-Cuba relations. peoplesworld.org 
The new Biden administration may soon ease regulations enforcing the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba. However, if Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden's new bill, the U.S.-Cuba Trade Act of 2021, becomes law, the blockade itself will disappear. The two countries' embassies in Havana and Washington are dysfunctional. No normal relations will be obtained until they are …
(2021-02-17). 'Indian Country' is excited about the first Native American secretary of the interior — and the promise she has for addressing issues of importance to all Americans. juancole.com 
By Traci Morris | — President Biden's nomination of U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico to lead the Department of the Interior is historic on many levels. Haaland, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, was one of the first Native American women elected to Congress, along with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of …
(2021-02-17). Texas infrastructure nears complete collapse as capitalist neglect meets climate change-driven winter storms. liberationnews.org Four million or more Texans are without power. Outages that were initially called "rolling outages" are now lasting several days. The private non-profit corporation that oversees the electric grid is now admitting that they are "unable to predict" when conditions will stabilize.
(2021-02-17). Solidarity accelerates with Amazon workers' union drive in Alabama. workers.org 
Solidarity with the struggle of 5,800+ Amazon workers in Bessemer, Ala., to unionize continues to grow, following the heroic lead of this majority-Black workforce fighting for justice on the job. Walking the Powder Plant Road approach to the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala.,where a union drive is underway by the . . . |
(2021-02-17). Essential Inquest Law Updates with Rachel Marcus and Jim Duffy on Law Pod UK. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
The last 12 months have provided fertile ground for many significant judgments concerning inquest law. In Episode 136, Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Rachel Marcus and Jim Duffy about the developments practitioners will need to know about. The episode mentions: Rushbrooke v HM Coroner for West London [2020] EWHC 1612 (Admin) R (Maughan) v Senior Coroner …
(2021-02-17). Big Oil Spent $10 million Lobbying California Officials in 2020. counterpunch.org 
The powerful oil industry lobby in California in 2020 spent less on lobbying in California than it did in 2019, but still managed to defeat legislation it opposed and getting CalGEM, the state's gas and oil regulatory agency, to double the number of new oil production well permits approved in the state. The top four oil industry lobbyist employers — the Western
(2021-02-17). Whose Rights Matter in Pandemic America? Not Those of Poor Americans, That's For Sure. juancole.com 
By Liz Theoharis | — ( Tomdispatch.com ) — In June 1990, future South African President Nelson Mandela addressed a joint session of Congress only months after being released from 27 years in a South African apartheid prison. He reminded the political leadership of the United States that "to deny people their human rights is …
(2021-02-17). Texans freeze as fossil-fuel power grid fails, but conservatives blame wind turbines. peoplesworld.org 
While Texans suffer from freezing temperatures and extensive power outages, frozen wind turbines are being used as a ploy to spread skepticism on the reliability of renewable energy. This week, a relentless winter storm pummeled through parts of the southern and central U.S., causing people to crank their electric heating systems. In Texas, the energy demand became too high for …
(2021-02-17). Leading from the front: The role of women in Farmers' movement. mronline.org 
As lakhs of farmers continue their protest against the new farm legislations introduced by the Modi government, a remarkable number of women are not only braving the rough weather by participating in these demonstrations but are also leading from the front.
(2021-02-17). Albuquerque teachers say, 'Until cases decline, keep school online!'. liberationnews.org 
Photo credit: Liberation screenshot of KOAT coverage. On Feb. 3, teachers and students held a protest outside of Albuquerque Public Schools administrative headquarters against the rushed re-opening of schools. They chanted "Save lives, keep the schools closed!" and "Until cases decline, stay online!" Later that day, the APS Board of Education met to vote on …
(2021-02-17). Agro-ecology project links peasant production to urban communes in Venezuela. peoplesdispatch.org 
"Only the people can save the people." With this idea in mind, the Pueblo a Pueblo Foundation (People to people, in Spanish) seeks to apply in real life, union and solidarity between the countryside and the city. The project is based on bringing food produced by rural Venezuelan communities to urban communes. The goal is to shut out intermediaries, and ensure the societal division of agricultural production: ensuring that the farmer does not lose his harvest, and that the consumer can have access to a diversified basic food basket at a fair price. | "The Pueblo a Pueblo plan has working on this dimension of agroe…
(2021-02-17). GameStop and Share Markets: Between the bad and the ugly, there is no G. mronline.org 
The recent GameStop story coming out of the U.S. pushed arcane financial dealings into a prominence they rarely enjoy. The public was introduced to weird concepts such as "short selling and short squeezes" and, for a while, they are likely to be part of many Zoom conversations.
(2021-02-17). 'A love as real as climate change': Tucker Carlson sparks outrage after saying Joe & Jill Biden's marriage a 'slick PR campaign'. rt.com 
Fox News host Tucker Carlson has outraged Democrats once again after he appeared to suggest President Joe Biden's relationship with his wife is a carefully-devised PR campaign, mockingly saying it is "as real as climate change." | Reacting to the glowing coverage celebrating Biden's public displays of affection with his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, and glee over a supposed return to 'normalcy' following chilly public interactions between former President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, Carlson put his own spin on the situation. | "Not since Antony dined with Cleopatra at downtown Antioch, before they killed…
(2021-02-17). Parler's new acting CEO invites Trump AND Biden to join 'civil discourse' after platform goes back online. rt.com 
The interim CEO of the conservative-friendly social media site Parler has invited both President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump to create accounts, encouraging "civil discourse" after announcing the platform's return. | Parler's new acting chief executive, longtime Tea Party activist Mark Meckler, extended the offer to the current and former president during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday night, saying both are welcome on the site. | "What Parler's really about is being a public square, and a public square is where anybody can come, they can say what they want as long as it's legal. And Dona…
(2021-02-17). 'Breathing is optional': Internet groans after NYC requires double-masking inside federal court buildings. rt.com 
Two masks will now be required for those who want to enter a federal court building in Manhattan — but the new Covid-19 guidance has provoked more mockery than applause on social media. | The Southern District of New York
(2021-02-17). Shopkeeper who stopped robbery in California by shooting into the air ARRESTED for discharging his gun. rt.com 
An Oakland liquor store owner in violence-besieged Chinatown shot into the air to stop the robbery of a woman in front of his shop, only to be arrested as police signaled that armed resistance to a crime wave won't be tolerated.
(2021-02-17). Former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino DEMOLISHED to cheers in Atlantic City (VIDEO). rt.com 
Donald Trump's former hotel and casino on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey was taken down in a controlled demolition on Wednesday, with spectators actually paying to view the event and cheering as it came down. | While the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino had once been one of the big attractions on the Boardwalk, it had fallen into disrepair since closing in 2014, with debris beginning to peel and fall off the building. | It was destroyed in a controlled demolition on Wednesday morning, leaving in its wake nothing but rubble. | The former events manager for the casino, Bernie Dillon, said the hotel had on…
(2021-02-17). 'Verbal stumble' or blatant lie? Biden says US had no vaccine when he took office as new admin criticizes Trump's jab rollout. rt.com 
Joe Biden, who was fully vaccinated before his inauguration, has been accused of playing loose with the facts after stating that there was no Covid-19 shot when he entered office. But some insist it was a harmless verbal slip. | Read more | | Speaking with CNN's Anderson Cooper at a town hall event on Tuesday, the US president explained in a rather disjointed way that the United States lacked both vaccines and health workers capable of administering…
(2021-02-17). Small businesses saved? Biden helped struggling firms 'first & foremost' with female nominee, press sec Psaki says. rt.com 
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki kicked off a wave of criticism after suggesting the Joe Biden administration was helping out struggling companies "first and foremost" by tapping a woman to lead the Small Business Administration. | Psaki was asked what the president intended to do to assist small business during a virtual Q&A on Tuesday, as many independent companies continue to languish under a raft of state-level shutdown policies and other restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. | "First and foremost, he nominated a woman to lead the Small Business Administration, who formerly worked there," Psaki said…
(2021-02-17). Liberals show their true colors by dancing on Rush Limbaugh's grave within minutes of learning about his death. rt.com 
Many have mourned the death of conservative icon and talk-radio pioneer Rush Limbaugh, but his critics have also been quick to exploit his demise for cheap political points that benefit no one. | It took minutes for liberals to politicize the death of Limbaugh, which was announced Wednesday on his radio program by his wife Kathryn. Limbaugh was 70. | While Limbaugh was a window into the world of politics and a thought-provoking radio personality to many, to others it appears he was the devil himself. One would think he was a full-blown terrorist or murderer based on some of the reactions to his passing away.
(2021-02-17). US charges 3 North Koreans with hack on Seth Rogen/James Franco movie and stealing $1.3 billion. rt.com 
The US has charged three North Korean computer programmers over the theft of $1.3 billion and the well-publicized attack on a Hollywood film starring Seth Rogen and James Franco which depicts Kim Jong-un being assassinated. | The indictment names Jon Chang Hyok, 31, Kim Il, 27, and Park Jin Hyok, 36, as "military hackers" behind the cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014, allegedly in response to the film 'The Interview'. | The 'hack-and-dump' operation on Sony saw swathes of its data deleted and other information published online, in what was seen to be the North Korean intelligence services retal…
(2021-02-17). Fight for $15: Is Biden trying to sabotage key provision of his own stimulus bill? liberationnews.org 
One of the biggest unanswered questions regarding the stimulus package is whether or not it will include a provision to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.