alanjjohnstone
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Alex Padilla to fill Kamala Harris Senate vacancy and once more the media concentrates on this son of working class Latino immigrants origins.
But policy-wise he is opposed to M4A. He is neutral on the GND and police-defunding. Overall…he is middle-of-the-road, not a progressive
Martini socialists, MS, or at least that is what they are calling the business expenses inside the Relief Bill which now provides for two-year period of unlimited tax-deductible business lunches, the American perverted version of the UK “Eat out to help out” restaurant subsidy scheme.
Tax break for corporate meal expenses inserted into coronavirus aid package – The Washington Post
As we all knew what to expect promises made in an election campaign are seldom kept.
A year ago Biden pledged “On day one, I will eliminate President Trump’s decision to limit asylum and end the MPP program ”
Now two of his appointees, say the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), will not be immediately suspended and that Biden will “need time” to undo Trump’s immigration policies.
I read this BBC headline “US blacklists companies with possible military ties” and went WOW…Lockheed …Raytheon…and in the UK BAE etc to lose the US government armament contracts…then i read the text
” 00 Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties…”
Oh, so it was “theirs” not “ours”
US blacklists companies with possible military ties – BBC News
So they have a 5,593 page relief bill for the economic effects of the coronavirus, but as is the way with American so-called democracy hidden in the bill are many things that have absolutely nothing to do with the pandemic or assisting people financially from its effects.
Recently we had Michael Moore’s movie removed from You Tube for copyright. Among all the clauses of the relief bill is one that says “…copyright holders could be awarded up to $30,000 if they find their creative work being shared online…” This threatens those of us who download an image and re-upload it or share memes.
I find it incredible that there is no expression of anger from across the wide spectrum of the people. Instead in the US we have the infantile pro-Trump voter fraud campaigns, while in the rest of the World engage in childish anti-lockdown protests.
Where are the real protests about the State failing to provide for its citizens? Where is the class war mobilisation? A teenager was able to inspire millions over climate…and the unions can’t even raise a voice against lay-offs and miserly miserable compensation for our misery.
If people accept the principle of free vaccine, the “People’s vaccine”, that now middle-income and small business-owners are using food banks for free food. As one commentator said, surely we can recognise the seriousness when in America Mercedes and BMWs are in the long lines of vehicles waiting for a free hand-out. It isn’t greed but need.
Now we know who are the essential workers and it isn’t the over-rewarded financial sector workers.
We have seen the mutual aid and cooperative initiatives arise, the return to community awareness, where the individualism of the non-mask wearer is seen as anti-social.
But nothing has translated into a genuine rebellion. The reaction has been more of one of fatalistic acceptance of que sera sera.
Let’s make 2021 the year workers say enough is enough.
The Vatican told Roman Catholics on Monday that it was morally acceptable to use COVID-19 vaccines even if their production employed cell lines drawn from tissues of aborted foetuses.
Vatican permits use of COVID-19 vaccines made using aborted foetal tissue | Reuters
On my daily trawl through the media sites a number has reported Israel’s Netanyahu getting his vaccine.
Few of those news outlets mentioned that the Israeli squatters in the Occupied Territories will soon be given their vaccines, but the Palestinians on the West Bank will not be receiving any for a long time via the COVAX scheme.
The 1949 Geneva Convention (Article 56):
“To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring and maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities, the medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory, with particular reference to the adoption and application of the prophylactic and preventive measures necessary to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics. Medical personnel of all categories shall be allowed to carry out their duties.”
Two million Palestinians in Gaza only have 60 ICU or intensive care beds, and not all of them are functional due to the Israeli blockade.
These mutations are a windfall for the drug companies.
If the same as ordinary flu which frequently mutates and so requires annual flu shots to be administered, if coronavirus does similar, then the vaccines will be even more profitable, a never-ending market.
No matter their supposed altruistic pledges made today, these will be broken down the line as the vaccine will always require being tinkered with to adapt to new mutations.
Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly (ANC), a pro-government legislature, will close at the end of 2020, President Nicolas Maduro said
Venezuela′s Maduro to shut all-powerful legislative assembly | News | DW | 19.12.2020
Once again i have come across an argument that i thought would been jettisoned long ago.
“… China is leading a process of combined development as part of a long transition to socialism…”
China’s Rise in the Context of Global Capitalism | Dissident Voice
AOC side-lined from membership of a House committee
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gets snubbed by fellow Democrats in secret-ballot vote – Alternet.org
A sign that we all predicted that the progressives would be shunned by the Democratic Party Machine now that Biden is safely in power.
