(2020-12-25). Thebes of Myth and History. counterpunch.org 
Thebes was one of about 1,000 poleis (city-states) spread all over the mainland of classical Greece, the islands of the Aegean and Ionian seas, the Black Sea coast, Asia Minor, north Africa, southern France, eastern Spain and southern Italy and Sicily. There were so many Greeks and Greek city-states in Italy and Sicily the Romans
(2020-12-25). JatiIndia Flag of the Week: Atrocities Caste, Present and Future. counterpunch.org 
Sandip, Ramu, Lavkush and Ravi. Those are the names of the upper-caste Thakurs who tortured and gang-raped a 19-year-old girl in Hathras, Utter Pradesh, JatiIndia, on September 14. Folding his palms, [Manisha's father] pleaded, 'Our daughters are no longer safe. We are helpless, I request the nation to stand with us, help us get justice
(2020-12-25). Stealing Native Children: the Revolting Legacy of Canada's Residential School System. counterpunch.org 
Tsi Wá: ton tsi Enskarihwahserón: ni — Tsi Niká: ien Rati'terón: tahkwe ne Ronnonkwehón: we Tsi Ionteweiénsta Ronwati'terontáhkhwa "… [I]f anything is to be done with the Indian, we must catch him very young. The children must be kept constantly within the circle of civilized conditions." -Nicholas Flood Davin, Report on Industrial schools for Indians and Half-Breeds, 1879. Of late,
(2020-12-25). John le Carré (1931-2020) on the Iraq War, Corporate Power, the Exploitation of Africa & More. democracynow.org 
The world-renowned British novelist John le Carré died on December 12 at the age of 89. Le Carré established himself as a master writer of spy novels in a career that spanned more than half a century. He worked in the British Secret Service from the late 1950s until the early '60s, at the height of the Cold War — which was the topic of his early novels. His later works focused on the inequities of globalization, unchecked multinational corporate power and the role national spy services play in protecting corporate interests. His best-known books include "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" and "The Constant…
(2020-12-25). COVID-19, The Climate Crisis, And Mutual Aid. popularresistance.org After COVID-19 struck in spring 2020, the absence of a concerted federal response prompted people across the country to begin self-organizing everything from food distribution to sewing squads to shelter. That work continues today, drawing on a long tradition. | "Mutual aid," a concept coined by the Russian naturalist and anarchist Peter Kropotkin in his 1902 Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, refers to the principles of cooperation, and of people joining together to help each other. It ran counter to the then-hegemonic Darwinian theories emphasizing competition and survival of the fittest. Kropotkin did not deny…
(2020-12-25). Turkey's Erdogan indicates better ties with Israel possible. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey's Erdogan indicates better ties with Israel possible | President says talks at intelligence level continue between the two sides but Israel's policies on Palestine 'unacceptable' | Fri, 12/25/2020 – 11: 19 | The two countries have had several fallings out in recent years, despite strong commercial ties, expelling ambassadors in 2018 (AFP) | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ind…
(2020-12-25). South Korea's Covid-19 cases hit record daily high. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Dec 25 (efe-epa).- South Korea recorded a new daily record in the number of Covid-19 cases on Friday with 1,241, as the government called on residents to redouble efforts to stop the spread of the epidemic that has caused 773 deaths. The figure provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) far …
(2020-12-25). PDF of December 24 issue. workers.org 
Download the 12-page PDF. Georgia Senate runoff Redbaiting derails people's needs Youth in vanguard; Russell Maroon Shoatz; The real 2020 heroes; Amazon union drive in Ala.; Five hottest years; Vaccine chaos; Editorial: Too little, too late GLOBAL: Amauta in Peru; 'Soft coup' attempt in Cuba; BLM in France. TEAR DOWN . . . |
(2020-12-25). Al-Akhbar under cyberattack for reporting Saudi and Emirati bankrolling Israel deals. middleeasteye.net 
Al-Akhbar under cyberattack for reporting Saudi and Emirati bankrolling Israel deals | The Lebanese newspaper published a report on Riyadh and Abu Dhabi's plans to finance the new Arab normalisation agreements with Israel
| Fri, 12/25/2020 – 11: 56 | The reception space of the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper office in Beirut (Screengrab\Haitham al-Mousawi) | The website of the Le…
(2020-12-25). Netanyahu invites Morocco's King Mohammed VI to visit Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Netanyahu invites Morocco's King Mohammed VI to visit Israel | Morocco is the fourth Arab nation to normalise ties with Israel in exchange for various incentives | Fri, 12/25/2020 – 22: 45 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Morocco's King Mohammed VI congratulated each other over the renewal of ties between the countries (AFP) | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Morocco's King Mohammed…
(2020-12-25). Core Module of China's 1st Space Station to Be Launched in 2021. telesurenglish.net China's Manned Space Program chief designer Zhou Jianping on Friday informed that his nation will launch the core module of the country's first space station next spring. | RELATED: | The central module will be sent by the Long March 5B rocket, a heavy-lift launch vehicle that made its successful maiden flight in May. | "The rocket will be released from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, in Hainan Province," Jianping said, adding that…
(2020-12-25). Working for the revolution in Rojava. zcomm.org Interview on the political and military upheaval taking place in Rojava and northern Syria from the perspective of someone who not only witnessed the struggle but was an active participant…
(2020-12-25). Monday 12/28: Text Banking for Georgia/Banca de Texto SMS para Georiga w/ Poor People's Campaign. indybay.org Online webinar training…
(2020-12-25). Saturday 12/26: Georgia Comes Alive! Virtual Music Festival to Support Georgia Voters & Equal Voter Rights. indybay.org Virutal music festival…
(2020-12-24). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(2020-12-24). All the Cannons Will Silently Rust. dissidentvoice.org 
Chittaprosad (India), Peace, undated. Our year has been eclipsed by the pandemic, the rush of a virus paralysing societies across the world. Some governments offered smarter, more scientific, and humane approaches to the pandemic; many (but not all) of these have been governments with a socialist orientation. Amongst them is the Indian state of Kerala, …
(2020-12-24). Propaganda pandemic: The craziest COVID claims of the year. mronline.org 
No matter how many Americans die, corporate media is desperate to shore up support at home and attempt to discredit foreign countries for handling the pandemic properly. Behind The Headlines' Dan Cohen reviews the most absurd COVID propaganda of the year..
(2020-12-24). 'Path of hope has opened': Argentina's president thanks Sputnik V developers & Putin for making Covid vaccine deliveries possible. rt.com 
Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez has expressed his gratitude to Russia after a plane from Moscow delivered the first batch of the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus to Buenos Aires earlier on Thursday. | "Argentina now has a vaccine against Covid-19," Fernandez wrote on Twitter, thanking the developers of Sputnik V and Russian leader Vladimir Putin "for the attitude they have shown toward our country." | "A path of hope has opened" after the arrival of the Russian vaccine to the country, he said. However, the president pointed out that the pandemic hasn't yet ended and the public must continue to…
(2020-12-24). Arabic press review: UAE sends expired Covid-19 kits to Gaza. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: UAE sends expired Covid-19 kits to Gaza | Meanwhile, Kuwait detains six children recruited by Islamic State group via video games; new trial faces Algerian journalist released after serving term for threatening national unity | Thu, 12/24/2020 – 12: 37 | A Palestinian medical worker performs a Covid-19 test on a woman at a mosque in Gaza City on 20 September 2020 | UAE s…
(2020-12-24). A Country in Turmoil: Why Netanyahu is a Symptom, Not Cause of Israel's Political Crisis. dissidentvoice.org 
It is convenient to surmise that Israel's current political crisis is consistent with the country's unfailing trajectory of short-lived governments and fractious ruling coalitions. While this view is somewhat defensible, it is also hasty. Israel is currently at the cusp of a fourth general election in less than two years. Even by Israel's political standards, …
(2020-12-24). The White Helmets fraud in Syria. mronline.org 
The most recent denunciation from Syria confirms the support of Western powers to the alleged humanitarian organization of the White Helmets which is also a fraud of crude media manipulation.
(2020-12-24). The UN is not above playing politics with its mortality (and other) statistics. zcomm.org It's clear that technical departments within the UN have their work corrupted by the US government and its allies. Consider recent reporting by the Grayzone on OPCW whistleblowers who exposed manipulation of an investigation into alleged chemical weapons use in Syria in 2018. Going further back, Hans Blix, the Swedish diplomat who was in charge
(2020-12-24). Trump's pardon of Blackwater guards invites global condemnation. peoplesdispatch.org The four guards belonging to private militia company Blackwater, which was hired by the US army during its invasion of Iraq, were originally convicted in 2014 for the murder of 14 innocent Iraqi civilians in 2007…
(2020-12-24). Forget "The Stand" — "Alice in Borderland" is the wild dystopian ride we've been waiting for. salon.com This Japanese action-thriller is brutal. It also asks us to think about how we want to live, not just survive…
(2020-12-24). Revenge never tasted so deliciously venomous in the slick and twisty "Promising Young Woman" salon.com "Killing Eve" head writer Emerald Fennell & actress Carey Mulligan create a satisfying yet surprising dark fantasy…
(2020-12-24). Ultra-crispy roast potatoes from a secret cooking club in Indonesia. salon.com Shreds of chewy ginger and sweet twists of green onion give more textures for your fork to chase…
(2020-12-24). Gen. Bagheri congratulates Christian counterparts on new year. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 24 (MNA) — Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri in separate messages to his Christian counterparts congratulated them on Christmas.
(2020-12-24). Philippines: Death threats, red-tagging, spoil Christmas. fightbacknews.org As if the terror caused by the ongoing focused military operation in Santa Catalina and other areas of Negros Oriental's 3rd District is not enough to dissipate the celebratory mood of the affected communities for the upcoming traditional Christmas day festivity, the 11th Infantry Battalion psywar hacks are unrelenting in spawning dangerous lies against civilians. | Last week, the family of Carlos Dayot, a farmer who hailed from Sitio Salingkubong, Barangay Tayak, Siaton, expressed outrage when they found out that Master Sergeant Borja of the 11th Infantry Battalion's Alpha "Hunter" Company posted a death threat…
(2020-12-24). Civil Rights Groups Denounce Georgia Officials For Closing Early Voting Sites Ahead of Senate Runoffs. commondreams.org Voting rights groups on Wednesday accused officials in at least two Georgia counties of voter suppression, pointing to the closures of several early voting locations in majority-Black and Latino communities ahead of two key runoff Senate elections. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1230129827_1.jpg …
(2020-12-24). What will Israel's next government look like? It depends on us. zcomm.org I want my political party to stand for social equality with sufficient safety nets to provide for the weakened sectors of the society…
(2020-12-24). Iran Builds Up Air Defense Systems Near Nuclear Sites Over Possible US Strikes, Reports Claim. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Iran is strengthening air defense systems located near its nuclear facilities as a precaution against possible US missile strikes, the Kuwaiti Al-Qabas newspaper reported on Thursday, citing informed sources from Iran.
(2020-12-23). Imperial Intent: Destroying India's Farm Sector. dissidentvoice.org Agriculture in India is at a crossroads. Indeed, given that over 60 per cent of the country's 1.3-billion-plus population still make a living from agriculture (directly or indirectly), what is at stake is the future of India. Unscrupulous interests are intent on destroying India's indigenous agri-food sector and recasting it in their own image. Farmers …
(2020-12-23). Video: US Navy Deploys Nuclear Submarine to Persian Gulf Amid Heightened Tensions with Iran. globalresearch.ca The Ohio-class nuclear submarine USS Georgia along with the guided-missile cruisers USS Port Royal and USS Philippine Sea transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf, the US Navy announced on December 21. | The guided-missile submarine USS Georgia …
(2020-12-23). The Gold Comes Off: A COVID-19 Outbreak in Sydney. asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2020-12-23). How dangerous is the new COVID-19 strain? peoplesdispatch.org News of a new strain of the COVID-19 disease has stoked fears in the UK and the rest of the world. A number of countries, including India, have banned or restricted travel to the country. Immunologist Dr. Satyajit Rath and Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha discuss the new strain and its implications.
(2020-12-23). Selected Articles: Staff at Hospitals in DC, Texas Turn Down COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca 
By A long and cruel siege, constant Israeli attacks resulting in the killing of countless civilians, destruction …
(2020-12-23). Joint Statement: Ensure Iranians Equitable Access to Covid-19 Vaccines. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-12-23). Senior UN Human Rights Official 'Deeply Concerned' by Trump's Pardons for Mercenaries Who Massacred 17 Iraqi Civilians. commondreams.org "Pardoning them contributes to impunity and has the effect of emboldening others to commit such crimes in the future." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sq_0.jpg …
(2020-12-23). With racism, red-baiting/Georgia run-off elections fail to focus on people's needs. workers.org 
By Arielle Robinson and Dianne Mathiowetz Atlanta, Georgia So what's it like living in the political circus of the Jan. 5, 2021, run-off in Georgia for U.S. Senate—while the deadly scourge of the pandemic rages, fear of mass evictions and the rise of poverty and unemployment grow, and incessant charges . . . |
(2020-12-23). Helping the NYT Understand Its Own Reporting: China Was not the Cause of the Worldwide Spread of Coronavirus. counterpunch.org The New York Times had a very interesting piece on efforts by China's government to conceal and downplay the threat posed by the coronavirus. The piece reports on a number of Chinese government documents and directives that sought to minimize the threat posed by the pandemic. However the paper seriously misrepresents the meaning of its
(2020-12-23). The Gaza Strip is "Uninhabitable": Israel's Genocide in Gaza Goes Uninterrupted, but Is Europe Finally Taking Notice? globalresearch.ca A long and cruel siege, constant Israeli attacks resulting in the killing of countless civilians, destruction of homes and infrastructure, extreme poverty, and trauma remain the daily bread of Palestinians in Gaza. | *** | A
(2020-12-23). Against the witch-hunt. mronline.org 
Veteran of the fight against Apartheid RONNIE KASRILS warns that the IHRA is being used to suppress left-wing supporters of Palestine, just as anti-communist hysteria was used against the national-liberation movement in South Africa…
(2020-12-23). Las vacunas mundiales de China: un cambio revolucionario. workers.org 
En Estados Unidos, con menos del 5% de la población mundial, existe poca preocupación por el destino del otro 95% del mundo que se enfrenta a la pandemia. Cuándo, cómo y bajo qué condiciones se distribuirá una vacuna en los EE. UU. es la mayor preocupación de los EE.UU. Las . . . |
(2020-12-23). Trump's Carnage: Testing America's "Democracy" counterpunch.org 
Benjamin Franklin, the most democratic of the Founding Fathers, was walking out of Independence Hall after the Constitutional Convention of 1787, when a woman shouted, "Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?" Franklin replied, "A republic if you can keep it." Alexander Hamilton, one of the least democratic members among the Founding
(2020-12-23). Gideon Saar: The right-winger who could unseat Netanyahu and remake Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Gideon Saar: The right-winger who could unseat Netanyahu and remake Israel | He's pro-settler, against a Palestinian state and targets asylum seekers. But centrists and left-wingers are flocking to the man likely to become Israel's next prime minister | Wed, 12/23/2020 – 13: 58 | Gideon Saar, Israeli Member of Knesset for Likud, speaks during a rally as he launches his campaign for Likud party l…
(2020-12-23). 'Good luck ladies': Kuwait exclusively appoints men to its Women's Committee. middleeasteye.net 
'Good luck ladies': Kuwait exclusively appoints men to its Women's Committee | The committee has been widely criticised online, forcing Kuwait's precarious position on gender equality back into the spotlight | Wed, 12/23/2020 – 13: 21 | Members of Kuwait's Parliamentary Women's Committee (Screengrab/ twitter) | The newly appointed, all-male parliamentary Women's Committee of Kuwait has been met with ridicul…
(2020-12-23). Don't Blame the Soviets for the War in Nagorno-Karabakh. dissidentvoice.org In the final week of September, an Azerbaijani offensive renewed hostilities in the perennial armed conflict and territorial dispute in the South Caucasus between Armenia and its neighbor over the Nagorno-Karabakh ("Mountainous Karabakh") region. By October, the clashes had escalated past the state border between Azerbaijan and the internationally-unrecognized Republic of Artsakh which suffered heavy …
(2020-12-23). US Sanctions London-based Family of Assad's Wife Under Caesar Act. globalresearch.ca The US issued fresh sanctions on Tuesday against the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and members of her London-based family, in the latest designation on Syria's ruling family under the Caesar Act. | In addition to designating Asma al-Assad for …
(2020-12-23). VIPS MEMO: To Biden: Don't be Suckered on Russia. globalresearch.ca MEMORANDUM FOR: The President-elect | FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) | SUBJECT: Attempts to Sucker You Into Russia-Bashing | Dear President-elect Biden, | "Fool Me Once …" You may recall that President George W. Bush could not remember the last …
(2020-12-23). The Future of Social Security Is on the Line in Georgia. commondreams.org Ossoff and Warnock understand that Americans of all political backgrounds rely on our earned Social Security benefits, and support protecting and expanding them. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/senior-ballot.jpeg …
