Daily Archives: March 19, 2021

2021-03-19: News Headlines

ANSWER Coalition (2021-03-19). National Day of Action March 27: Call It What It Is, a Hate Crime! Stop Anti-Asian Violence, Stop China-Bashing! liberationnews.org The following national call to action was issued by the ANSWER Coalition Join the March 27 National Day of Action! Endorse the national day of action here Organize an event in your city — register your event here Initial list of cities, check back for updates! San Francisco, CA1 PMLocation TBD Atlanta, GATime & Location …

Juan Cole (2021-03-19). Attacks on Asian Americans are Rooted in over a Century of Racist Exclusion. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The spine-chilling attacks on Asian-Americans around the country, in San Francisco, New York, and now most bloodily in Atlanta, are manifestations of a white supremacism that has deep roots in American history. The odious Trump and his minions whipped up hatred by branding the novel coronavirus the "Chinese flu" or …

Max Parry (2021-03-19). America's National Humiliation by Eurasia: Uncle Sam is 'Sick Man' of the West. dissidentvoice.org As American economic power continues to decline, a division has emerged within the U.S. political establishment as to which of its designated adversaries is to blame for the country's woes — Russia, or China. The dispute came to a head during each of the last two presidential elections, with the Democratic Party first blaming Moscow …

Staff (2021-03-19). Headlines for March 19, 2021. democracynow.org House Holds First Hearing in Decades on Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans, European Nations Resume Using AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine After Blot Clot Fears, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Challenged by Sen. Rand Paul, Declares "Masks Are Not Theater" , Senate Confirms Xavier Becerra to Lead HHS, William Burns as CIA Director, Deb Haaland Sworn In as Interior Secretary, Becomes First Native American Cabinet Member, House Passes Bills with Path to Citizenship for Farmworkers & DACA Recipients, 14,000+ Unaccompanied Children Held by U.S. as One Texas Facility Reports Over 50 COVID Cases, 12 GOP Lawmakers Oppose Medals for U.S…

Sit Walk Listen (2021-03-19). Sunday 3/21: Sit Walk Listen at San Francisco City Hall: #StopAsianHate. indybay.org San Francisco Civic Center Plaza…

RT (2021-03-19). 'Gestapo tactics': NYC mayor de Blasio blasted after saying police should warn & threaten people over 'hurtful' behavior. rt.com New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio has stunned Americans by suggesting cops should confront people at their homes if they have been accused of "hurtful" but non-criminal acts. Many are asking exactly how that would work in practice. | "Even if something is not a criminal case, a perpetrator being confronted by the city, whether it's NYPD or another agency, and being told that what they've done was very hurtful to another person" could deter people from offending others, de Blasio told reporters on Thursday, in response to a rise in hate crime against Asian Americans. | "If someone has done something wrong, but no…

Nick Pemberton (2021-03-19). Why Don't We Take Hate of Asians Seriously? counterpunch.org We have to problematize the purely academic extrapolation of Asians. I remember this slime popping up after Dylan Roof. According to an analysis quoted on NBC Scott Kurasige, Roof was operating on the premise that Asians were a "model minority" and that a core of white supremacy is to mobilize Asians against Black people. Such

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. dissidentvoice.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. counterpunch.org A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the

Dongsheng News (2021-03-19). News on China | No. 43. dissidentvoice.org &nbsp…

Stephen Lendman (2021-03-19). Frosty China-US Talks in Alaska. globalresearch.ca US foreign policy isn't pretty. Rhetoric suggesting otherwise is subterfuge. | Hegemons …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-03-19). How China Won the Middle East Without Firing a Single Bullet. mintpressnews.com "If oil and influence were the prizes, then it seems China, not America, has ultimately won the Iraq war and its aftermath – without ever firing a shot." — Jamil Anderlini…

RT (2021-03-19). US accuses Beijing of sabotaging 'rules-based' world order & decries 'protocol violation' after Chinese hit back at Alaska talks. rt.com A war of words erupted as talks between US and Chinese officials kicked off in Alaska, with Secretary of State Tony Blinken accusing Beijing of undermining the global order, prompting a harsh rebuttal from his counterpart. | Blinken opened Thursday's summit with a series of charges against Beijing, voicing "deep concerns" about alleged "economic coercion" against US allies, rights abuses within China and the threat the country poses to the "rules-based order that maintains global stability." | The secretary's aggressive tone was soon matched by China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, seeing the first face-to-fa…

_____ (2021-03-19). From the Earth to the Moon: Biden's China Policy Doomed from the Start. strategic-culture.org By Ramzy BAROUD | A much anticipated American foreign policy move under the Biden Administration on how to counter China's unhindered economic growth and political ambitions came in the form of a virtual summit on March 12, linking, aside from the United States, India, Australia and Japan. | Although the so-called 'Quad' revealed nothing new in their joint statement, the leaders of these four countries spoke about the 'historic' meeting, described by 'The Diplomat' website as "a significant milestone in the evolution of the grouping". | Actually, the joint statement has little substance and certainly nothing new…

Anand Naidoo (2021-03-19). The Heat: China-U.S. meeting in Alaska. america.cgtn.com High-level talks between China and the United States. What can we expect? And what will it mean for relations between the two major powers?

Staff (2021-03-19). We can't erase the radicalism of the Rainbow Coalition. therealnews.com "Judas and the Black Messiah" has received much-deserved praise, but there are still many facets to the story of the Rainbow Coalition and Fred Hampton's murder that need to be told.

Vijay Prashad (2021-03-19). There are so many lessons to learn from Kerala. mronline.org MR Online

Emily Mossman Smiley (2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, California police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.

Tom Engelhardt (2021-03-19). The Sports Pages of Death: Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com) — Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened …

V. Copeland (2021-03-19). Sharpeville massacre: A turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle. workers.org The following article first appeared on the front page of the April 1, 1960, issue of Workers World. The original headline was "South African revolution has begun! General strike wins first victory! The mass murder of Africans was a boomerang; South African dictatorship faces abyss!" The article was written by . . . |

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-03-19). Oakland joins West Coast cities mandating hazard pay for grocery workers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Cities around the Bay Area have joined, or on the road to joining, the growing list of West Coast cities requiring large grocery outlets to provide their workers hazard pay while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors now requires large grocers to pay their frontline workers $5 more …

Staff (2021-03-19). Police union defends convicted cops keeping their jobs. therealnews.com Why is it so hard to reform the police, let alone hold police accountable for abusing their power? What are the legal and political protections that have put police above the very law they're supposed to enforce?

Callie McGrath (2021-03-19). Poor People's Campaign demonstrates for priorities in 30 state capitols. liberationnews.org Among the policies are "comprehensive, free, and just" COVID-19 relief; universal healthcare; redirection of the military budget to social needs; and many others.

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-03-19). Oakland crafting pilot program for response to mental health crises. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — An innovative program to provide trained civilian responders for mental health and other nonviolent crisis calls, instead of armed law enforcement, moved a step closer March 16 with unanimous City Council passage of legislation that will launch a pilot project within Oakland's Fire Department. The Council's actions include an ordinance amending Oakland …

Eds. (2021-03-19). Ten years since beginning of failed regime-change operation against Syria. mronline.org The initial coalition against Syria has collapsed, with Turkey frustrated over the U.S.' sustained support for the Kurds and the Arabs pivoting back to Syria. | Newswire…

Callie McGrath (2021-03-19). Poor People's Campaign demonstrates for priorities in 30 state capitals. liberationnews.org Among the policies are "comprehensive, free, and just" COVID-19 relief; universal healthcare; redirection of the military budget to social needs; and many others.

Mirinda Crissman (2021-03-19). Outrage over child detention center reopened over toxic dump. workers.org Plans to reopen a migrant detention facility on top of toxic military waste in Homestead, Fla., have sparked anger. Located just south of Miami, the closed facility was the largest center for unaccompanied migrant children — with 3,200 beds — before it was shut down in 2019 due to national . . . |

Mark Gruenberg (2021-03-19). With renewed union backing, House passes Dream Act. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With renewed labor backing, this time from the Union Veterans Council, the House voted 227-197 at 6 p.m. on March 18 to pass the Dream Act, formally legalizing and providing an eventual path to citizenship for the 700,000 "Dreamers," undocumented people brought to the U.S. as kids, who are Americans in all but their papers. …

Eds. (2021-03-19). How Chesa Boudin is pursuing his promise to reduce incarceration. mronline.org After more than a year in office—and despite pushback—the San Francisco DA's policies have kept people out of jails and prisons. | Newswire…

Don McIntosh (2021-03-19). TALKING SOCIALISM | Catching up with AOC. dsausa.org Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her way to speak at NYC's Women's March. [Photo by Corey Torpie] | Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, best known as AOC, is DSA's foremost socialist superstar. Her June 2018 primary win—a 29-year-old taqueria bartender defeating the third most powerful Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives—inspired up to 10,000 people to join DSA. : | The Netflix documentary

Tom Engelhardt (2021-03-19). Life in a Wounded and Wounding Land. counterpunch.org Here's one of the things I now do every morning. I go to the online Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and check out the figures there — global coronavirus cases and deaths, U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths. And I do so the way that, not so long ago, I would have opened the sports pages

Eds. (2021-03-19). Ten years since beginning of failed regime-change operation against Syria. mronline.org MR Online

Éric Toussaint (2021-03-19). The Paris Commune of 1871, banks and debt. mronline.org 150 years ago, on 18 March 1871, the Paris Commune was born. | Newswire…

Eve Ottenberg (2021-03-19). How America Got the Vapors…Over ANTIFA. counterpunch.org It started last summer during the George Floyd Rebellion: alarming tales about left-wing terrorists, about hordes of antifa ready to invade dozy suburbs and burn down the local post office, Walmart and Starbucks. These wild fabrications percolated through right-wing media, causing a panicked spike in gun purchases, followed by announcements from red-blooded Amuricans in the Midwest and matrons from Florida that they were locked and loaded, ready to defend their real estate and SUVs from the battalions of communist terrorist antifa about to overrun their front lawns and trample azaleas, hydrangeas and any other be…

Devin Cole (2021-03-19). Linked struggles: Trans liberation, women's liberation — WW commentary. workers.org It's just two and a half months into 2021, and already over 25 blatantly anti-trans bills have been introduced in 28 state legislatures. In total, 91 bills are proposed in those states that, in some way, shape or form, attack trans people — some directly, some indirectly, but the destructive . . . |

Craig Collins (2021-03-19). Villagers & Pillagers: Who Will Survive the Collapse? counterpunch.org Unless you live in a state of denial you're probably like me, troubled about the future. There's not much left of mine, but my daughter's generation and their children will have to survive the aftermath of fossil-fueled civilization on the ravaged, toxic planet we've left them. How will that look? Will democratic eco-settlements rise from

Bob Lord — Chuck Collins (2021-03-19). No, the Rich Aren't Paying Their Fare Share. counterpunch.org We hear it all the time: The wealthy must pay their fair share in tax. Many of the wealthy, and the members of Congress they sponsor, contend they already are. And they have all sorts of facts and figures to make that appear true. After all, for a billionaire, even a tiny tax payment in

Austin Fisher — David Correia (2021-03-19). How AFSCME and ACLU Gutted New Mexico's Proposed Ban on Chemical Weapons, Attack Dogs, Rubber Bullets. counterpunch.org If police reform could fix what's wrong with policing in the United States, it would have already happened in Albuquerque. No police department in the U.S. has undergone more reform, over more years, than the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). None of it has worked. New Mexico consistently ranks among the states with the highest rate

Ron Jacobs (2021-03-19). A People's History of the Civil Rights Movement. counterpunch.org The story of the Civil Rights movement is often told in a manner that glorifies certain Movement organizers and so-called leaders while ignoring the multitudes in the churches, the cotton fields, the hamlets of the South and the streets of the nation. This portrayal exists in spite of the ongoing reminders from those who have

Juan Cole (2021-03-19). Attacks on Asian Americans are Rooted in over a Century of Racist Exclusion. zcomm.org The white supremacists would create a declining America, a monochrome America, an anti-science and anti-technology America, a dirty-carbon America, an America that would be weak and backward just as the white nationalists are weak and backward…

Robert Hunziker (2021-03-19). Nuclear Fuel Buried 108 Feet From the Sea. counterpunch.org "The most toxic substance on Earth is separated from exposure to society by Ω" of steel encased in a canister." (Blanch) That eye-opener comes from renowned nuclear expert Paul Blanch in reference to spent fuel rods removed from San Onofre Nuclear Generation Plant buried near the sea on California's southern coastline 50 miles north of

Don McIntosh (2021-03-19). A Green New Deal Means a Labor New Deal. dsausa.org What does an "all hands" moment for DSA look like? Perhaps the campaign to pass the PRO Act, the first major campaign of 2021.

Dianne Mathiowetz (2021-03-19). The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson. workers.org Atlanta A videotape shows 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson walking down a hallway and entering the gym in the Lowndes County High School in Valdosta, Ga., eight years ago on Jan. 10, 2013. That night his mother, Jacquelyn Johnson, called the emergency number 911 to report that her son had not come . . . |

Robin Broad, John Cavanagh (2021-03-19). Water is Life, Can We Protect It? counterpunch.org From West Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, tens of millions of people struggled through late winter storms that froze pipes, broke water mains, and cut off electricity. They froze without showers, toilets, or washing machines — let alone drinking water — for days or even weeks. The irony that Texas, the state built on fossil fuels,

Éric Toussaint (2021-03-19). The Paris Commune of 1871, banks and debt. mronline.org MR Online

Nyla Ali Khan (2021-03-19). Transnational and Transformative Movements: BLM, Kashmir, and Prison Reform in Oklahoma. counterpunch.org Considering electoral processes in my state of adoption, Oklahoma, are healthier than they are in my state of origin, Jammu and Kashmir, I remind millennials to identify important issues to them as voters, so they are inspired to make a significant difference by participating. I will not deny the feeling of hopelessness that sets in

David Yearsley (2021-03-19). Travelers, Sour and Sentimental. counterpunch.org "I hate traveling and explorers." —Claude Levi-Strauss, Tristes tropiques (1955) Texas loosens, Italy locks down. With the skies mostly still clear and quiet, one can hear the collective champing at the bit before the gates open and vacationers charge into their first getaway in more than year. As Airbnb bookings surge, it's worth asking what

Emily Mossman Smiley (2021-03-19). Text scandal exposes bigoted character of Eureka, Calif., police. liberationnews.org Five Eureka police officers are on paid leave following the exposure of a bigoted group chat.

John Wojcik (2021-03-19). Biden's 'killer' comment about Putin reflects obsolete foreign policy. peoplesworld.org I want to start this critique of Biden's developing foreign policy by stating clearly and unequivocally that his $1.9 trillion rescue plan deserves total support from everyone in our country. It is nothing less than a dramatic disavowal of the right-wing era launched by Ronald Reagan some 40 years ago. Although Biden deserves praise for …

Vijay Prashad (2021-03-19). There are so many lessons to learn from Kerala. mronline.org Indian farmers and agricultural workers have crossed the hundred-day mark of their protest against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They will not withdraw until the government repeals laws that deliver the advantages of agriculture to large corporate houses. | Newswire…