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Shah: The Celebrated Immigrant: Labor Secretary Elaine Chao's Asian American Subterfuge
Feb 15, 2001
Labor and civil rights groups were outraged at Bush's nomination of anti-affirmative action, anti-minimum wage Linda Chavez for labor secretary. But strangely, when Bush quickly replaced Chavez with anti-affirmative action, anti-minimum wage (and anti-fem
Solomon: LETTER FROM PORTO ALEGRE TO ZNET
Jan 29, 2001
The World Social Forum here in southern Brazil is being reported around the planet as an oppositional counterpoint to the annual bash in Davos, where corporate leaders have been gathering for three decades at their World Economic Forum retreat. In contras
Scipes: ROUND TWO: PEOPLE'S POWER IN THE PHILIPPINES REMOVES ANOTHER PRESIDENT
Jan 25, 2001
The government of Joseph "Erap" Estrada in the Philippines has just collapsed, with the president forced out by mass mobilization, and with Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo replacing him as President on January 21. What might this mean for the count
Solomon: ASHCROFT AND RACISM: BREAKING THE CODE
Jan 19, 2001
A surreal mix-up disrupted CNN programming for a few moments on Jan. 17 when the network switched to live coverage of Colin Powell. While the retired general appeared on the screen, the audio was the voice of Sen. Edward Kennedy at another Senate hearing
Said: Trying again and again
Jan 11, 2001
The last-ditch American effort to make Yasser Arafat terminate his own people's sovereign existence bears the heavy imprint not only of the US-Israeli lobby but of Bill Clinton's political style. To say of Clinton's bridging proposals, as they have been e
Solomon: ASHCROFT: NOT JUST WHISTLING DIXIE
Jan 09, 2001
More than 13 decades after Robert E. Lee surrendered at ÊAppomattox, the U.S. Senate is getting ready to confirm as attorney general Êsomeone who has voiced fervent admiration for the Confederacy. It's an Êalmost unbelievable situation. Yet many news outl
Steel: Smile, And We Might Yet Defeat Global Capitalism
Jan 03, 2001
"We need a revolution," said the lad, no more than 19, in the packed meeting organised by People and Planet at the University of Warwick. "And we, I mean us here, can begin to make that revolution Ð right after this meeting by..." He paused. What would he
Sommers: Small States and Neoliberalism: Latvia’s
Jan 02, 2001
The time is long overdue for a reassessment of Latvia’s economic development. A decade after economic reforms, and nine years after independence, in Orwellian fashion this Baltic nation’s failures are somehow presented as achievements, as was the habit during Soviet times. Some things never change. Year after year it is stated that it is in "transition." This is meant to deflect criticism of neoliberal policy failures. Yet, a decade out we must ask is Latvia, and similar CIS nations of the former Soviet Union, in transition? Or, is the transition complete and Latvia’s tragic present its equally tragic future?
Sommers: Small States and Neoliberalism: LatviaÕs
Jan 02, 2001
The time is long overdue for a reassessment of LatviaÕs economic development. A decade after economic reforms, and nine years after independence, in Orwellian fashion this Baltic nationÕs failures are somehow presented as achievements, as was the habit du
Schechter: The Media And HIV/AIDS: What Should We Do?
Dec 02, 2000
Sorry. So sorry if you were given "unnecessary offense." So sayeth the BBC as part of an apology for a stunt concocted for a TV show that plays practical jokes on the public. "Aunty," as the Beeb is known, hired a child actor to pose as an African orpha
Solomon: FINALLY, A HUGE MEDIA SPECTACLE THAT REALLY MATTERS?
Nov 28, 2000
By Norman Solomon After a decade filled with round-the-clock media sensations, we finally ended up with one that's truly portentous. The post-election battle for the White House has stood in sharp contrast to countless ersatz stories that gained enorm
Sommers: Report from Kiev
Nov 20, 2000
I am in Kiev as the pampered guest of a Baltic offshore company which helps CIS nations avoid taxation by incorporating in the Channel Islands, Cyprus, the Cayman Islands, or even the USÕs own outlaw banking state of Delaware. Granted, many of the CIS nat
Solomon: NEW DEMOCRATS: MAYBE THE JIG IS UPBy
Nov 07, 2000
The New Democrats may have outsmarted themselves. A couple of months ago, the current Democratic Party leadership seemed to be firmly in control. The succession was orderly. The party's new ticket of "moderates" -- Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman -- gained
Scipes: Building Labor Solidarity
Oct 21, 2000
To many people in the United States, the AFL-CIO is a progressive organization, joining unions across the country to fight for higher wages, better working conditions and progressive social programs for workers and people in our communities. However, to
Schechter: RED STAR OVER THE UN: The Media Downplays Human Rights in China
Oct 15, 2000
As the United Nations opens its Millennial Summit in New York September 6 with an expected 150 heads of state in attendance, the world organization is trying to refocus its mission and revive its credibility. (Never mind the cost of staging the world's mo
Solomon: MEDIA SPIN REMAINS IN SYNC WITH ISRAELI OCCUPATION
Oct 14, 2000
The formula for American media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is simple: Report on the latest developments in the fragile "peace process." Depict U.S. officials as honest brokers in the negotiations. Emphasize the need for restraint and comp
Shalom: Turmoil in Palestine
Oct 10, 2000
As the occupied Palestinian territories suffer their worst paroxysm of violence in years, with the casualties, as always, overwhelmingly Palestinian, the mainstream media, also as always, focus on peripheral questions, offer misleading answers, and ignore
Schechter: From Sydney To Prague: Newspeak Clouds Global Coverage
Sep 28, 2000
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND: Poor NBC. They spent a small fortune to scoop up the rights to the Olympic Games, and now no one in the United States is watching. To get the games, they paid buckeroo bucks, even reportedly "donating" a cool million to the Internat
Schechter: Surviving "Survivor" While Thinking Of Abbie
Sep 25, 2000
Wonder what Mr. Survival of the Fittest Charles Darwin would be thinking as the surreality show "Survivor" moves from the realm of television into the arena of TV legend. CBS has cashed in already, and all l6 of the "survivors" of this staged sitcom-cum-a
Feb 16, 2001
In Africa, 17 million people have already died of AIDS. In Êdeveloping countries around the world, twice that many are now HIV Êpositive. Such statistics are largely unfathomable. And news accounts Êrarely explore basic options for halting the deadly mome