Recent Blogs

Article after article in ‘left’ publications have advocated for US Senator Bernie Sanders to run. Even Socialist Alternative which helped Kshama Sawant, the first Socialist member of the Seattle City Council, get into office, had a recent article describing Senator Sanders as “a genuine progressive and champion of ordinary people” and said he should run Read more…

This is a response to:  Brad Plumer, “Map:  Here’s How Much Each Country Spends on Food,” [http://www.vox.com/2014/7/6/5874499/map-heres-how-much-every-country-spends-on-food?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_name=share-button&utm_campaign=vox&utm_content=article-share-top]  The points made in this article and it’s charts about poverty and the struggle to be able to afford food are extremely important.  Nevertheless, on that point and others, I find the chart project to be seriously inadequate, Read more…

Aristotle taught that anything, no matter how good, can be problematic if it’s out of balance. (Like the inequalities of his own society). We face a situation where freedom is out of balance with other goods. Let me be clear. I am not saying that Americans are too free. We still need more freedom. But Read more…

. . . And the last item to leave Pandora’s Box was Hope. Love those who are desperately waiting for RAPTURE. “What would Lewin do?’ I have been wondering about it quite a bit lately. One reason is my effort to communicate with a rapture group on Google named ‘Peace for Israel.’ Perhaps naivete led me Read more…

This will most likely be first of many articles addressing the political views expressed in a WordPress blog called “Ravithinks”. This blog was brought to my attention by certain friends who noticed that the views espoused therein, belonging to a blogger called Ravi Kiran, are quite different to my own sociopolitical views. In presenting Kiran’s Read more…

My latest piece, “Building Global Labor Solidarity Today:  Learning from the KMU of the Philippines” just has been published in the new journal, “Race, Class and Corporate Power.”  It is available on-line and for free a thttp://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/classracecorporatepower/vol3/iss1/4/ . I think there’s a lot to be learned from KMU, and encourage folks to check it out.Best–Kim Scipes

Over one year ago, the war-weary population and Congress rose up in protest and a war with Syria was averted to the chagrin of international capital. The hawkish politicians and pundits, masters of war, military establishment, arms manufacturers, and other interested parties want another go at it. On all the mainstream TV channels, the same Read more…

On July 12, three Israeli teenagers disappeared. The Israeli government and most of the media say they were “kidnapped,” although there have been no ransom demands. If they were taken by one of the five previously-unknown groups that claimed responsibility (including, apparently, a branch of the now-ubiquitous ISIS), that group would probably say that they were Read more…

A fascinating read about the history of the Second Amendment is available at Politico. There’s a lot of things to add to this article, which is a vital corrective to our national debate about gun laws. First of all: No right in the Constitution is absolute. Period. Freedom of speech is limited not just by Read more…

“Check your privilege” is an interesting new meme. I’ve spent years in anti-racist activism and discussions, talking to others, yelling at neo-Nazis and libertarians. I’ve spent years in general as an anarchist, and I’ve self-identified as a feminist since long before I was politically conscious. Hell, I’ve been a feminist since before I got into Read more…

I am launching a new segment that I call “The No Duh Report!” So much of our politics are divisive and ideologically closed. This isn’t new, of course; it’s been a part of human politics for as long as there have been politics. I bet Paleolithic tribes debated about policy and had factions and yelling Read more…

(Image source: http://www.sacw.net/article7143.html) It’s been over a month since I witnessed, with vicarious trauma, the meteoric rise of Narendra Modi to become one of the world’s most powerful men, commanding one of the world’s most brutal, nuclear-armed militaries. The two weeks of hopeless depression are over, and a slow, lightly simmering anger has set in. Read more…

I have been being questioned a lot recently about what I think could be a better way of promoting atheism or humanistic philosophies that would not be as judgmental or closed-hearted as I find many atheistic activists, or a better way of promoting a positive vision of the future. Engaging with pareconists, anarchists and leftists, Read more…

I posted something recently to my Facebook about Anita Sarkeesian, the anti-sexist and feminist video games advocate. My friend Pyroja said that he felt that Anita was all hype and no substance, cashing in on a trend, in essence. I agreed that this was possible; I don’t know Ms. Sarkeesian herself, and I do see Read more…

Let me say something positive about the bronie phenomenon. (For those of you don’t know: Bronies are adult, often male, fans of the children’s show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Yes, that’s right, the same franchise as the toys from the 1980s. For more information, check out this PBS Ideas video, which goes into Read more…

Before the war was the uprising. The military conflict between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian government is escalating – and with it the number of casualties, among combatants and civilians. Socialists in Russia and Ukraine are trying to build social and labour movements around internationalist and anti-war principles, participating in so-far-modest efforts to launch a Read more…

Green Time TV Protecting the Earth by Don Fitz It’s time to enjoy the Earth while protecting it from those forces that threaten it. July episodes of Green Time TV look at both the positive actions that environmentalists are taking and exactly what the Earth is. Solar panels are popping up all over. Would solar Read more…

Aggressive militarism continues to emanate from the office of the presidency and the US government itself. With drone strikes in foreign countries, an “empire of drone bases” in Africa as the Washington Post once called it, and a continuing war in Afghanistan, you would think that there would be mass protests on the streets against Read more…

So, where are we? Saddam Hussein was an Iran loving Shia Muslim who wanted to hand Iraq over to Iran. No, that can’t be right, Iraq fought a war with Iran and received the West’s blessing and backing for the war. So, Saddam Hussein must have been an Iran hating Sunni Muslim receiving his backing Read more…

McDonald’s’ second largest market is in France. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/01/24/145698222/why-mcdonalds-in-france-doesnt-feel-like-fast-food Many of you may have heard this, but let me sketch out the implications for consumers. McDonald’s serves grass-feed beef in France. They have baguettes. They have croissants. Capitalism has its problems, but we as consumers allow McDonald’s to blast our taste buds the way that they Read more…

Over the last few days, there’s been a lot of events that have made people despair. Tragedies in Seattle and Oregon have followed other recent prominent acts of violence. That’s not to mention the girls in Nigeria. Of course, these tragedies that impact so many of us are being promoted by the media. The fact Read more…

As I look at the sea of pain that the human condition swims in, I’ve seen something that I am realizing distresses me. Virtually every one of the people I meet who takes psychotropic medication of any kind, I will ask, “Oh, did your professional suggest group therapy and support group approaches? What about humanistic Read more…

Sustainability is one of the new buzzwords, both of the Left and of the general society. It is indeed a really good sign that people are generally becoming much more concerned about sustainability. People are worried about sustainability in their agriculture and their government policies. Politicians are starting to talk the sustainability talk, even if Read more…

There is always talk about how the internet is a magically decentralized system. Eli Pariser, the former head of the liberal, pro-Democratic Party group, MoveOn, challenges this notion in his 2011 book, The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding From You, in which he sounds off on the dangers of digital personalization. This article Read more…

    Transforming Beliefs and Empathy: An Observation on Tactics There are two types of people with political opinions, whether they be left, right or center. The first type wants to be angry. They want to yell. Perhaps they are sincere about their anger, perhaps it is just an adolescent diversion or an excuse, but they Read more…

The left in the UK is at a crossroads. Economic problems are breeding dissatisfaction with mainstream politics, a situation in which the left should thrive, according to the usual ideas.  But the organizations that see themselves as presenting a positive alternative are in a state of flux.  Established parties are rupturing while new outfits are Read more…

National officials certainly assume that war has a future. According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, world military expenditures totaled nearly $1.75 trillion in 2013. Although, after accounting for inflation, this is a slight decrease over the preceding year, many countries increased their military spending significantly, including China, Russia, and Saudi Read more…

Dedication: For my friend Karen. I owe you, big time. “Own yourself. It doesn’t cost anything.”–Rolf Auer,2013 Section 1: Where is my money going?   Let’s say you arrive cold in some Canadian city like Vancouver BC by Greyhound bus wearing only the clothes on your back. Let’s say it’s after business hours. You’re hungry, Read more…

“We have asked the Inspectors General for CPS and the US Department of Education to examine the last votes to turn over 3 schools to AUSL for turnaround to determine if there were any conflicts of interest among board members and AUSL; to analyze the relationship–if any– between political contributions to Mayor Emanuel from AUSL Read more…

Is economic inequality growing in American higher education? A report just issued by the Institute for Policy Studies―The One Percent at State U―indicates that it is. Surveying public universities, the report finds that the 25 highest-paid presidents increased their income by a third between fiscal 2009 and fiscal 2012, bringing their average total compensation to Read more…

From Canadian Dimension In Trujillo’s Wake Aaron Leonard | May 26th 2014 Santo Domingo. Image courtesy Aaron Leonard. Images: 123 It was just before sunset and we were driving along Avenida George Washington, which borders the Caribbean Sea along Santo Domingo’s Malecon, when the older gentleman serving as my guide, pointed out a series of monuments Read more…

“I am here to remind America that it is a crime to live in this great nation and to receive starvation wages. At McDonalds $8.25 an hour, what I make is about $400 every two weeks. With that salary I have to choose between rent and food. Rent and light…but this isn’t just about me Read more…

Belief and Authority What do Charles Sanders Pierce and Rudolf Rocker have in common? Well, a lot one could say. But beyond the obvious, there is an interesting connection in their work that is still very relevant to current affairs today. Public opinion, and the control of it by authority, is still a crucial problem Read more…

Hundreds of people gathered in Union Square on Sunday, May 18th, in support of and solidarity with Cecily McMilan, the Occupy Wall Street protester who was recently found guilt of assaulting a police officer for protecting herself when a police officer sexually assaulted her. Cecily is due to be sentenced on May 19th, facing 2-7 Read more…

Go to source. Yesterday (May 15th), the New York Times published a story by Edward Wyatt on the FCC’s “net neutrality” decision.  Here are the first two paragraphs of the story, and what I believe was the headline (See note below), as it appeared on the  NYT web site yesterday: F.C.C. Votes to Move Ahead Read more…

The anonymous blogger at Interventionswatch writes:   The ‘former General’ is Khalifa Haftar, who spent years living in Virginia in the U.S. (i.e. C.I.A. country), but who returned to Libya in 2011 to aid the ‘rebels’, and who was almost certainly a C.I.A. asset at some point in his career. Anyway, this guy is now reportedly bombing Benghazi from Read more…

This letter by Oleg Yasinsky, a Ukrainian socialist, was published on 6 May in Russian on the web site of Spil’ne [Commons], a journal based in Kyiv, and in English on People & Nature. For Ukraine. Urgent letter to my country. To sign, distribute and add to. Suddenly our country, Ukraine, has been turned into Read more…

As I see the exit polls on Indian news channels, predicting an outright win for the fascists and their running dogs, I feel a sense of helpless rage. Empty. Angry. There is a difference between rage and helpless rage. The two are nothing alike. The former, in the words of the immortal Maya Angelou, “is like Read more…

Is overwhelming national military power a reliable source of influence in world affairs? If so, the United States should certainly have plenty of influence today. For decades, it has been the world’s Number 1 military spender. And it continues in this role. According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Read more…

Green Time TV Doing the Right Thing by Don Fitz What does “Doing the right thing” mean? It includes, but goes beyond, taking responsible individual action. “Doing the right thing” includes being part of an organization that takes collective, effective action. June episodes of Green Time TV explore issues which beg for individual work as Read more…

Dear Alice Bell I understand you recently complained to the BBC about racist behavior on the part of a BBC presenter. Glad you complained, but I wonder if you would comment in the Guardian on the roll racism plays in the results of a ComRes poll last year that found 59% of the UK believes that 10,000 or fewer Iraqis Read more…

Corporate journalists have sometimes complained that I address them with an excessively harsh and undiplomatic tone. Below is an email to Reuters that I sent in response to an article about the latest allegations Human Rights Watch (HRW) made against the Venezuelan government. I was too polite in my email. While Reuters apparently has the Read more…

After Odessa, “remaining human” as a political programme. A comment by Ilya Budraitskis, published in Russian on the Open Left web site in Russia, and in English on People & Nature.  In the two days that have passed since the tragic events in Odessa, we have heard dozens of versions of what happened. And all Read more…

Tragedy came to Odessa on Friday 2 May, when clashes between Ukrainian nationalists and pro-Russian separatists led to the deaths of at least 38 people. This report by Sergei from Odessa was published in Russian by the Ukrainian socialist web site “Left Opposition” on Sunday 4 May, and in English on People & Nature. I Read more…

Go to source A further look at the Ukraine debacle, in seven pieces.   Montagueski and Capuletovitch (Cool Photo. Remember what happened to Romeo and Juliet.) Ukraine, Interrupted “Ukraine” means “borderland,” and if there were ever a country suffering a borderline personality disorder—barely “keeping itself together,” as we say—it is Ukraine. Suddenly, it’s been deprived of its Read more…

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) leadership is doing exactly the opposite of what both community activists and researchers have shown to be the most effective ways of improving public schools. School “turnarounds” are a racist privatization scheme damaging to quality education. Tears welled up in the eyes of Angela Gordon, Local School Council President of Read more…

Free University in Madison Square Park. Five or six classes going on at the same time in various locations on various benches marked with a flag labeled ‘A’ or ‘B’ and so on. We attend ‘Student Activism at CCNY in the 1930s: Lessons for Today’ with former student activist Carol from the Professional Staff Congress Read more…

-by Kevin Young and Diana Sierra Becerra General Motors CEO Mary Barra will give the University of Michigan’s commencement address on May 3 and will also be awarded an honorary doctorate. Explaining this decision, the UM administration depicts Barra as a pioneering leader and a role model for young women. According to the UM website, Read more…

Others chime in at various points as well *** Stephen Zunes I’m losing patience with people who attack the credibility of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other reputable human rights organizations who have no background in international humanitarian law, have no empirical data to counter these groups’ findings, and have never even been to Read more…

So I often listen to sports radio to wake me up and keep me company during my morning routine. It stimulates my mind, anchors me to the world outside my mind, and frankly often riles me up and shakes me out of my sleepy complacency. Relevant to my topic today– Donald Sterling, bigoted, crooked, misanthropic–sociopathic. Read more…