February 2014
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The Middle East: State and revolution By Maged Mandour
The title is borrowed from the great Russian revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin. Lenin argued that in order for the revolution to succeed, revolutionaries have to take over the state and use it to reshape society. Many observers have evaluated the causes, effects, and future prospects of Arab revolutions. Continue reading
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Ed Miliband, the NHS, and the lurch back towards Blairism By John Lister
Ed Miliband’s Hugo Young lecture this week represents a giant step back to Blairism, and an extended statement of Labour’s failure to get the message. Continue reading
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VSC Statement Condemning Extreme Right-wing Violence in Venezuela that Seeks the “Exit” of the Government
As part of a campaign launched by Venezuela’s extreme right-wing opposition leaders, which they have called La Salida (The Ousting), groups of violent Venezuelan opposition thugs launched a wave of violent street disturbances in various parts of Venezuela on Wednesday 12 February. Tragically this has resulted in the death of at least two people with… Continue reading
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Music: The Brother Moves On
13 February 2014 — The Brother Moves On This band, from South Africa, winner of a British Council award of some kind will be playing at the Roundhouse, London on 20 and 23 February as part of a large lineup of bands, the headliner on the 20th being hip-hop artist Simz. Click on the link… Continue reading
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Venezuela coup? Gunfire, clashes as 3 dead in violent Caracas protest (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
At least three people have died in violent protests in the Venezuelan capital, officials have confirmed. President Nicolas Maduro has condemned the unrest as an attempt at a coup d’état orchestrated by extremist members of the political opposition. Continue reading
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UK Environment Minister Paterson Slammed over Africa GMO Promotion
UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who has been widely criticised for his complacency in the face of the current flooding disaster, has now been slammed for planning a visit to Africa to promote the interests of the biotechnology industry. Continue reading
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The Corporate Media’s Dubious Syria Coverage By James F. Tracy
Western news media reportage on the rampant criminal activities of foreign-backed paramilitary groups operating within Syria still relies heavily on unreliable sources frequently referred to as “activists.” Such spokespersons routinely claim the Syrian military are committing atrocities against the Syrian population. The reports are often disputed by the Bashar al-Assad government and proven suspect or… Continue reading
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GPs slam NHS England for poor publicity of data grab plan By Kelly Fiveash
The Tory-led government has failed to make a good case for its plans to share GP medical records with information that is already stored by NHS England, the Royal College of General Practitioners warned on Wednesday. Continue reading
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Syria: Whose sarin? By Seymour M. Hersh
This exceptional piece was commissioned by the New Yorker, which turned it down; it was then submitted to the Washington Post, which also rejected it, to be finally released in the U.K. by the London Review of Books. Continue reading
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Years of government cuts worsen UK flooding By Paul Mitchell
The government has sought to shift blame for the weeks of misery and chaos caused by the floods onto the EA. Accusations by Floods Minister Eric Pickles that the agency was driven by political correctness, gave bad advice to government, and attempted to divide town and country over funding matters have been met with almost… Continue reading
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Black Agenda Report for February 12, 2014: Workers Rebel in South Africa, Obama Hypocrisy on Homophobia, Gangster Put Contract on
12 February 2014 — Black Agenda Report This week in Black Agenda Report Freedom Charter is Key to New Struggle for South Africa by BAR executive editor Glen Ford “Marikana was the great shock to the national consciousness, and Mandela’s death brought a final end to the pretense of social transformation.” In the transition from… Continue reading
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Why I Wrote the Song “Checkpoint” and Exposed the Apartheid I Witnessed in Palestine
I spent much of the trip trying to get my head around how one group of human beings could be so inhumane to another group of human beings. I still can’t understand. By day 4 of our 7 day trip I wanted to come home. The mental intensity of what I saw that the brutality… Continue reading
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EU Set to Approve GM Maize 1507 Despite Rejection by 19 Countries?
The EU has failed to act on behalf of the vast majority of its country members on Tuesday and has left the door open for the now expected approval of the EU’s second GM crop for cultivation – GM Maize 1507. Continue reading
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The 'Isn't Capitalism Wonderful’ Page: Video-Most Facebook “Likes” Are Fake or, 'I got plenty of nothing,'
This video shows not only how Facebook creates value out of thin sir, but how super-cheap labour in the Third World makes it all possible. Continue reading
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VTJP Occupied Palestine and Israel: News and Articles 11 February 2014: Israeli soldiers pose for photos while abusing Palestinian child
11 February 2014 — VTJP Peace, Love and Occupation? Tell Ben & Jerry’s to Stop its Complicity with the Israeli Occupation!News International Middle East Media CenterSoldiers Kidnap Brother Of Palestinian Killed On January 29IMEMC – Ramallah – Tuesday, February 11, 2014, Israeli soldiers kidnapped a Palestinian from the al-Jalazoun refugee camp. The kidnapped Palestinian is the… Continue reading
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‘The day we fight back’: 6,000 websites protest surveillance, honor Aaron Swartz
More than 6,000 websites, including Reddit, Tumblr, Mozilla, are taking part in an online protest against government surveillance. The action marks two years since website blackouts against SOPA and PIPA and commemorates Aaron Swartz’s death. Continue reading
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UK: ACT NOW to protect your medical confidentiality
Sometime in January 2014 you may have received a leaflet via junk mail, entitled ‘Better information means better care‘ (2MB PDF file). It may not be clear from the leaflet that a significant change in what is done with your medical records is about to happen. Continue reading
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The fight against TTIP is also a fight for public services everywhere By Ruth Bergan
The 1999 Battle for Seattle was a moment of triumph for trade campaigning. Activists from across the world came together with developing country governments and stopped the World Trade Organisation (WTO) from agreeing damaging trade rules. Through the 2000s campaigners continued to mobilise against the WTO and Europe’s unfair trade deals with the world’s poorest… Continue reading
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How safe are your medical records?
At Liberty we’ve reacted with significant concern over NHS England’s new plans for a ‘care.data’ database. This could see your private medical records – including highly sensitive data – shared on a single database. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 