By Stan Smith, ChicagoALBASolidarity.org The Chicago teachers and staff, numbering 35,000, are on strike for the second time in seven years. And for a second time, the teachers' action has helped spark a social movement. This strike questions to the long-held understanding that unions have no right to make demands beyond work conditions, pay and … Continue reading What the Chicago Teacher Union and the GM Auto Workers Strikes Teach Us
Category: articles – Stansfield Smith
Some Questions on Oscar Figuera’s “The Crisis of Rentier Capitalism in Venezuela”
https://orinocotribune.com/some-questions-of-oscar-figueras-the-crisis-of-rentier-capitalism-in-venezuela/ Some Questions on Oscar Figuera’s “The Crisis of Rentier Capitalism in Venezuela” Stan Smith, Chicago ALBA Solidarity The secretary-general of the Venezuelan Communist Party (PCV), Oscar Figuera, in a recent interview stresses the need to build a broad anti-imperialist alliance of workers, campesinos, the communal movement, and all those committed to progressive social change. … Continue reading Some Questions on Oscar Figuera’s “The Crisis of Rentier Capitalism in Venezuela”
Celebrating 50 years of Venceremos Brigade solidarity with the Cuban Revolution
by Stan Smith This year was the 50th anniversary of the Venceremos Brigade delegations to Cuba, a special affair for Cuba and its Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP). We participants can agree with what one former brigadista wrote us, “I went in 1971 and it was one of the most moving experiences of … Continue reading Celebrating 50 years of Venceremos Brigade solidarity with the Cuban Revolution
Bernie Sanders’ Present Fight against Corporate Rule vs. the Bernie of 1989
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) delivers remarks at a campaign function in the Marvin Center at George Washington University on June 12, 2019 in Washington, DC. Sanders discussed democratic socialism in his address. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) Stansfield Smith, Chicago ALBA Solidarity Recently, former leader of the … Continue reading Bernie Sanders’ Present Fight against Corporate Rule vs. the Bernie of 1989
Defects of ROAR’s article “Can the Bolivarian revolution survive the Venezuelan crisis?”
https://mronline.org/2019/04/24/dissecting-roars-article-can-the-bolivarian-revolution-survive-the-venezuelan-crisis/ https://orinocotribune.com/dissecting-roars-article-can-the-bolivarian-revolution-survive-the-venezuelan-crisis/ ROAR published an article Can the Bolivarian revolution survive the Venezuelan crisis? containing the views of different professors, but with only two worth reading: Dario Azzellini’s and George Ciccariello-Maher’s. Of the others, Raul Zibechi appears to be the chosen faux left commentator committed to repeating US ruling class propaganda against Venezuela. Gabriel Hetland … Continue reading Defects of ROAR’s article “Can the Bolivarian revolution survive the Venezuelan crisis?”
Combating Misinformation about the US Attempted Coup Against Venezuela
Was the Venezuela 2018 presidential election open to opposition candidates? This was the 25th election Venezuela has had in the 20 years of the Chavez-Maduro presidency. The Venezuelan government did not block opposition candidates from participating in the 2018 election, but encouraged it, and even agreed to push up the election date to meet opposition … Continue reading Combating Misinformation about the US Attempted Coup Against Venezuela
The US Coup: New Attempt to Eradicate the Chavista Revolution
https://popularresistance.org/the-us-coup-new-attempt-to-eradicate-the-chavista-revolution/ https://orinocotribune.com/the-us-coup-new-attempt-eradicate-the-chavista-revolution https://covertactionmagazine.com/index.php/2019/01/26/yet-another-u-s-coup-attempt-to-eradicate-the-bolivarian-revolution/ http://links.org.au/united-states-coup-venezuela-new-attempt-eradicate-chavista-revolution https://mronline.org/2019/01/30/the-u-s-coup-in-venezuela-new-attempt-to-eradicate-the-chavista-revolution/ https://williambowles.info/2019/01/26/yet-another-u-s-coup-attempt-to-eradicate-the-bolivarian-revolution-by-stansfield-smith/ For over two years we have been told Putin’s Russia has interfered with the 2016 US presidential elections. We now find the US government has decided it can unilaterally invalidate the actual presidential elections in Venezuela and recognize a person of its choosing as president. This is one more … Continue reading The US Coup: New Attempt to Eradicate the Chavista Revolution
Is Russia Imperialist?
Russia is said to be an imperialist world power, one in conflict with the imperialist superpower, the US. Russia has been characterized in this manner both during the period of the Soviet Union, and after the Soviet Union collapsed and separate states were formed. Russia has said to be imperialist both when it was a … Continue reading Is Russia Imperialist?
Russiagate McCarthyism Led to Internet Censorship of the Anti-War and Social Justice Movement
Stansfield Smith, Chicago ALBA Solidarity The anti-Trump movement is not simply a progressive movement against a rightwing president, but also carries within it a rightwing current. Progressive minded people fight against Trump’s racist actions against Blacks, Latinos, Muslims, his crude sexism, his pro-corporate policies, his rejection of action on global warming, his massive tax … Continue reading Russiagate McCarthyism Led to Internet Censorship of the Anti-War and Social Justice Movement
Some Lessons from #MeToo and The Personal is Political
In 2013, at age 64, Diana Nyad swam 103 miles from Cuba to Florida, in a challenge not only to age but to the still fully in force US blockade of Cuba. Then vice-president, now president of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel, awarded her Cuba’s Order of Sporting Merit for her historic accomplishment, noting “it is never … Continue reading Some Lessons from #MeToo and The Personal is Political
Chicago ALBA Solidarity 