Sunday, February 17, 2019

Venezuela Resists Imperialism, Haitian Unrest, Climate Change & more -- The Week in News, Opinion and Videos February 10 - 17

This week's list of articles, news items, opinion pieces and videos that I see as a must if you are looking for a roundup that should be of interest to The Left Chapter readers.

This list covers the week of February 10 - 17.



In addition to a general overview of news and opinion including articles about Haiti, climate change, scandals in Canada both provincially and federally and other international news, this week's installment for the fourth week in a row begins with a large section devoted to the ongoing attempts of the United States with its lackeys in Canada and Europe to overthrow the legitimate government of Venezuela and install a regime beholden to imperialism and global capital. These links should help to counter the relentless propaganda being dealt out by the western imperial media.

1) Haitian and Dominican governments betray Venezuela at the OAS; Popular sectors mobilize for resistance

Ariel Fornari, Haiti Analysis

As Judas betrayed the Son of Man with a kiss for 20 pieces of silver, the institutionally corrupt governments in Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo have written another sad chapter in their nation’s history.

2) How Trump's attacks on Venezuela triggered a revolution in Haiti

Kim Ives, Green Left Weekly

Chaos reigned in Haiti for a seventh straight day on February 13, as people continue to rise up against President Jovenel Moïse over his corruption, arrogance, false promises and straight-faced lies.

3) US Congress Rejects Trump's Warmongering, Won't Support Military Intervention in Venezuela

Telesur

Congress will not support U.S. military intervention in Venezuela despite hints by President Donald Trump that such action had not been ruled out, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Wednesday.

4) Rep. Ilhan Omar Applauded for Grilling Elliott Abrams Over Role in US-Backed Genocide, Massacres, and Death Squads in Latin America

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams 

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) fiercely grilled President Donald Trump's Venezuela envoy Elliott Abrams over his support for U.S.-backed massacres and genocide in Latin America throughout the 1980s, as well as his role in the Iran-Contra scandal.

Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, after earlier beginning by stating "In 1991, you pleaded guilty to two counts of withholding information from Congress regarding your involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, for which you were later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. I fail to understand why members of this committee or the American people should find any testimony that you give today to be truthful." goes on to grill Elliott Abrams, Trump's new Venezuela envoy, over his celebration of war crimes.


He is unrepentant and continues to celebrate his role in the vicious slaughters and massacres of America's "dirty wars" in Central America in the 80s.



5) Area Criminal Shocked by Congresswoman Who Cites His Crimes Out Loud


 Sarah Jones, New York Intelligencer 

America loves a feel-good story. How else to explain our government’s appetite for redemption arcs? Elliott Abrams was once convicted of lying to Congress and on Wednesday, he got to testify before Congress again, this time in his capacity as our special envoy to Venezuela. But not everyone was happy to see him. Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, questioned the former assistant secretary of State about his old misdeeds. “In 1991, you pleaded guilty to two counts of withholding information from Congress regarding your involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, for which you were later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush,” Omar began, before asking Abrams why the committee should believe anything he had to say.

6) Mainstream media boosts Trudeau’s popularity over Venezuela

Yves Engler

US presidents have bombed or invaded places like Grenada, Panama, Iraq and Sudan to distract from domestic scandals or to gain a quick boost in popularity. But, do Canadian politicians also pursue regime change abroad to be cheered on by the dominant media as decisive leaders?

7) Latin American Left-Wing Parties Call for Peace in Venezuela

Telesur 

According to left-wing social movements from Latin America, "drums of war sound today" in the region, because of the United States-backed crisis in Venezuela. These movements call for a political agreement, not a war, in order to solve the current situation.

8) Amid U.S. war threats, countries join with Venezuela


S. Rodrigues, Liberation 

Washington is escalating its military threats against Venezuela, moving from words to action.

9) Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro interview: Full transcript

BBC

The BBC's Orla Guerin has interviewed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Here is the full transcript.

10) Venezuela Receives 933 Tons of Medical Aid From Allies Abroad

Telesur

Sixty-four containers holding 933 tons of medical supplies, from gastrointestinal medication to prenatal vitamins, arrived from Venezuelan allies Thursday, the Health Ministry reported.

11) U.S. military adventure against Venezuela must be stopped

Granma 

Cuba condemns the U.S. government’s escalating preparations for a military adventure in Venezuela and calls on the international community to mobilize to prevent its consummation.

12) US Orders Venezuelan Envoy to UN to Limit Movement Within New York City After Scathing OAS Speech

Telesur 

"The United States is afraid of Venezuela's words, it is afraid of the truth of Venezuela."

13) Jorge Arreaza: The US 'Is Afraid of the Truth of Venezuela'

Telesur 


The Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza spoke to teleSUR, saying, "the United States is afraid of Venezuela's words, it is afraid of the truth of Venezuela," as a response to the U.S. Department of State's decision to confine Venezuelan Diplomat Samuel Moncada within the city of New York.


14) Haitian Prime Minister Calls for Reduction of State Privileges

Telesur

Amid tense scenes in the Caribbean nation of Haiti, Prime Minister Jean-Henry Céant has called for a series of privilegs to be reduced, which includes a 30 percent reduction of the Office of the Prime Minister's budget, as well as the withdrawal of privileges to the State's top officials.

15) Bolsonaro To Erase Paulo Freire And Feminism From Textbooks

Telesur

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his administration have announced the desire to revise school textbooks, eliminating any references to feminism, homosexuality and violence against women, and even the works of Brazilian liberation theologist and internationally renowned educator Paulo Freire.

16) ‘Shocking’: Jason Kenney Railed Against Wealthy ‘WASPs’ For Providing Birth Control to ‘Brown People’

Press Progress

Community leaders are describing Kenney’s resurfaced comments as “vulgar,” “racist” and “offensive on very many levels”.

17) Andrew Scheer met with SNC-Lavalin chief over criminal charges

Alex Boutilier, The Toronto Star

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer met with the head of SNC-Lavalin in May 2018 to discuss criminal charges facing the Quebec construction giant.

18) Ethics commissioner launches investigation into allegations of PMO interference in SNC-Lavalin case

Amanda Connolly, Global News

The  federal ethics commissioner is launching an investigation into allegations of political interference by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s office in the SNC-Lavalin case, something Trudeau told reporters is “welcome.”

19) Jody Wilson-Raybould resigns from federal cabinet

Justin Brake, APTN News

Federal Veterans Affairs Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould announced in a tweet Tuesday morning that she is resigning from cabinet.

20) Liberal-dominated committee votes to limit investigation into allegations of improper political influence on Wilson-Raybould

The Toronto Star

Liberal MPs have voted to restrict an investigation into allegations of improper political influence on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, blocking opposition efforts to have her and the prime minister’s top aides testify before a Commons committee.





21) Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature'

Damian Carrington, The Guardian 

The world’s insects are hurtling down the path to extinction, threatening a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, according to the first global scientific review.

22) 'His life mattered': Colten Boushie remembered by friends, family one year after Gerald Stanley trial

Matt Olson, Saskatoon Starpheonix 

As the sun set over North Battleford on Saturday night, lights still burned brightly in the snow — candles lit in memory of Colten Boushie.

23) Mayor John Tory blames mental health issues for Toronto's homelessness crisis. He's wrong.

Jessica Hales, Now Magazine 

The mayor overlooks the reality that homelessness is often a cause of mental health problems – some homeless people spend years in Toronto's shelter system exposed to constant noise, chronic sleep deprivation and extreme stress.




24) Italy: Hundreds of thousands protest populist government

Elizabeth Schumacher, DW


Italy's trade unions called for the demonstration against economic stagnation and social injustice. Italy has one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe despite being home to some of its most productive regions.

25) Denver is so expensive that teachers have to get creative to make ends meet

Christina Zdanowicz, CNN

For 14 months, teachers in Denver have been negotiating with Denver Public Schools for more pay. On Saturday, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association said talks had broken off and they'll walk on Monday.

26) Flood-affected farmers witness entire cattle herds wiped out by catastrophic deluge

Natalie Wolfe, AU News

Farmers who managed to keep their cattle alive for seven years, through one of Australia’s worst droughts in history, have watched their herds wiped out in a matter of days after unprecedented floods devastated much of Queensland.

27) China’s Xi Jinping goes back to Marx and the classics to push a modern green agenda

Jun Mai, South China Morning Post

Chinese President Xi Jinping has turned to Karl Marx and Chinese classic teachings to justify his battle against pollution.  

28) All the Bad Things About Uber and Lyft In One Simple List

Angie Schmitt, StreetsBlog USA

Here’s the latest evidence that Uber and Lyft are destroying our world: Students at the University of California Los Angeles are taking an astonishing 11,000 app-based taxi trips every week that begin and end within the boundaries of the campus.

29) The cold calculus of care for children with autism in Ontario

Dr. Sherri Brown, Behind the Numbers

On February 5, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Lisa MacLeod, held a press conference with her Parliamentary Secretary, Amy Fee, to announce sweeping changes to the Ontario Autism Program. I sat glued to my screen at my office and then following the announcement, closed my door and cried. For hours after the announcement I could barely turn on my radio, television, or social media. When I did, everywhere I turned, parents and caregivers were in a state of panic and terror.

30) Group says Ontario minister told them to support new autism program or face ‘4 long years’

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press

Ontario’s minister in charge of the recently revamped autism program told an association of behaviour analysts that it would be a long four years for them if they did not publicly support the changes, the group said Wednesday.

31) Lisa MacLeod tweets apology, after calls to resign over autism controversy

The Canadian Press

Ontario's social services minister said Thursday that she was sorry if she made anyone feel threatened, after behaviour analysts said she warned them of consequences if they didn't support her new autism program.

32) MacLeod says she 'doesn't recall' comments to autism group as parents protest outside her office

Joanne Schnurr, CTV Ottawa

There appears to be a stalemate on both sides of the autism issue in Ontario. Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod apologized for remarks she made to an autism group but vowed she won't back down from funding changes.

33) Why is Doug Ford attacking student newspapers?

John Lorinc, The Toronto Star

Even for a government that seems like a series of sideshows in search of a plot, Premier Doug Ford’s attacks on campus student organizations has a jump-the-shark feel.

34) Mexican Migrants Kept as 'Slaves' in Canada, Released


Telesur

Canadian police have located and freed more than 40 Mexican nationals who were living under conditions of “modern slavery” and who were presumably forced to do jobs consisting of cleaning rich-owned vacation homes in Ontario.

35) Vandals desecrate graves of Spanish Republican heroine and Socialist Party founder

F. Javier Barroso, El Pais

Civil War monuments, including those commemorating the “Thirteen Roses,” were also vandalized in Madrid’s La Almudena cemetery.

36) Karl Marx's London memorial vandalised for second time

Ruth Quinn, The Guardian 

The tomb of Karl Marx in Highgate cemetery in London has been vandalised for the second time in the space of a month.

37) Canada's forests actually emit more carbon than they absorb — despite what you've heard on Facebook

Robson Fletcher · CBC News

You might have heard that Canada's forests are an immense carbon sink, sucking up all sorts of CO2 — more than we produce — so we don't have to worry about our greenhouse gas emissions.

38) 'I'm in shock': Toronto police rule out charges after 30 women accuse former RCMP doctor of sexual assault

Dave Seglins, Rachel Houlihan · CBC News

Toronto police sex crimes investigators say there are "no grounds" to lay criminal charges against a former RCMP doctor. That's despite 30 women alleging they were sexually assaulted during mandatory medical exams when hired by the police force in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

39) By 2080, the climate in these Canadian cities will look nothing like it does today

Nicole Mortillaro · CBC News

The average summertime temperature in Edmonton is around 15 C. It's comfortable and familiar for residents. But in 60 years, that temperature is forecast to rise by almost 5 C, more reminiscent of the climate just outside St. Paul, Minn.


40) Cuba’s constitution is discussed and approved by Cubans

Granma

“The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) continues to follow the script provided by the United States, organizing a new spectacle attacking Cuba, which he has called a conference. On this occasion, in regards to the Cuban constitutional reform project,” stated Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, the Foreign Ministry’s director for Latin America and the Caribbean, during a press conference yesterday.

41) How the US has hidden its empire

Daniel Immerwahr, The Guardian 

The United States likes to think of itself as a republic, but it holds territories all over the world – the map you always see doesn’t tell the whole story.

42) For a Catalan republic of workers and the people

Esquerra Revolucionària, Spanish state

The trial against political prisoners accused of organising the 1 October referendum once again highlights the anti-democratic and reactionary nature of the Spanish state and the decision of the PSOE government to disregard the democratic aspirations of the people of Catalonia.

43) Spanish prime minister calls snap election after budget fails to pass

David Reid, CNBC

The government of Spain formally called for a snap general election Friday following its failure to pass its 2019 budget through Congress.

44) 'Donald Trump, We'll See You In Court': California To Sue Over Emergency Declaration

Chris Hagan & Nick Miller, NPR

California plans to sue the Trump administration over the president's emergency declaration to fund construction of a border wall.

45) Amazon Will Pay a Whopping $0 in Federal Taxes on $11.2 Billion Profits

Laura Stampler, Fortune

Those wondering how many zeros Amazon, which is valued at nearly $800 billion, has to pay in federal taxes might be surprised to learn that its check to the IRS will read exactly $0.00.

46) Portugal public sector strike disrupts schools, hospitals

France 24

Hospitals cut services to a minimum, schools were closed and rubbish was left uncollected in Portugal on Friday as public workers went on strike over pay.

47) Bernie Sanders records video announcing 2020 campaign

Holly Otterbeinm Politico 

Bernie Sanders, inching closer to a second bid for the White House, has recorded a campaign video in which he says he is running for president in 2020, according to two people familiar with the spot.

48) UK Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia 'Unlawful': Parliamentary Report

Telesur

A British parliamentary committee concluded in a report issued Friday that British arms exports to Saudi Arabia violate international humanitarian law and called on the United Kingdom’s government to actively work to end the war in Yemen.

49) Colin Kaepernick won. Period.

Jason Reid, The Undefeated 

Make no mistake: Colin Kaepernick won.

50) More than 900 dead in Madagascar measles epidemic

The Sydney Morning Herald

Since the beginning of the outbreak in September, more than 66,000 people in the African island nation have been infected with the highly contagious virus, the WHO said.

51) ‘There are no foreigners left’: Israeli settlers rampage in Hebron following expulsion of human rights observers

 Yumna Patel, Mondoweiss 

Dozens of Israeli settlers launched an attack on Palestinians in the Old City of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank on Tuesday night, yelling “death to Arabs!” in the street and hurling rocks at Palestinian homes.

See also: Venezuela and the Imperialist Coup Attempt, 1 Million Person Left Front March in India & more -- The Week in News, Opinion and Videos February 3 - 10

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