With abortion rights under assault in the United States remember George Tiller.
Tiller, a tremendously courageous defender of women's abortion rights, was murdered 10 years ago today in his church by a misogynist, anti-abortion fanatic. As an abortion provider Tiller's clinic in Kansas had been firebombed and he had previously been shot in both arms.
George Richard Tiller, August 8, 1941 – May 31, 2009
Today we are taking a look at 19 images of some of the streets, buildings and sights of Sofia, People's Republic of Bulgaria, 1973. 18 of these vintage photographs were from a postcard folder that was aimed at Russian/Soviet visitors with the text in Russian while one is a card from the same era aimed at French tourists.
There are a large number of streetscapes -- of which we are very fond here on The Left Chapter -- as well as photos of new housing developments, monuments, and famous landmarks like the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Among these is a photo of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum which was constructed in honour of the famed Communist and anti-fascist leader after his death in 1949. Despite the opposition of two-thirds of the country's population the mausoleum was destroyed in 1999 by a right wing government.
The photos of the Vitosha Mountain cable car and outlook are spectacular.
The post begins and ends with views of National Assembly Square, one during the day and one at night with the cathedral lit in the background.
(Click on images to enlarge)
National Assembly Square
Monument to the Soviet Army
Residential Buildings on V. I. Lenin Ave.
Aleksandar Stamboliyski Street
( Stamboliyski was Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 1919 to 1923 when
he was murdered after a right wing coup.)
Ivan Vazov National Theatre
Vitosha Mountain Cable Car
Outlook with a View of the City from Vitosha Mountain
Cuba has dubbed John Bolton a "pathological liar" for good reason. "We are confident that Saddam Hussein has hidden weapons of mass destruction and production facilities in Iraq" - US national security adviser John Bolton building the false case for war against Iraq, 2002 "The United States believes that Cuba has at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort" - Bolton also falsely claimed this in 2002. When State Department officials contradicted him, he threatened them. Now Bolton is making claims about Cuban troops in Venezuela and Iranian "aggression" with no evidence to back them up. He was lying then. He is now too. Say NO to the next wars.
After the total fiasco of Doug Ford's "buck-a-beer" distraction attempt his austerity government is now looking to turn attention from their vicious, petty cuts by putting beer and wine in Ontario's corner stores.
While many find this attractive as it could presumably mean greater short-term consumer convenience, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) are pointing out that it would have a serious impact on jobs, prices and the environment.
The evidence is clear: expanding beer sales to convenience, big box, and other retail outlets would result in major job losses, higher beer prices for consumers, the end to a vital recycling system, and massive costs to Ontario taxpayers. It’s time to say “NO!” to Doug Ford’s irresponsible, job-killing plan for beer sales.
The union is distributing flyers (pictured here) at The Beer Store and is calling on people to sign an online petition in opposition to the government's plans.
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.
When Sam Blakely first heard about Alabama’s plan to ban almost all abortions in the state, she was driving. She pulled over and cried. 2) Extremists Are Winning the War on Abortion Vegas Tenold, Vice News
The rise of the radical anti-abortion movement has transformed statehouses, courts, and the White House. Experts worry violence will follow. 3) Abortion Limits Carry Economic Cost For Women Scott Horsley, NPR
As Republican-led states pass laws restricting abortion in hopes the Supreme Court will overturn its Roe v. Wade decision, supporters of abortion rights are pushing back. 4) Andrew Scheer Told Anti-Abortion Group He’d Let Conservative MPs Reopen the Abortion Debate Press Progress
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer wants Canadians to have “absolute confidence” he will never reopen the abortion debate, even though he said the exact opposite when he was running for leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. 5) HERE ARE THE GOP’S SECRET TALKING POINTS DEFENDING ALABAMA’S ABORTION LAW Daniel Newhauser, Vice News
In the days since Alabama’s passage of the most restrictive abortion law in the nation, national Republicans have tried to distance themselves from its most controversial provisions that would outlaw abortion even in the case of rape or incest. 6) As the far right grows, its mask comes off Phil Hearse, Green Left Weekly
The brutal face of hard right and fascist reaction has been on vivid display on the issues of women’s rights and the climate crisis in the past few weeks. 7) ACLU and Planned Parenthood file lawsuit against Alabama abortion ban Erin Durkin, The Guardian
Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit to stop Alabama from implementing a law making abortion a crime at any stage of pregnancy. 8) Federal Judge Blocks Mississippi Abortion Law Antonia Blumberg, HuffPost US
If someone had said the word “Moby” a week ago, chances are the first thing you’d have thought is “Dick.” That probably hasn’t changed – but now you’d likely be referring to the 90s musician rather than the 19th century whale. Over the past few days, Moby has been stress-testing the adage that “all publicity is good publicity” by repeatedly insisting that he and Natalie Portman used to be an item, even if she says they weren’t. 12) Brazil’s Military Police Kills 434 in Rio de Janeiro in 2019 Telesur
Brazil's military police killed 434 in 2019, making it the most violent period in recorded history. Most of the killings occurred against Black men in favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
13) Italian dock strike blocks deadly cargo headed for Saudi Arabia Steve Sweeney, The Morning Star
Activists holds up a banner which says ‘Disobey Salvini’ as they protest against the Saudi Arabian freighter Bahri Yanbu docked in Genoa's port. 14) Organizing in the textile and garment sector in Thailand IndustriALL
IndustriALL organized the first workshop in Thailand on organizing in the supply chain for textile, garment, shoes and leather (TGSL) sector affiliate, Textile Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation of Thailand (TWFT) on 3-4 May in Bangkok. 15) Family of Jailed Saudi Feminist Loujain Al-Hathloul: She Was Waterboarded, Flogged & Electrocuted Democracy Now
It’s been a year since women’s right activist Loujain Al-Hathloul was detained and jailed in Saudi Arabia for leading a movement to lift the kingdom’s ban on female drivers and overhaul its male “guardianship” system. Despite international outcry, she’s been imprisoned ever since. During that time, her family says, she’s been held in solitary confinement and faced abuse, including electric shocks, flogging and threats of sexual violence. The Saudi government has resisted calls from human rights groups and lawmakers from around the world to release Loujain and the other jailed activists. We speak with two of Loujain’s siblings, Walid and Lina Al-Hathloul. 16) Right-wing media defends Navy SEAL accused of killing Iraqi civilians, posing with corpses Luke Barnes, Think Progress
Conservative media has jumped to the defense of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, the Navy SEAL accused of war crimes against unarmed civilians, whom President Donald Trump is reportedly considering pardoning this week. 17) NDP MP Randall Garrison’s disgraceful anti-Palestinian politics Yves Engler
Randall Garrison is an embarrassment to everyone who supports universal human rights. The Victoria area New Democratic Party MP’s anti-Palestinian politics are beyond disgraceful. 18) Human Rights Defender Paula Rosero Killed in Colombia Telesur
According to a recent count, after the signing of the peace agreements in Colombia, in November 2016, 596 social leaders have been killed.
A new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance suggests that China's electric-bus revolution could kill off oil demand in the future. 21) The U.S. Has a Fleet of 300 Electric Buses. China Has 421,000 Brian Eckhouse, Bloomberg
Plodding down DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn is a bus moving under the power of an eerily quiet motor. It looks newer than most buses on the route, with a vivid digital display facing the driver and doors that part with a futuristic pneumatic swoosh. Commuters trundling aboard at rush hour don't seem to realize this is one of the few electric buses—300 last year, to be exact—in America. 22) 126 cases and 0 criminal charges: Is Quebec's police watchdog doing its job? Kate McKenna · CBC News
The rise of congresspeople like Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, mirrors the shifting opinions of the populace. 24) The Federal Election 2019 Australian Communist Party
If people attached importance to pre-election polls, the result of Saturday’s federal election would have come as a great shock. The outcome will be analysed at great length by the corporate media but at a very superficial level. Bill Shorten lacked “charisma”, the Coalition targeted their pork barrelling well and carried out an effective and misleading scare campaign about increased taxes, and so on. 25) How Australia’s Labor Party Lost an Un-Losable Election Daniel Lopez, Jacobin
Pundits are blaming the Australian Labor Party's left-wing turn for its shocking defeat in Saturday's election. But the failure lies in the fact that this leftist program came too little, too late. 26) Labor was not radical enough Sam Wainwright, Green Left Weekly
Barely had we digested the news of the unexpected Coalition victory when the corporate media commentators and a number of senior party leaders were blaming Labor’s election loss for it being too left-wing — “too ambitious”, “a large target” and “bit off more than it could chew”. 27) New York-born GI who defected to the East back in USA Cameron Orr, People's Voice
“You know what today is?” Victor Grossman asks a gathering of 30 here during a stop on his book tour. He is coming to the end of his talk. 28) Should we fear for India's democracy? Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Al Jazeera
Weeks before the general elections in India, opinion polls were already showing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a fair chance of returning to office. He was riding on the crest of militaristic nationalism which gripped the nation after the military escalation with Pakistan in February. 29) Outcry after Trump officials reveal sixth migrant child died in US custody Oliver Laughland, The Guardian
The Trump administration has been forced to reveal that a 10-year-old migrant girl died in its custody more than seven months ago, sparking further outcry after a spate of recent migrant child deaths while detained by the US government. China and Cuba are teaming up to revamp the island nation’s railroad system. The ambitious program, which includes these beautiful bright blue train cars, will modernize the country’s railways, putting them on par with the best in the world: 30) The NDP Is Class Conscious, Just Not How You Think Stuart Parker
In my last post I suggested that the New Democratic Party of Canada and its ilk are not unprincipled as many on the left suggest but instead have ideologically changed over the past generation and a half. For some, the knowledge that former social democratic parties, Third Way parties like the NDP are no longer socialist in character is sufficient. But I think that we need to go further to understand our present predicament. As we can now understand that these parties are here to actively stymie efforts to redistribute wealth or arrest the extinction event, it is important to comprehend and anticipate their actions, not so that we can work in concert with them but so as to prepare ourselves for their next move against us. 31) Brazil: More than 1 million take to the streets Brazilwire
A nationwide education strike on May 15 became the platform for the biggest anti-government protests since President Jair Bolsonaro took power. 32) France’s ‘Yellow Vests’: 6 months of struggle Richard Greeman, Green Left Weekly
I am writing from Montpellier, France, where I am a participant-observer in the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vest) movement, which is still going strong after six months, despite a dearth of information in the international media. 33) Shed No Tears for Theresa May Dawn Foster, Jacobin
The United Nations expert whose warning of deepening poverty in Britain was this week dismissed as “barely believable” by ministers, has said the government’s denial is as worrying as the poverty itself. 36) Kenya court upholds ban on gay sex in major setback for activists Jason Burke, The Guardian
LGBT campaigners have reacted with anger and dismay after judges at Kenya’s high court rejected a bid to repeal colonial-era laws criminalising gay sex. 37) Trump Threatens “Official End of Iran” Via Tweet If It Provokes the U.S. Democracy Now
As tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to flare, President Trump issued a threatening tweet Sunday, writing: “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!” He did not specify what threat he was referring to. On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated that Iran does not want war and that no country has the “illusion it could confront Iran,” according to state media. 38) Trump Says the Military Industrial Complex is Pressuring him Into a War With Iran The Real News Network
With a thirty year Boeing veteran at the Pentagon, Patrick Shanahan as Acting Secretary of Defense, and with John Bolton and Mike Pompeo at the helm, war with Iran is likely says the former chief of staff to Secretary of State, Col. Larry Wilkerson.
Sara Mojtehedzadeh, The Toronto Star
Permanently injured workers are having their benefits slashed because the provincial compensation board deems them capable of doing “imaginary” jobs with “ghost wages,” a new report says — even though the board’s own audits have identified significant barriers to finding real employment. 49) Ontario government slashes funding to children’s aid societies Sandro Contenta, The Toronto Star
The Ford government is reducing funding for children and youth at risk by $84.5 million, according to an analysis of provincial spending estimates by the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. 50) Low-income students to be hardest hit as TDSB looks to trim outdoor education programs, some warn CBC Radio
As a community mental health social worker in downtown Toronto, I encounter the most extreme conditions of poverty and social inequality in the city. The people I work with are often forced to find shelter in profoundly undignified environments. Some pay upwards of $1,000 a month to share a shoebox-sized room with strangers in boarding homes where sickness is rampant and pest infestations are chronic. When I search for people in dangerously cramped city respite shelters, I’m struck by their resemblance to natural disaster relief centres. There is no privacy; there are rarely any showers; and leaving your “cot” means risking the few possessions you have to theft. I often reflect on how quickly my mental health would deteriorate should I ever wind up staying in one. 52) Ford government pulls the plug on electricity program in Peel Marta Marychuk, Mississauga News
Students from Judith Nyman Secondary School in Brampton are angry and disappointed after the Ministry of Education pulled the plug on funding for the school’s electricity program. See also: Abortion Rights Under Attack, American Imperialists Push for War with Iran, Climate Change & more -- The Week in News, Opinion and Videos May 12 - 19
While Liberal and "social democratic" politicians have engaged in a profoundly hypocritical and dangerous game of paying lip service to the facts of the climate emergency the world faces while in practice doing little about it, today Conservative leader Andrew Scheer released an energy plan that is a demented denial of the situation we are in.
Standing behind a placard reading "Getting Pipelines Built" that could easily have said "Burn Planet Burn", Scheer proposed a cross-Canada energy corridor, pipelines to everywhere, allowing tanker traffic in northern B.C., banning "foreign-funded" environmentalists from critiquing projects that massive multinational energy corporations are advocating for to profit from, scrapping the carbon tax, and a variety of other measures.
That a number of these proposals are likely unconstitutional and that no attention was paid at all to the land rights of Indigenous peoples or the impact that these proposals would have on the environment says all we need to know.
Scheer and the Conservatives simply do not care what scorched earth reality comes out at the end of this as long as they can fool and trick voters who desperately want to see the kind of good paying jobs that projects like these allegedly create and as long the powerful and wealthy business interests who stand to profit massively from this are pandered to.
We could note here the devastating wildfires that the ongoing climate crisis is unleashing (Fort McMurray, anyone?), the floods, the loss of countless species and ecosystems, the fact that millions of workers are having their jobs and lives destroyed by the climate emergency, the fact that there is lots of evidence that the glory days of Canada's energy sector are gone forever, and on and on and on.
But their ideas are clearly not evidence based.
The depth and threat posed to our civilization and to humanity by climate change is only in doubt to the willfully blind. Yet politicians of all stripes continue to peddle one version of denialism or another with Scheer's being the most direct path to aiding in human extinction.
It is amazing that these political windbags will all wax poetic about "families" and building a "future" for our children while doing everything they can to ensure that there is no future for them of any kind. Or, at least, not one worth living in.
This insanity where as a society we insist on blindly advancing down a road to our own self-immolation could not find any better poster boy than Andrew Scheer and his ilk. Given the lack of a legitimate media response and the lack of action by "progressive" politicians, unless collective mass resistance is built to stop these suicidal proposals both in Canada and internationally, they may yet succeed in killing us all.
It is amazing how partisan hypocrisy continues to undermine any serious attempt to confront the staggering climate crisis and emergency that faces us.
While it is certainly unfortunate and disappointing that the B.C. Court of Appeal unanimously ruled against the BC NDP government determining that "British Columbia doesn't have the right to impose environmental laws that could kill the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion", it is simply farcical to claim that the BC NDP is "trying to protect" the right of Canadians to "a clean environment" as federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh does in the above tweet. From its appalling "sort-of" reversal on the Site C project that led NDP Premier John Horgan to opine "When it comes to reconciliation and working with Indigenous leadership there has been over 150 years of disappointment in British Columbia. I’m not the first person to stand before you and disappoint Indigenous people." to its support of fracking with the LNG project the BC NDP has a profoundly selective version of "trying to protect" the environment. We also must not forget the shameful BC RCMP invasion of Wet'suwet'en territory where officers armed with assault and sniper rifles arrested peaceful protesters on their own lands, all under the NDP's watch, and all in support of building a pipeline! As long as this kind of partisan blindness exists that would allow Singh to make a statement that is so ludicrously out of whack with reality any supposed commitment to an alleged "Green New Deal" can't be seen as anything more than a cynical election ploy. See also: The staggering hypocrisy of 'progressive' politicians in Canada will come back to haunt
Vintage Cookbook: The Food of Singapore, Various Authors Publication Details: Periplus Editions, 1995
Published in 1995 this colourful cookbook was part of a series that featured the cooking of Asia with other titles that included looks at dishes from countries like Thailand and Malaysia. Here the focus was on the culturally diverse cuisine of Singapore with its many different influences.
The book opens with an overview of food in the city including looks at the impact of Chinese, Indian and Malay cuisine. There is an exploration of the vibrant food center scene as well as delving into matters like style and etiquette.
It then looks more closely at the various implements and ingredients used.
This is followed by a wide array of recipes that reflect the various currents. The recipes are broken down along fairly standard lines from noodle dishes, to appetizers, mains, seafood, etc. Each recipe is accompanied by a photo. Some of the dishes can be quite complex but even more so in their flavour profiles.
Here we have picked ten recipes drawn from various sections and influences. There are curries, pork bone soup, Hokkien fried noodles, a mango pickle recipe and more. In future we also plan to feature our take on a couple of dishes from the book that use lamb and oxtail.
