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mother earth

mother earth's Journal
mother earth's Journal
July 10, 2015

A Socialist Surge in the U.S.? Bernie Sanders Draws Record Crowds, Praises Greek Anti-Austerity Vote



Published on Jul 7, 2015

http://democracynow.org - The Greek election has also factored into the U.S. presidential race. On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders said, "I applaud the people of Greece for saying 'no' to more austerity for the poor, the children, the sick and the elderly. In a world of massive wealth and income inequality, Europe must support Greece’s efforts to build an economy which creates more jobs and income, not more unemployment and suffering." Sanders’ anti-austerity platform is resonating with voters. On Monday, Sanders spoke before 9,000 in Portland, Maine. Last week he drew more than 10,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin, in the largest crowd of any presidential candidate in the 2016 race. We speak to Richard Wolff about Bernie Sanders and what it means to be a socialist.

July 10, 2015

"A Europe of Equals": Report from Athens as Greek Voters Seek Alternatives to Austerity



Published on Jul 7, 2015

http://democracynow.org - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has arrived in Brussels for an emergency eurozone summit two days after Greek voters overwhelmingly turned down the terms of an international bailout in a historic rejection of austerity. On Sunday, Greeks, by a 61-to-39-percent margin, voted against further budget cuts and tax hikes in exchange for a rescue package from European creditors. Tsipras is scrambling to present a new bailout proposal as Greek banks remain shut down. If Greek banks run out of money and the country has to print its own currency, it could mean a state leaving the euro for the first time since it was launched in 1999. Euclid Tsakalotos was sworn in Monday as Greece’s new finance minister, replacing Yanis Varoufakis, who resigned following Sunday’s referendum. Tsakalotos, who has called for a "Europe of equals," had served as Greece’s main bailout negotiator and has been a member of Syriza for nearly a decade. Like Varoufakis, Tsakalotos has been a vocal opponent of fiscal austerity imposed by the core of the eurozone, saying it has unnecessarily impoverished Greece. We go to Athens to speak with Paul Mason, economics editor at Channel 4 News, and economics professor Richard Wolff.
July 10, 2015

Matt Taibbi: Eric Holder Back to Wall Street-Tied Law Firm After Years of Refusing to Jail Bankers



Published on Jul 8, 2015

http://democracynow.org - In the latest sign of the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington, recently retired U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is returning home — to the corporate law firm Covington & Burling, where he worked for eight years before becoming head of the Justice Department. During his time at Covington, Holder’s clients included UBS and the fruit giant Chiquita. The law firm’s client list has included many of the big banks Holder failed to criminally prosecute as attorney general for their role in the financial crisis, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. We speak with Matt Taibbi, award-winning journalist with Rolling Stone magazine. "I think this is probably the single biggest example of the revolving door that we’ve ever had," Taibbi says.


July 7, 2015

Keiser Report: Yanis Varoufakis 'Shane' of Greece (E780)



It's good, I love where he makes a point about Varoufakis resigning so that the Troika has no excuse to not deal. Always one step ahead of 'em.
July 7, 2015

"I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride." Yanis Varoufakis

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2015/07/06/minister-no-more/#more-8433

Minister No More!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by yanisv

The referendum of 5th July will stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt-bondage.

Like all struggles for democratic rights, so too this historic rejection of the Eurogroup’s 25th June ultimatum comes with a large price tag attached. It is, therefore, essential that the great capital bestowed upon our government by the splendid NO vote be invested immediately into a YES to a proper resolution – to an agreement that involves debt restructuring, less austerity, redistribution in favour of the needy, and real reforms.

Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted ‘partners’, for my… ‘absence’ from its meetings; an idea that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today.

I consider it my duty to help Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday’s referendum.

And I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride.

We of the Left know how to act collectively with no care for the privileges of office. I shall support fully Prime Minister Tsipras, the new Minister of Finance, and our government.

The superhuman effort to honour the brave people of Greece, and the famous OXI (NO) that they granted to democrats the world over, is just beginning.


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Seven reasons why Yanis Varoufakis is now a political legend

Whether you like him or not, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is now a political legend. Here’s why:

1. The way he communicates

With his blog and his Twitter account , he speaks directly to the people, his fans and his detractors, when he wants, how he wants it, without the media filter.

Non-verbal communication is important too. The infamous video of Varoufakis ‘flipping his middle finger’ to Germany, which caused uproar in German media, may or may not have been faked by a German satirical TV show.


MORE:
http://www.euronews.com/2015/07/06/seven-reasons-why-yanis-varoufakis-is-now-a-political-legend/

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Yanis Varoufakis says Greece is being 'fiscally waterboarded' by a 'Global Minotaur'

Varoufakis also boils Greece's current crisis down to a simple case of Merkel pushing a red or yellow button. In the case of red, "If you press it, chancellor, the euro crisis ends immediately." For yellow, "the situation in the eurozone remains more or less as it is for a decade," but Italy and France follow Greece into a state of semi-insolvency.

Merkel prefers the yellow button, Varoufakis says, because the ongoing crisis has the advantage of keeping interest rates low, making the euro cheap, and boosting German exports.


Excerpt:
http://www.businessinsider.com/yanis-varoufakis-germany-fiscally-waterboarded-wall-street-global-minotaur-2015-7

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They've merely begun to scratch the surface of what has been playing out in Greece and his role in it, but Varoufakis deserves the admiration and love of all those who see beyond the agenda of the varying articles and words that have been and will continue to be written about him, and his glorious role in this ongoing battle. He is a champion! Despite this resignation he tells us he will forge on to fight for his people and to help Syriza.

The frosting on the cake, is that he does not rely on the propaganda of mainstream media, he brings us his version as events unfold, and you've gotta love a man like that. I am an unapologetic fan, I wish there were more men of honor like Yanis Varoufakis...cult following, lol? He has the worthy admiration and gratitude of people in Greece and everywhere for all he's done and continues to do...is that a "cult"? Hah! I think not. That is admiration of greatness for all the right reasons. I think it's high time we celebrate and enjoy a victor who triumphs in this ongoing battle against this Global Minotaur!

What has been playing out in Greece is important to all of us, we understand all too well who and what these sides represent. It is a battle of the working class against the l%, aka the oligarchs, this is nothing new. Their greed has, however, become insatiable gluttony. Time to stop feeding the monster. Our very future depends upon it.

Varoufakis has taught us along the way that these battles can be won, and so, we do not falter, we may have to change direction, but the road is always clear. We shall defeat this imposed inequality, and empower shared prosperity that honors humanity.

Thank you, Yanis Varoufakis, you are showered with the love and admiration of masses of people, wear that too with pride, you deserve to. Our warrior hearts salute you and join you in the good fight.

July 4, 2015

Bernie Sanders on the IMF & Greece...Thought you loved him before? Wait!

Many people want to know more about Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' foreign policy agenda. Yes, they say, we like what Sanders is saying about reducing extreme inequality, about reducing the political power of the billionaire class. But what about U.S. foreign policy? Yes, they say, Bernie voted no on the Iraq war; yes, they acknowledge, Sanders supports the Iran deal. But we're spending more than half of our federal income tax dollars on the Pentagon's empire, money we should be spending on rebuilding our nation's domestic infrastructure. "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death," Dr. King said. What's Bernie going to do about that?

I'm all for pushing Bernie to talk more about downsizing the Pentagon to be an institution focused on actually defending the United States, as opposed to running around the world overthrowing other people's governments -- a Pentagon that "goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy," as President John Quincy Adams put it.

But we should also take advantage of the new opportunity that now presents itself; it's not only with bombs that U.S. foreign policy kills and injures innocent civilians.

We should recognize and publicize the fact that Bernie Sanders is the only presidential candidate who is talking about what the IMF is doing to Greece, the only presidential candidate who has a track record of opposing the IMF, the only presidential candidate who, if elected, is likely to do anything to end the economic violence of the IMF.


MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/bernie-sanders-will-end-the-imfs-economic-violence-in-greece-and-africa_b_7723284.html
July 4, 2015

You think you love Bernie Sanders, now....THIS is the best yet, no one is going to take this stance

and that is exactly why this Sanderstorm is only beginning!

Many people want to know more about Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' foreign policy agenda. Yes, they say, we like what Sanders is saying about reducing extreme inequality, about reducing the political power of the billionaire class. But what about U.S. foreign policy? Yes, they say, Bernie voted no on the Iraq war; yes, they acknowledge, Sanders supports the Iran deal. But we're spending more than half of our federal income tax dollars on the Pentagon's empire, money we should be spending on rebuilding our nation's domestic infrastructure. "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death," Dr. King said. What's Bernie going to do about that?

I'm all for pushing Bernie to talk more about downsizing the Pentagon to be an institution focused on actually defending the United States, as opposed to running around the world overthrowing other people's governments -- a Pentagon that "goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy," as President John Quincy Adams put it.

But we should also take advantage of the new opportunity that now presents itself; it's not only with bombs that U.S. foreign policy kills and injures innocent civilians.

We should recognize and publicize the fact that Bernie Sanders is the only presidential candidate who is talking about what the IMF is doing to Greece, the only presidential candidate who has a track record of opposing the IMF, the only presidential candidate who, if elected, is likely to do anything to end the economic violence of the IMF.


For more of this excellent article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/bernie-sanders-will-end-the-imfs-economic-violence-in-greece-and-africa_b_7723284.html

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