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Noted analysts on both left and right see America’s empire in decline. In his 2009 book, “Global Depression and Regional Wars,” James Petras said:

“All the idols of capitalism over the past three decades have crashed. The assumptions and presumptions, paradigms and prognosis of indefinite progress under liberal free market capitalism have been tested and have failed. We are living the end of an entire epoch (and are bearing witness to) the collapse of the US and world financial system,” and with it America’s empire.

On August 16, Paul Craig Roberts headlined his article, “The Ecstacy of Empire: How Close Is America’s Demise,” saying:

America’s profligacy “is running out of time….” Yet “2010 has been wasted in hype about a non-existant recovery.” Government-manipulated reality masks the internal rot. Wall Street handouts and imperial wars are bankrupting the country.

“US military spending reflects the unaffordable and unattainable crazed neoconservative goal of US empire and world hegemony….If the wars are not immediately stopped and the jobs (not) brought back to America, the US is relegated to the trash bin of history….Without a revolution, Americans are history.” Indeed so.

In his March 18, 2008 article headlined, “The Collapse of America Power,” Roberts said:

America thinks it owns the world. In fact, it “owes the world. The US ‘superpower’ cannot even finance its own domestic operations, much less its gratuitous wars” except through mounting debt that can’t be repaid, and the more it mounts, the greater the eventual crash, working Americans to bear the burden.

In his November 16 article headlined, “Ruling on Behalf of Wall Street’s ‘Super Rich:’ The Financial End Time has Arrived,” Michael Hudson said:

“The financial End Time has arrived….(t)hanks largely to the $13 trillion Wall Street bailout – while keeping the debt overhead in place for America’s ‘bottom 98%” – this happy 2% of the population now receives an estimated three quarters (75%) of the returns to wealth (interest, dividends, rent and capital gains). This is nearly double what it received a generation ago. The rest of the population is being squeezed, and foreclosures are rising.”

The economy is being destroyed to favor Wall Street and Pentagon militarists. Obama perpetuates this madness. “The Wurst of Obama: He’s Carving the Middle Class into Sausage Filler as a Super-Meal for the Rich,” and trashing America in the process.

A recent article remembered Chalmers Johnson, best known for calling America’s global wars and imperialism a “suicide option” unless reversed. Access it through the following link:

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/11/remembering-chalmers-ashby-johnson-8631.html

Naming us our own enemy, he called our policies “arrogant and misguided,” America’s condition dire, and it’s “too late for mere scattered reforms.” We can choose – democracy to survive or perish under current policies. He said America is plagued by the same dynamic that doomed past empires unwilling to change, what he called:

“isolation, overstretch, the uniting of local and global forces opposed to imperialism, and in the end bankruptcy,” combined with authoritarian rule and loss of personal freedom. In other words, tyranny and ruin, his book “Nemesis” presenting:

“historical, political, economic, and philosophical evidence of where our current behavior is likely to lead. Specifically, I believe that to maintain our empire abroad requires resources and commitments that will inevitably undercut our domestic democracy and in the end produce a military dictatorship or its civilian equivalent.”

“The founders of our nation understood this well and tried to create a form of government – a republic – that would prevent this from occurring. But the combination of huge standing armies, almost continuous wars, military Keynesianism, and ruinous military expenses have destroyed our republican structure in favor of an imperial presidency. We are on the cusp of losing our democracy for the sake of keeping our empire.” Eventually, however, we’ll keep neither.

In a July 30 article, titled “Three Good Reasons to Liquidate Our Empire,” Johnson cited:

(1) Postwar expansionism is no longer affordable;

(2) We’re losing the Afghan War and pursuing it is bankrupting us; and

(3) Our shameful “empire of bases” must end; close them down, at least most, ideally all, and also sharply cut our standing army.

His main message: “we must give up our inappropriate reliance on military force as the chief means of attempting to achieve foreign policy objectives.” Few empires ever did it voluntarily. Britain did, chosing democracy. The Soviets didn’t and fell.

A Grim Pentagon Afghan War Assessment

In its most recent semiannual report, released late November, titled, “Progress toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan,” Pentagon commanders were worried, suggesting that despite 100,000 US forces and 50,000 others (double the force since 2008), conditions are no better, saying;

“Progress across the country remains uneven, with modest gains in security, governance and development in operational priority areas.” Progress overall has been “slow and incremental….key terrain….relatively unchanged.”

Notably, however, violence and Afghan deaths have sharply risen as a result of a 300% increase in armed clashes since 2007, and a 70% rise over 2009. Despite the force buildup, “The insurgency has proven resilient with sustained logistics capacity and command and control.”

Afghans also acknowledge that security is worse than ever. Moreover, “insurgent safe havens” in Pakistan and Iran threaten to widen the war further. In fact, “(e)fforts to reduce insurgent capacity….have not produced measurable results” despite heightened drone and other attacks.

In addition, out-of-control corruption exacerbates the problem, the report calling it “consistent with the view that (it’s) preventing the Afghan government from connecting with the people and remains a key reason for Afghans supporting the insurgency.”

Nonetheless, Washington is staying the course, shifting its exit strategy from fixed to transition, the report calling the “US commitment to Afghanistan….continuing, enduring, and long-lasting.” In other words, continuity, not winning or losing matters, assuring hundreds of billions more dollars endlessly spent. And not just in Afghanistan/Pakistan.

Another Gloomy War Analysis

On October 14, Anthony Cordesman of the conservative Center for Strategic Studies (CSIS) issued a report titled,”Grand Strategy in the Afghan, Pakistan, and Iraq Wars: The End State Fallacy,” saying;

“Grand strategy is not an American strength….Iraq is already a case in point. We have not yet achieved any meaningful form of positive strategic result (from over seven and a half years of war), and may end in a major grand strategic defeat.”

Conflict continues. Obama’s end of combat mission was bogus. Permanent occupation is planned. Iraq can’t contain or counter Iran. There’s no stable or effective government or political system. Iran’s influence in the country may rival or surpass our own. Our pursuit of an “end state fallacy” may lose the war “in grand strategic terms.” In other ways, it’s already lost. Violence plagues the country daily, little reported in America’s media.

An announced end of 2011 exit is planned. Expect that goal to change, while at the same time, Congress shows less willingness to appropriate limitless funding. “We may (also) lose the Iraq War for other reasons – its unstable politics, tenuous security, and Iran’s dominance of future Shiite governments.” So far, “we have won exactly nothing.” A tactical victory looks increasingly pyrrhic.

Moreover, Washington “seems to be in a state of partial denial in dealing with the need for a long term…strategic commitment to the region.” Alternatives to strategically failing in Iraq may be found, but it will be hard to “incredibly costly to compensate for (overall) failure in the Gulf.”

Afghan/Pak (Afghanistan and Pakistan), however, is “radically different,” reflecting a “very uncertain strategic posture.” America’s interests are “limited” compared to the Gulf. China and Russia are powerful rivals with strategic interests of their own.

What Afghan/Pak/Iraq have in common is there’s “no credible end state to the fighting….that can give the US a credible grand strategic victory or stable outcome.” Like Iraq and the Gulf, it will be “at least a decade” before stable governments, economies and security structures are possible. Even then, they’re unlikely.

Afghanistan’s outlook is even more tenuous than Iraq’s. Winning in any form requires propping up and financing its government for years, maybe always. The country’s had decades of war and instability. Its economy ranks “201st” in terms of per capita income, and poverty and overall need levels are extraordinarily high. At best, it will be well over a decade before Afghanistan makes real progress with sustained US help. Increasingly, however, it looks more like an unwinnable black hole, draining America’s resources.

Pakistan complicates matters. Dealing with “Al Qa’ida and the Taliban in the FATA-Baluchistan areas are only the tip of the iceberg.” Its government is corrupt and incompetent. Its military and intelligence structure have “strong Islamist elements.” Its economy and social structure are crippled and semi-feudal. “Its security is shaped by the threat from India, growing internal religious tensions, and additional problems with Deobandi extremists, and hostile movements in Baluchistan and the Sind.”

Pakistan is better off than Afghanistan, but it’s also more dependent on US aid. It doesn’t signal failure, but it does mean major challenges for the foreseeable future. As with Iraq and Afghanistan, Washington “can only influence – not shape – (its) future.” Its present government may not survive. It’s unclear whether any amount of US aid will work. It’s unknown if America will serve Pakistan’s interests if it keeps fighting. It’s also uncertain whether its government will “abandon its efforts to manipulate Afghanistan (and) use it against India.” It’s unclear as well whether its military is willing to fight.

Moreover, its government may fall, and its military only does enough to maintain US aid as long as Pentagon forces remain in the area. Resolving its future and stability will be uncertain until “at least 2020.” Maybe much longer or never.

Yet the Obama administration “seems to deliberately avoid projecting the need for a lasting commitment to either Afghanistan (or) Pakistan, and providing anything approaching an estimate of the cost of sustaining the war and dealing with its aftermath.” Increasingly, its plan appears ah hoc, shifting commanders instead of addressing policy failures and changing them. Larger force levels and more violence and killing aren’t solutions. So far, they’ve made conditions worse, not better.

Also consider the costs, already unsustainable, with no end of spending in sight. Eventually, Congress will tire of funding them, especially with no tangible successes.

“The US and its allies are pursuing a largely mythical Afghan development plan which lacks core credibility in peacetime, much less in war. There is no development plan for Pakistan. The US is effectively paying an open ended mix of bribes to a country whose economy is now crippled by a catastrophic flood, and whose main security interest is India, not the war the US wants it to fight.”

Washington has failed in its planning and execution efforts. However, even if correctly done, the prospects for winning and withdrawing would be “negligible. The challenges are simply too great, and the timelines for credible change are too long….The US cannot afford to allow this situation to continue.”

The Iraq/Afghan/Pak wars “raise grand strategic questions about what the US could have accomplished (with a fraction of the money devoted to) build(ing) regional allies” and other productive undertakings. Choosing open-ended wars “for the wrong reasons….is not an experience we should repeat.” Moreover, cutting losses and getting out of today’s mess is essential, putting greater emphasis on diplomacy than warmaking. “After what soon will be ten years of fighting, it is time we not only learned this, but acted on the lesson.”

A Final Comment

America’s Iraq/Afghan/Pak wars are unwinnable, highlighted in an earlier Afghanistan article, accessed through the following link:

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/07/war-in-afghanistan-illegal-untenable.html

No matter. America wages permanent wars for an unwinnable peace. Enemies are fabricated as justification. War profiteers benefit. The public is duped and betrayed. Two earlier articles explained, accessed through the following links:

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/03/americas-permanent-war-agenda.html

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2010/07/case-for-war-iron-mountain-report.html

Moreover, since WW II, all US wars have been illegal, what neither the Pentagon nor CSIS reports addressed. All international laws and treaties, including the UN Charter, automatically become US law under the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, Article VI, Clause 2.

Moreover, the Charter’s Chapter VII empowers the Security Council alone to determine the existence of threats to peace, breaching it, or committing an act of aggression, as well as if military or other action is necessary to restore international peace and stability. It lets nations use force solely under two conditions:

— by Security Council authorization; or

— under Article 51 that permits the “right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member….until the Security Council has taken measures to maintain international peace and security.”

In addition, both houses of Congress, not the president, have exclusive power to declare war under the Constitution’s Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 – the war powers clause. Nonetheless, that procedure was followed only five times in US history, last used on December 8, 1941 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

In 1973, Congress addressed the issue, passing the War Powers Resolution. It requires the president to get congressional authorization for war or a resolution passed within 60 days of initiating hostilities. Its Section 4(a)(3) also states:

“In the absence of a declaration of war, in any case in which the United States Armed Forces are introduced…. (3) in numbers which substantially enlarge the United States Armed Forces equipped for combat already located in a foreign nation; the president shall submit within 48 hours to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the President pro tempore of the Senate a report, setting forth” necessitating circumstances, a request for “constitutional and legislative authority,” and the “estimated scope and duration of the hostilities involved.”

In 1991, Congress gave GHW Bush authorization to attack Iraq (the Gulf War). It didn’t authorize GW Bush in 2001 or 2003. Yet he went to war anyway, violating international and US laws. As a result, the Iraq/Afghan/Pak wars are illegal. The president, supportive congressional members, other culpable officials, and military high command are war criminals.

Those issues are out of sight and mind in the Pentagon and CSIS reports, yet they’re more important than any others, and may only be belatedly addressed when America’s end time arrives.

By Stephen Lendman

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

The United States has sharply escalated its campaign against Syria over the weekend, in response to Syria’s shooting down of at Turkish fighter Friday.

After speaking to Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said on Sunday: “The United States condemns this brazen and unacceptable act in the strongest possible terms. It is yet another reflection of Syrian authorities’ callous disregard for international norms, human life and peace and security.”

UK foreign secretary William Hague echoed these threats, denouncing the incident as “outrageous.” He added, “The Assad regime should not make the mistake of believing that it can act with impunity. It will be held to account for its behavior.”

The Syrian government has said that the Turkish warplane had violated its airspace, with the SANA news agency releasing a chart of the plane’s fight path over Syrian waters and the coastal city of Latakia.

A Syrian foreign military spokesman has said that the incident was “not an attack.” The statement read, “An unidentified object entered our airspace and unfortunately was brought down. It was understood only later that it was a Turkish plane. There was no hostile act against Turkey whatsoever. It was just an act of defense of our sovereignty.”

The Turkish government initially acknowledged that it was possible the jet had “accidentally” flown over Syrian airspace during a routine reconnaissance operation. However, by Sunday, apparently after discussions with the US, Ankara had shifted its position to insist that the warplane had been shot down over international waters.

“Our plane briefly violated Syrian airspace, but not during the time it was shot down,” Davutoglu said. The Turkish government now claims that the plane only “momentarily” entered Syrian airspace but was shot down 15 minutes later.

Turkey announced that it was calling an emergency meeting under Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which provides for consultations.

A decision could be made after the meeting to invoke Article 5, which provides for mutual military response of all NATO members to an attack on one. Such an action would provide the pretext for a full-scale military intervention.

Clinton’s denunciation of Syria for “callous disregard for international norms,” comes as the Obama administration is working deliberately to stoke a civil war in Syria in order to undermine the regime of Bashar al-Assad, a key ally of Iran and Russia. In doing so, Washington is working closely with Turkey. As well as providing a base for the opposition militants, Turkey has moved large numbers of its armed forces close to the Syrian border.

Washington is playing an increasingly open role in organizing the opposition militants. Speaking on the Charlie Rose program on PBS television, Clinton said that the administration was seeking to forge a more “unified force” from the roughly 100 disparate opposition groups.

“We’re also working very hard to try to prop up and better organize the opposition,” Clinton said Friday. “We’ve spent a lot of time on that. It’s still a work in progress.”

Fighting by opposition groups in Syria has increased in recent weeks, with militants apparently able to carry out more effective attacks on government forces thanks to the increasing flow of sophisticated weaponry and other supplies provided under the aegis of the CIA.

In Aleppo, Syria’s main commercial center, which has until recently seen relatively little fighting, militants and government forces engaged in a gun battle Saturday. There have also been several suicide bombings in and around Aleppo targeting government soldiers and civilian institutions, tactics that bear the hallmarks of the Sunni Islamist insurgents who waged a sectarian civil war in Iraq during the US occupation of that country.

“Rebel” fighters are carrying out increasingly coordinated attacks in the northeastern city of Deir al-Zor, close to the border with Iraq. Free Syrian Army forces battled government troops in the al-Hamidya district of the city on Saturday, while other opposition fighters launched attacks on army bases and checkpoints around the city.

As well as threatening the outbreak of full-scale sectarian civil war and a wider regional conflagration, the US-backed military intervention into Syria is causing a humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished country. Millions of Syrians go without food, medicines and other essentials on a daily basis. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported last week that 1.5 millio Syrians are in urgent need of aid, up by 500,000 in just three months, as fighting in the country has intensified.

By Niall Green

25 June, 2012

@ WSWS.org

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, Distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Dear Friends,

Long years ago, sometimes it seems many lives ago, I was at Oxford listening to the radio programme Desert Island Discs with my young son Alexander. It was a well-known programme (for all I know it still continues) on which famous people from all walks of life were invited to talk about the eight discs, the one book beside the bible and the complete works of Shakespeare, and the one luxury item they would wish to have with them were they to be marooned on a desert island. At the end of the programme, which we had both enjoyed, Alexander asked me if I thought I might ever be invited to speak on Desert Island Discs. “Why not?” I responded lightly. Since he knew that in general only celebrities took part in the programme he proceeded to ask, with genuine interest, for what reason I thought I might be invited. I considered this for a moment and then answered: “Perhaps because I’d have won the Nobel Prize for literature,” and we both laughed. The prospect seemed pleasant but hardly probable.

(I cannot now remember why I gave that answer, perhaps because I had recently read a book by a Nobel Laureate or perhaps because the Desert Island celebrity of that day had been a famous writer.)

In 1989, when my late husband Michael Aris came to see me during my first term of house arrest, he told me that a friend, John Finnis, had nominated me for the Nobel Peace Prize. This time also I laughed. For an instant Michael looked amazed, then he realized why I was amused. The Nobel Peace Prize? A pleasant prospect, but quite improbable! So how did I feel when I was actually awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace? The question has been put to me many times and this is surely the most appropriate occasion on which to examine what the Nobel Prize means to me and what peace means to me.

As I have said repeatedly in many an interview, I heard the news that I had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on the radio one evening. It did not altogether come as a surprise because I had been mentioned as one of the frontrunners for the prize in a number of broadcasts during the previous week. While drafting this lecture, I have tried very hard to remember what my immediate reaction to the announcement of the award had been. I think, I can no longer be sure, it was something like: “Oh, so they’ve decided to give it to me.” It did not seem quite real because in a sense I did not feel myself to be quite real at that time.

Often during my days of house arrest it felt as though I were no longer a part of the real world. There was the house which was my world, there was the world of others who also were not free but who were together in prison as a community, and there was the world of the free; each was a different planet pursuing its own separate course in an indifferent universe. What the Nobel Peace Prize did was to draw me once again into the world of other human beings outside the isolated area in which I lived, to restore a sense of reality to me. This did not happen instantly, of course, but as the days and months went by and news of reactions to the award came over the airwaves, I began to understand the significance of the Nobel Prize. It had made me real once again; it had drawn me back into the wider human community. And what was more important, the Nobel Prize had drawn the attention of the world to the struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma. We were not going to be forgotten.

To be forgotten. The French say that to part is to die a little. To be forgotten too is to die a little. It is to lose some of the links that anchor us to the rest of humanity. When I met Burmese migrant workers and refugees during my recent visit to Thailand, many cried out: “Don’t forget us!” They meant: “don’t forget our plight, don’t forget to do what you can to help us, don’t forget we also belong to your world.” When the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to me they were recognizing that the oppressed and the isolated in Burma were also a part of the world, they were recognizing the oneness of humanity. So for me receiving the Nobel Peace Prize means personally extending my concerns for democracy and human rights beyond national borders. The Nobel Peace Prize opened up a door in my heart.

The Burmese concept of peace can be explained as the happiness arising from the cessation of factors that militate against the harmonious and the wholesome. The word nyein-chan translates literally as the beneficial coolness that comes when a fire is extinguished. Fires of suffering and strife are raging around the world. In my own country, hostilities have not ceased in the far north; to the west, communal violence resulting in arson and murder were taking place just several days before I started out on the journey that has brought me here today. News of atrocities in other reaches of the earth abound. Reports of hunger, disease, displacement, joblessness, poverty, injustice, discrimination, prejudice, bigotry; these are our daily fare. Everywhere there are negative forces eating away at the foundations of peace. Everywhere can be found thoughtless dissipation of material and human resources that are necessary for the conservation of harmony and happiness in our world.

The First World War represented a terrifying waste of youth and potential, a cruel squandering of the positive forces of our planet. The poetry of that era has a special significance for me because I first read it at a time when I was the same age as many of those young men who had to face the prospect of withering before they had barely blossomed. A young American fighting with the French Foreign Legion wrote before he was killed in action in 1916 that he would meet his death:  “at some disputed barricade;” “on some scarred slope of battered hill;” “at midnight in some flaming town.” Youth and love and life perishing forever in senseless attempts to capture nameless, unremembered places. And for what? Nearly a century on, we have yet to find a satisfactory answer.

Are we not still guilty, if to a less violent degree, of recklessness, of improvidence with regard to our future and our humanity? War is not the only arena where peace is done to death. Wherever suffering is ignored, there will be the seeds of conflict, for suffering degrades and embitters and enrages.

A positive aspect of living in isolation was that I had ample time in which to ruminate over the meaning of words and precepts that I had known and accepted all my life. As a Buddhist, I had heard about dukha, generally translated as suffering, since I was a small child. Almost on a daily basis elderly, and sometimes not so elderly, people around me would murmur “dukha, dukha” when they suffered from aches and pains or when they met with some small, annoying mishaps. However, it was only during my years of house arrest that I got around to investigating the nature of the six great dukha. These are: to be conceived, to age, to sicken, to die, to be parted from those one loves, to be forced to live in propinquity with those one does not love. I examined each of the six great sufferings, not in a religious context but in the context of our ordinary, everyday lives. If suffering were an unavoidable part of our existence, we should try to alleviate it as far as possible in practical, earthly ways. I mulled over the effectiveness of ante- and post-natal programmes and mother and childcare; of adequate facilities for the aging population; of comprehensive health services; of compassionate nursing and hospices. I was particularly intrigued by the last two kinds of suffering: to be parted from those one loves and to be forced to live in propinquity with those one does not love. What experiences might our Lord Buddha have undergone in his own life that he had included these two states among the great sufferings? I thought of prisoners and refugees, of migrant workers and victims of human trafficking, of that great mass of the uprooted of the earth who have been torn away from their homes, parted from families and friends, forced to live out their lives among strangers who are not always welcoming.

We are fortunate to be living in an age when social welfare and humanitarian assistance are recognized not only as desirable but necessary. I am fortunate to be living in an age when the fate of prisoners of conscience anywhere has become the concern of peoples everywhere, an age when democracy and human rights are widely, even if not universally, accepted as the birthright of all. How often during my years under house arrest have I drawn strength from my favourite passages in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

……. disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspirations of the common people,

…… it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law . . .

If I am asked why I am fighting for human rights in Burma the above passages will provide the answer. If I am asked why I am fighting for democracy in Burma, it is because I believe that democratic institutions and practices are necessary for the guarantee of human rights.

Over the past year there have been signs that the endeavours of those who believe in democracy and human rights are beginning to bear fruit in Burma. There have been changes in a positive direction; steps towards democratization have been taken. If I advocate cautious optimism it is not because I do not have faith in the future but because I do not want to encourage blind faith. Without faith in the future, without the conviction that democratic values and fundamental human rights are not only necessary but possible for our society, our movement could not have been sustained throughout the destroying years. Some of our warriors fell at their post, some deserted us, but a dedicated core remained strong and committed. At times when I think of the years that have passed, I am amazed that so many remained staunch under the most trying circumstances. Their faith in our cause is not blind; it is based on a clear-eyed assessment of their own powers of endurance and a profound respect for the aspirations of our people.

It is because of recent changes in my country that I am with you today; and these changes have come about because of you and other lovers of freedom and justice who contributed towards a global awareness of our situation. Before continuing to speak of my country, may I speak out for our prisoners of conscience. There still remain such prisoners in Burma. It is to be feared that because the best known detainees have been released, the remainder, the unknown ones, will be forgotten. I am standing here because I was once a prisoner of conscience. As you look at me and listen to me, please remember the often repeated truth that one prisoner of conscience is one too many. Those who have not yet been freed, those who have not yet been given access to the benefits of justice in my country number much more than one. Please remember them and do whatever is possible to effect their earliest, unconditional release.

Burma is a country of many ethnic nationalities and faith in its future can be founded only on a true spirit of union. Since we achieved independence in 1948, there never has been a time when we could claim the whole country was at peace. We have not been able to develop the trust and understanding necessary to remove causes of conflict. Hopes were raised by ceasefires that were maintained from the early 1990s until 2010 when these broke down over the course of a few months. One unconsidered move can be enough to remove long-standing ceasefires. In recent months, negotiations between the government and ethnic nationality forces have been making progress. We hope that ceasefire agreements will lead to political settlements founded on the aspirations of the peoples, and the spirit of union.

My party, the National League for Democracy, and I stand ready and willing to play any role in the process of national reconciliation. The reform measures that were put into motion by President U Thein Sein’s government can be sustained only with the intelligent cooperation of all internal forces: the military, our ethnic nationalities, political parties, the media, civil society organizations, the business community and, most important of all, the general public. We can say that reform is effective only if the lives of the people are improved and in this regard, the international community has a vital role to play. Development and humanitarian aid, bi-lateral agreements and investments should be coordinated and calibrated to ensure that these will promote social, political and economic growth that is balanced and sustainable. The potential of our country is enormous. This should be nurtured and developed to create not just a more prosperous but also a more harmonious, democratic society where our people can live in peace, security and freedom.

The peace of our world is indivisible. As long as negative forces are getting the better of positive forces anywhere, we are all at risk. It may be questioned whether all negative forces could ever be removed. The simple answer is: “No!” It is in human nature to contain both the positive and the negative. However, it is also within human capability to work to reinforce the positive and to minimize or neutralize the negative. Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal. But it is one towards which we must continue to journey, our eyes fixed on it as a traveller in a desert fixes his eyes on the one guiding star that will lead him to salvation. Even if we do not achieve perfect peace on earth, because perfect peace is not of this earth, common endeavours to gain peace will unite individuals and nations in trust and friendship and help to make our human community safer and kinder.

I used the word ‘kinder’ after careful deliberation; I might say the careful deliberation of many years. Of the sweets of adversity, and let me say that these are not numerous, I have found the sweetest, the most precious of all, is the lesson I learnt on the value of kindness. Every kindness I received, small or big, convinced me that there could never be enough of it in our world. To be kind is to respond with sensitivity and human warmth to the hopes and needs of others. Even the briefest touch of kindness can lighten a heavy heart. Kindness can change the lives of people. Norway has shown exemplary kindness in providing a home for the displaced of the earth, offering sanctuary to those who have been cut loose from the moorings of security and freedom in their native lands.

There are refugees in all parts of the world. When I was at the Maela refugee camp in Thailand recently, I met dedicated people who were striving daily to make the lives of the inmates as free from hardship as possible. They spoke of their concern over ‘donor fatigue,’ which could also translate as ‘compassion fatigue.’ ‘Donor fatigue’ expresses itself precisely in the reduction of funding. ‘Compassion fatigue’ expresses itself less obviously in the reduction of concern. One is the consequence of the other. Can we afford to indulge in compassion fatigue? Is the cost of meeting the needs of refugees greater than the cost that would be consequent on turning an indifferent, if not a blind, eye on their suffering? I appeal to donors the world over to fulfill the needs of these people who are in search, often it must seem to them a vain search, of refuge.

At Maela, I had valuable discussions with Thai officials responsible for the administration of Tak province where this and several other camps are situated. They acquainted me with some of the more serious problems related to refugee camps: violation of forestry laws, illegal drug use, home brewed spirits, the problems of controlling malaria, tuberculosis, dengue fever and cholera. The concerns of the administration are as legitimate as the concerns of the refugees. Host countries also deserve consideration and practical help in coping with the difficulties related to their responsibilities.

Ultimately our aim should be to create a world free from the displaced, the homeless and the hopeless, a world of which each and every corner is a true sanctuary where the inhabitants will have the freedom and the capacity to live in peace. Every thought, every word, and every action that adds to the positive and the wholesome is a contribution to peace. Each and every one of us is capable of making such a contribution. Let us join hands to try to create a peaceful world where we can sleep in security and wake in happiness.

The Nobel Committee concluded its statement of 14 October 1991 with the words: “In awarding the Nobel Peace Prize … to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honour this woman for her unflagging efforts and to show its support for the many people throughout the world who are striving to attain democracy, human rights and ethnic conciliation by peaceful means.” When I joined the democracy movement in Burma it never occurred to me that I might ever be the recipient of any prize or honour. The prize we were working for was a free, secure and just society where our people might be able to realize their full potential. The honour lay in our endeavour. History had given us the opportunity to give of our best for a cause in which we believed. When the Nobel Committee chose to honour me, the road I had chosen of my own free will became a less lonely path to follow. For this I thank the Committee, the people of Norway and peoples all over the world whose support has strengthened my faith in the common quest for peace. Thank you.

by Aung San Suu Kyi, Oslo, 16 June, 2012

The refugee situation has been an ongoing process for several countries all around the world. Individuals from countries that are not as providing, or as safe as other countries, flee from their nations for several reasons, particularly survival. Majority of the refugees do not flee from their countries unless they see their lives under threat. As of today, the general population of refugees is estimated to approximately 250 million.

Alan Vernon, from the office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delivered an address on the situation of the refugees in Malaysia, the challenges the refugees face as well as the opportunities that can be provided to them.

Prior to getting in to detail with the situation of refugees in Malaysia, Alan Vernon addressed some points that needed to be clarified.

Refugees are individuals that have a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, political opinions and so on. However, despite the clarity of the refugee situation, people still have a major misunderstanding between refugees and migrants. Migrants for instance, leave their countries for better opportunities, whereas refugees flee from their countries because they feel threatened.

The Refugee Situation in Malaysia

Malaysia has had a large population of refugees that have fled from their prospective countries to find a better life since 1976.  The estimation of the refugees in Malaysia is approximately 100,000 asylum seekers. Refugees that come and seek refuge come from various countries like Somalia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and several other countries. However, the largest populations of refugees in Malaysia are the ones that come from Myanmar. There are several issues that were addressed about the situation of the refugees in Malaysia. The main concern is that the majority of the asylum seekers in Malaysia are not recognized as refugees. These asylum seekers do not receive the necessary documents to keep them safe, and due to that they get arrested and put in jail. The issue in this situation is that if the refugees are not provided with the necessary documents that prove that they are refugees, they face two possible consequences: 1) Be put in jail and, 2) the possibility of being sent back home. If these refugees are sent back home, they are put in danger since their initial reasons to leaving their homes were that their lives were threatened. The other issue with regard to the refugees is that these refugees are treated as illegal migrants simply due to the fact that they have not been provided with documents to prove their stay.

Another issue that was addressed in the talk is the education system. The refugees in Malaysia have no access to government schools, and so do not receive the necessary education they require for knowledge. The only available education for the refugee children are extremely basic, lacking materials and the teachers are unqualified. These refugees receive their education from NGOs that have put in that effort to send volunteers, and from retired teachers that are not skilled.

The UNHCR Key Messages

The UNHCR provided several key messages that they consider to being a doorway to providing help to the refugees while at the same time reducing the severity of the situation of the refugees in Malaysia.

1. The Malaysian government should take greater responsibility in the issue of the refugees.
2. The UNHCR and several NGOs are already supporting and will do more to support the government.
3. Opinion leaders can help sensitize the government and the public.
4. Start with allowing the refugees to work legally.
5. Start with improving education opportunity for refugee children.

The UNHCR also provides the refugees with the necessary documents that will help them gain the refugee status in Malaysia.

Solutions for the Refugees in Malaysia

The UNHCR has taken several measures to ensure that the refugees are treated with the utmost respect, and can receive healthcare at a low cost.

1. UNHCR provides the asylum seekers with the necessary documents and register them in their system.
2. Prior to providing them with the documents, the UNHCR assess their cases.
3. UNHCR provides assistance for the vulnerable.
4. Since the refugees from Myanmar are particularly in danger if they get back to their countries, they are more likely to get the refugee status.
5. UNHCR provides the refugees with health support. If the UNHCR documents are presented in hospitals, refugees only pay 50% of the medical expenses off of the foreigner’s original price.
6. UNHCR provides the refugees with the option of returning to their countries if they choose to return.
7. UNHCR are attempting to provide the refugees with local integration.
8. UNHCR provides the refugees the opportunity for resettlement (moving them to other countries e.g. USA, UK, etc.)

What Needs to Happen Now

As of today, the UNHCR is attempting to talk with the government about the refugee situation. Particularly, they are trying to make the government allow the refugees to work in Malaysia legally. Without that, the refugees still face the dangers of getting arrested or even worse, being sent back to their countries.

The UNHCR are also trying to establish pilot programmes for lower primary aged children to attend government schools. Apart from the pilot programmes, they are also trying to legalize the refugee community schools under the framework of UNHCR. Finally, the UNHCR have always and will always support NGOs to open more refugee schools so that every child that is a refugee receives the necessary education that is essential for their development.

By: Sarah Ahmed Madhi and Jennifer Kate Tennant

It is with sincere humility and growing excitement that we announce to you the convening of the first annual InterFaith Film Festival in 2011CE (“IFFF 2011CE”).

The IFFF 2011CE is an opportunity for all of us, as an international and intrinsically interreligious community on Earth, to share our respective stories with each other in order to gain better understanding, respect, and compassion for each other.  The IFFF 2011CE features short films (of less than ½ hour) that inform and inspire.  These short films convey respective religious/secular experiences, beliefs, principles, and teachings.  It is our intention that the IFFF 2011CE build bridges between our respective religious/secular communities, and particularly amongst our respective youth, for the prospect of better cooperation and a more enduring, bountiful, and mutually experienced prosperity.  For this to work, we need your stories.

We are soliciting contributions of short films that inform and inspire, including:  amateur or professional videos, documentaries, short stories, fables, lectures, sermons, parables, comedy, interviews, speeches, animation, slide shows, variety programmes, musical performances, poetry readings, Scriptural recitations/chanting, and additionally.  We are particularly interested in securing contributions from our respective youth.

The IFFF 2011CE is being convened through the internet via YouTube.  This is done without monetary compensation to us, the organisers, and without monetary cost to our contributors and audience.  We screen each entry for appropriateness before including the short film within the IFFF 2011CE account on YouTube.  The result is a mosaic of stories where we each maintain our own respective religious/secular identity and learn from each other’s respective religious/secular identities and experiences.  We are dedicated to providing a welcoming forum for our respective beliefs and Faith.  The InterFaith Film Festival is convened on the honour system and in Good Faith on the part of all participants.

We, the conveners of the IFFF 2011CE, are a modest group of interFaith activists, from around Earth, who share an interest in enhancing understanding, respect, compassion, cooperation, productivity, Peace, prosperity, and Happiness amongst our many religious communities throughout Earth and the Universe.  Many of us meet at a gathering of the North American InterFaith Network this past Northern Summer.  Since that time, we begin to consider how we may share our respective stories in a manner that is relevant to our contemporary circumstances.  And thus, the idea of the InterFaith Film Festival is formed.  We are officially endorsed by the World Peace Prayer Society and the International Movement for a Just World.

Admittedly, this correspondence is a form letter specifically designed to be received by many different leaders and adherents respectively from many different religious communities;  thus it is comparatively generic.  We look forward to learning more about each of you and your respective endeavours as you learn more about us and each other.  The methodology in identifying you, specifically, as a recipient of this correspondence involves a comparatively expedient process of searching within your organisation for an interFaith liaison, and then for the person who is ultimately responsible for the daily affairs of your organisation.

We humbly request that you share this information regarding the InterFaith Film Festival with your respective constituencies:  our respective Congregations, Shuls, Sanghas, Ummas, Churches, Gurdwaras, Temples, Synagogues, Masjids, and additional affiliates, organisations, communities, and gatherings.  We humbly request that you encourage your respective constituents, our respective families and friends, to contribute short films of our respective beliefs and Faith.

We are accepting short film contributions through 31 January 2011CE and we are planning to convene the actual InterFaith Film Festival in April 2011CE.  I am attaching two documents with this correspondence:  1.)  a flyer that may be posted on the bulletin boards/walls of our respective Houses of Worship and Meditation, community centres, and additional gathering places;  and 2.)  a description of the general guidelines of the IFFF 2011CE.

Any questions, concerns, comments, can be forwarded directly to me via this email address, ifff2011ce@gmail.com.

We thank you for your time and consideration.

May we all continue to flourish together with enlightened spirits, healthy minds, and strong bodies, as an international and interreligious community of Earth that acknowledges and respects our differences whilst building upon our commonalities.

Love and Peace,

Peter

—

PS:  The proceeding is a basic listing of the recipients of this correspondence, including leadership and adherents respectively from Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, the Baha’i, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and additionally.  If you are aware of any additional organisations or religious communities that are omitted from this listing, you are welcome to share this information with such an organisation/religious community and/or notify me directly.

African Hebrew Israelites, www.africanhebrewisraelitesofjerusalem.com, Ben Ammi (Anointed Spiritual Leader)

International Council of Jewish Women, www.icjw.org, Mary Lilling (Chairperson, InterFaith and Intercultural Committee)

Orthodox Union, www.ou.org, Rabbi Steven Weil (Executive Vice President)

Union for Reform Judaism, www.urj.org, Naomi Abelson (Social Action Specialist)

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, www.uscj.org, Rabbi Steven C Wernick (Executive Vice President)

United Synagogue Youth, www.usy.org, Jules Gutin (Director)

World Jewish Congress, www.worldjewishcongress.org, Isabella Nespoli (Director of InterFaith Affairs)

World Union for Progressive Judaism, www.wupj.org, Steve Bauman (Chairman)

World Zionist Organisation, www.wzo.org.il

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, www.jrf.org, Rabbi Shawn Zevit (Director of Congregational Relations, Outreach, and Tikkun Olam)

Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organisation, www.brahmakumaris.org, BK Karuna (Director of Public Relations and Communication)

Hindu Student Council, www.hindustudentcouncil.org, Sarath Velagaleti (President)

International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, www.sivananda.org, Swami Mahadevananda (Executive Board Member)

Sri Aurobindo Society, www.sriaurobindosociety.org.in, Vijay,

Vishva Hindu Parishad, www.vhp.org, Sarvpalli Radhakrishnan,

Hindu Global Electronics Network, www.hindunet.org

Shamayita Math International Women’s Religious Centre, www.shamayitamath.org

Ramakrishna Math and Mission, www.belurmath.org, Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj (President)

Divine Life Society, www.divinelifesociety.org

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, www.swaminarayan.org, Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Buddha Dharma Education Association, www.buddhanet.net, Venerable Pannyavaro

Buddhist Peace Fellowship, www.bpf.org, Sarah Weintraub (Executive Director)

Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, www.fwbo.org, Urgyen Sangharakshita (Founder)

Soka Gakkai International, www.sgi.org, Daisaku Ikeda (President)

World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth, www.buddhistyouth.org, Anurut Vongvanij (President)

World Fellowship of Buddhists, www.wfbhq.org

Sakyadhita: International Association of Buddhist Women, www.sakyadhita.org, Christie Yuling Chang

Rissho Kosei Kai, www.rk-world.org, Nichiko Niwano (President)

International Network of Engaged Buddhists, www.inebnetwork.org, Sulak Sivaraksa (Founder and Chair)

Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, www.drba.org, Bhikshu Wondrous Dharma

Dharma Drum Mountain, www.dharmadrum.org, Venerable Guo Dong (Abbot President)

Association Zen Internationale, www.zen-azi.org/en

Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey, www.throssel.org.uk, Reverend Master Daishin Morgan (Abbot)

Honolulu Diamond Sangha, www.diamondsangha.org, Michael Kieran,

Rochester Zen Center, www.rzc.org, Roshi Kjolhede (Abbot)

Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, www.dalailama.com

Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation, www.lgpt.net/lama_found.htm

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, www.fpmt.org, Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Dechen Community, www.dechen.org, Karma Thinley Rinpoche

Rigpa, www.rigpa.org, Sogyal Rinpoche

Shambhala, www.shambhala.org, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Rokpa International, www.rokpa.org, Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche (President and Founder)

Gampo Abbey, www.gampoabbey.org, Ani Pema Chodron

Diamondway Buddhism, www.diamondway-buddhism.org, HH 17^th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje

Friends World Committee for Consultation (Religious Society of Friends), www.fwccworld.org, Nancy Irving (General Secretary)

Global Fellowship of Christian Youth, www.globalfellowship.net, Leif Rasmussen (Chief Executive)

Pax Romana, www.icmica-miic.org, Javier Maria Iguiniz Echeverria (President)

Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/index.htm, Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran

Society of Jesus, www.sjweb.info, Father Adolfo Nicolas (Superior General)

Unitarian Universalist Association, www.uua.org, Gini Courter (Chief Governance Officer)

World Council of Churches, www.oikoumene.org, Reverend Dr Olav Fykse Tveit (General Secretary)

World Young Women’s Christian Association, www.worldywca.org, Susan Brennan (President)

World Alliance of Young Men’s Christian Associations, www.ymca.int,

United Methodist Church, Dr Bart Shaha (Secretary General)

Lutheran World Federation, www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/, Dr Kathryn Johnson (Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Affairs)

Order of Saint Benedict, www.osb-international.info, Noktar Wolf (Abbot Primate)

Comunita di Sant Egidio, www.santegidio.org, Professor Andrea Riccardi

Anglican Communion, www.anglicancommunion.org, Reverend Rana Youab Khan (International InterFaith Dialogues Assistant)

International Presbyterian Church, www.ipc-presbytery.com, Graham Weeks (Presbytery Moderator)

United Church of Christ, www.ucc.org, Reverend Geoffrey A Black (General Minister and President)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, www.lds.org, Thomas S Monson (President)

Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses, www.watchtower.org

African Methodist Episcopal Church, www.ame-church.com, Dr Clement W Fugh (General Secretary and Chief Information Officer)

International Baptist Convention, www.ibc-churches.org, Jimmy Martin

Islamic Cultural Centre and London Central Mosque, www.iccuk.org, Dr Ahmad Al Dubayan (Director General)

Islamic Development Bank, www.isdb.org, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al Madani (President)

Motamar Al Alam Al Islami, www.motamaralalamalislami.org, Dr Abdullah Bin Omar Nasseef (President)

Muslim Student Association, www.msanational.org, Iman Sediqe (President)

Muslim World League, www.themwl.org/Profile/default.aspx?l=en, HE Dr Abdullah Bin Abulmohsen Al Turki (Chairmen)

Organisation of the Islamic Conference, www.oic-oci.org, Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (Secretary General)

Federation of Muslim Women, www.fmw.org, Zahida Murtaza (Chair)

Council on American Islamic Relations, www.cair.com, Nihad Awad (Executive Director and Co-Founder)

International Association of Sufism, www.ias.org, Shah Nazar Seyyed Dr Ali Kianfar (Co-Founder)

Threshold Society of the Order of Mevlevi, www.sufism.org, Kabir Helminski

Islamic Society of North America, www.isna.net, Sayyid M Syeed (National Director of the ISNA Office for InterFaith and Community Alliances)

World Subud Association, www.subud.org, Luke Penseney (Chair)

Susila Dharma International Association, www.susiladharma.org, Virginia Thomas (Executive Director)

Baha’I International Community, www.bahai.org, Albert Lincoln (Secretary General)

World Sikh Council, www.worldsikhcouncil.org, Dr Tarunjit Butalia (Chairperson of the National InterFaith Council)

Sikh Youth Federation, www.sikhyouthfederation.com, Gagandeep Singh (Founder and President)

World Zoroastrian Organization, www.w-z-o.org, Darayus S Motivala (Chairman)

Digamber Jain Sangh of North America, www.djsna.org, Dr Mahendra Pandya (Coordination Committee)

Jaina:  Federation of Jain Associations in North America, www.jaina.org, Arvind Vora (InterFaith Activities Committee)

HAITI: UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND GENOCIDE

Just a few months ago, on July 26, 2010, Lucius Walker, the head of the American organization Pastors for Peace, at an encounter with Cuban intellectuals and artists, asked me what the solution for Haiti’s problems would be.

Without a second’s delay, I told him: “In today’s world, there is no solution, Lucius; in the future of which I am speaking, there is.  The US is a great food producer, it can feed 2,000 million people, it would be able to build homes that stand up to earthquakes; the problem is the way in which resources are distributed.  We have to return even the forests to Haitian territory; but there is no solution in today’s world order.”

Lucius was referring to the problems of this mountainous, over-populated country, stripped of trees, of fuel for cooking, communications and industries, with a high rate of illiteracy, diseases such as HIV and being occupied by United Nations troops.

“When those circumstances change ―I added ― you yourselves, Lucius, will be able to take American food to Haiti.”

The noble and humanitarian leader of the Pastors for Peace died a month and a half later, on September 7^th, at the age of 80, passing on the legacy of the seed of his example to many Americans.

An additional tragedy had not yet appeared: the cholera epidemic which, on October 25^th, reported more than 3,000 cases.  To such a harsh calamity, add the fact that on November 5^th, a hurricane ravaged its territory, causing flooding and rivers to overflow.

We must dedicate to this body of dramatic circumstances the attention it deserves.

Cholera appeared for the first time in modern history in 1817, year in which one of the great pandemics occurred devastating humanity in the nineteenth century; it had a huge mortality rate principally in India. In 1826, the epidemic reappeared, invading Europe, including Moscow, Berlin and London, moving on to our hemisphere from 1832 to 1839.

In 1846, a new even more harmful epidemic is unleashed, striking at three continents: Asia, Africa and America. Throughout the century, epidemics affecting those three regions were repeated occurrences. However, in the course of more than 100 years, taking in almost the entire twentieth century, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean saw themselves freed from this disease, until January 27^th, 1991 when it appeared in the Chancay Port in northern Peru; first it extended along the Pacific coast and subsequently along the Atlantic seaboard, to 16 countries; 650,000 persons became ill in a period of 6 years.

Without the least doubt, the epidemic affects much more than poor countries in whose cities over-populated neighbourhoods are massed together, many times lacking drinking water, and the sewers which are carriers of the vibrio cholerae that spreads the disease pour into the drinking water.

In the special case of Haiti, the earthquake destroyed the water and sewer network wherever they had existed, and millions of people live in tents that often even lack latrines and everything gets mixed up together.

The epidemic that affected our hemisphere in 1991 was the Vibrio cholerae 01 biotype El Tor Ogawa serotype, exactly the same one that penetrated Peru that year.

Jon K. Andrus, Associate Director of the Pan American Health Organization, informed that the bacterium that was present in Haiti was precisely that. From it derived a series of circumstances to bear in mind, which at an opportune moment will determine important considerations.

As we know, our country is educating excellent Haitian medical doctors and providing health services in that sister country for many years now. There were very serious problems in that field and we were moving forward, year after year. Nobody could imagine, since there was no history of it, that there would be an earthquake that would kill more than 250,000 persons and cause innumerable wounded and injured. In the face of that unexpected blow, our internationalist doctors pitched in with greater zeal and tirelessly dedicated themselves to their work.

In the midst of the harsh natural disaster, barely a month ago, the cholera epidemic broke out with a fury; and as we have already stated, in such unfavourable circumstances, the hurricane struck.

Faced with the serious nature of the situation, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, yesterday declared that 350 doctors and 2,000 nurses were needed to battle the disease.

The official made a call to extend the aid further than Port-au-Prince and revealed that supplies of soap and clean water were only reaching 10 percent of the families living outside of the capital, without indicating how many were being reached in that city.

Different UN officials were lamenting the fact in the last few days that the response from the international community to the call for aid made to confront the situation was not even reaching 10% of the 164 million dollars urgently being requested.

“Amos called for a swift and urgent reaction to prevent more human beings from dying of cholera”, informed a news agency.

Today another agency communicated that the numbers of Haitians who had died had now reached “1,523 persons, 66 thousand 593 have been cared for, and more than a million inhabitants are still sleeping in public squares”.

Almost 40% of the sick have been looked after by members of the Cuban Medical Brigade which has 965 doctors, nurses and technicians who have managed to reduce the number of dead to less than 1 for each 100.  With that level of care the number of dead would not reach 700. As a norm, the people dying were extremely weakened by malnutrition or other similar causes.  Children who are detected on time, generally do not die.

It is of vital importance that we avoid the epidemic extending to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean because in today’s circumstances this would cause extraordinary harm to the nations in this hemisphere.

We urgently need to seek efficient and rapid solutions in the fight against that epidemic.

Today the Party and the Government [of Cuba] made the decision to reinforce the Cuban Medical Brigade in Haiti with a contingent of the Henry Reeve Brigade, made up of 300 doctors, nurses and health technicians, that would add up to more than 1,200 collaborators.

Raul was visiting other regions of the country and was informed in detail about everything.

The people of Cuba, the Party and the Government, are once again measuring up to their glorious and heroic history.

Fidel Castro Ruz

November 26, 2010

9:58 p.m.

ScienceDaily (Nov. 17, 2010) — The overall warming of Earth’s northern half could result in cold winters, new research shows. The shrinking of sea-ice in the eastern Arctic causes some regional heating of the lower levels of air — which may lead to strong anomalies in atmospheric airstreams, triggering an overall cooling of the northern continents, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

“These anomalies could triple the probability of cold winter extremes in Europe and northern Asia,” says Vladimir Petoukhov, lead author of the study and climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “Recent severe winters like last year’s or the one of 2005-06 do not conflict with the global warming picture, but rather supplement it.”

The researchers base their assumptions on simulations with an elaborate computer model of general circulation, ECHAM5, focusing on the Barents-Kara Sea north of Norway and Russia where a drastic reduction of ice was observed in the cold European winter of 2005-06. Those surfaces of the sea lacking the ice cover lose a lot of warmth to the normally cold and windy arctic atmosphere. What the researchers did was to feed the computer with data, gradually reducing the sea ice cover in the eastern Arctic from 100 percent to 1 percent in order to analyse the relative sensitivity of wintertime atmospheric circulation.

“Our simulations reveal a rather pronounced nonlinear response of air temperatures and winds to the changes of sea-ice cover,” Petoukhov, a physicist, says. “It ranges from warming to cooling to warming again, as sea ice decreases.” An abrupt transition between different regimes of the atmospheric circulation in the sub-polar and polar regions may be very likely. Warming of the air over the Barents-Kara Sea seems to bring cold winter winds to Europe. “This is not what one would expect,” Petoukhov says. “Whoever thinks that the shrinking of some far away sea-ice won’t bother him could be wrong. There are complex teleconnections in the climate system, and in the Barents-Kara Sea we might have discovered a powerful feedback mechanism.”

Other approaches to the issue of cold winters and global warming referring to reduced sun activity or most recently the gulf stream “tend to exaggerate the effects,” Petoukhov says. The correlation between these phenomena and cold winters is relatively weak, compared to the new findings referring to the processes in the Barents-Kara Sea. Petoukhov also points out that during the cold winter of 2005-06 with temperatures of ten degrees below the normal level in Siberia, no anomalies in the north Atlantic oscillation have been observed. These are fluctuations in the difference of atmospheric pressure between the Icelandic low and the Azores high which are commonly associated with temperature anomalies over Europe. But temperatures in the eastern arctic were up to 14 degrees above normal level. However, distinct anomalies in the north Atlantic oscillation could interact with sea-ice decrease, the study concludes. One could amplify the other and more anomalies would be the result.

Petoukhov’s study is not about tomorrow’s weather forecast but about longtime probabilities of climate change. “I suppose nobody knows,” he says, “how harsh this year’s winter will be.”

By Science Daily

21 December, 2010

Science Daily

Tensions remain high in the Bangladeshi garment industry as a result of Sunday’s bloody crackdown by the Awami League government, in which police fatally shot four striking workers, followed two days later by a factory fire that killed more than 30 workers near Dhaka, the capital.

Details of the fire, and how many workers perished, are still unclear. The blaze engulfed the ninth floor of the 10-storey Ha-Meem Group’s sportswear factory in the Ashulia industrial area at lunchtime on Tuesday. Flames later spread to the 10th floor, a dining area, where about 150 workers were having their lunch. Most of the 6,000 workers were outside, preventing the death toll from being far higher.

Abdul Kader, who escaped from the fire, told Asia Times Online that he saw 50-60 workers forced to jump off the tenth floor because “the emergency exits were closed.” Other factory workers also said the doors were locked. The Independent, a Bangladeshi newspaper, reported: “As the fire spread fast on the top floor, the workers tried to rush to a safer place, but they found the collapsible gate on the top floor locked. Later, the workers tried to come down from the top floor using fabrics as ‘rope’ but many of the workers fell down and received injuries.”

Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Delwar Hossain, a Ha-Meem deputy director, insisted that the factory exits were not locked. However, it is a common practice for garment factory owners to lock in workers to prevent them from leaving their machines and to force them to focus on production. This is despite the danger of garment factory fires due to highly combustible piles of clothes. According to Bangladesh’s Fire Service and Civil Defence Department, 414 garment workers lost their lives in 213 factory fires between 2006 and 2009.

Even with the cause of the fire yet to be established, the New York Times reported that Hossain had sought to reopen the first eight floors of the factory immediately, because the company was under pressure to “meet all pending orders”. Under the name of That’s It Sports Wear, the factory makes pants for major clients in the US and Europe, including Gap, the largest American clothing supplier. Gap issued a hypocritical statement, saying it was “terrible saddened” by the deaths. Yet, the tragedy is the direct result of its drive to maximise profits by sourcing clothes from sweatshops around the world.

Several hundred That’s It Sports Wear workers demonstrated outside the factory yesterday over the fact that many of their co-workers are still missing since the fire. Hossain said the company had so far recovered the bodies of 23 employees, but registers at nearby hospitals and clinics indicated that at least 31 had died and more than 100 had been injured. The protesting workers also objected to being forced to work tomorrow, a public holiday, to make up for lost time.

Across Bangladesh, many workers appear to have been pushed back to work on Tuesday after unions appealed to employers to honour a July agreement between the government, the unions and the garment companies to lift the minimum wage to US$43 a month. This is still far less than what workers had been demanding during five days of strikes and protests during July.

According to Bangladesh Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Authority chairman Brigadier General Zamil Ahmed Khan and Chittagong EPZ general manager Adbur Rashid on Tuesday, 148 factories had resumed production. This indicates the scale of the unrest that began to erupt last Friday over the refusal of employers to pay the increase, which was due last month.

Also on Tuesday, about 4,000 workers at a sweater factory in Uttara EPZ, 400 kilometres from Dhaka, walked out indefinitely to fight for wage increases. They demanded the suspension of a personnel officer who had discriminated against workers, and the reinstatement of workers he had sacked. Workers at Apcot Apparels and the Hotapara garment factory in the northern Gazipur EPZ remained on strike over wages.

The scale of Sunday’s fatal clashes, in which police shot down workers in the port city of Chittagong, became clearer when Prothom Alo, a daily newspaper, reported that the police had fired 550 rounds of rubber bullets and 95 tear gas shells. Some 20 factories had been damaged. Police attacked initially peaceful protests by workers after the South Korean-owned YoungOne group closed its 11 factories in retaliation for stoppages last week. The YoungOne workers had demanded the reinstatement of a 250-taka (3.5 US cents) lunch allowance that had been withdrawn when the new wage scheme was introduced.

Broader protests and strikes could erupt again as none of the issues has been resolved. A worker at the Nassa Group’s Kimia Apparels in the Dhaka EPZ told the Daily Star on Tuesday that employees had returned to work only after management promised to properly implement the wage increases. Nassa Group’s managing director in Dhaka, Mohammad Abdullah, claimed that the management had made “some mistakes in the calculations of salaries” last month, and pledged to “adjust the salary within the next seven days”. In reality, the employers have used various devices, including job reclassifications, to cut wages.

In order to intimidate garment workers, police have arrested at least 65 workers and lodged cases against 25,000-30,000 people on charges of vandalism, obstructing roads or attacking police officers during Sunday’s demonstrations.

Serious charges have also been laid against Garment Workers Unity Forum president Moshrefa Mishu, who was arrested on Tuesday. She has been accused of “vandalising” a Dhaka factory, damaging and setting fire to vehicles and impeding police duty on June 30, during the widespread garment workers’ protests six months ago. Monirul Islam, deputy commissioner of police detectives, told the media that Mishu had then played “a vital role in the recent unrest”. According to media reports, the police have accused her of having links with other countries “competing with Bangladesh in the garments sector” and of “trying to destroy the sector in the country”.

These allegations mirror the words of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed. On Monday, she railed against “possible conspiracies to create unrest in the nation’s top-earning sector”. Such charges seek to block Bangladeshi workers from linking up their struggles with those of their class brothers and sisters in Cambodia, India, China and other parts of the world. The Bangladeshi government has relied both on the unions and open police repression to contain the opposition of garment workers to poor pay and conditions.

Garment workers have been pitted against each other by giant multinational companies such as Gap, Wal-Mart and Tesco, which scour the globe for the cheapest labour. Under the impact of the deepening global economic crisis, the exploitation of garment workers has intensified, causing a wave of struggles this year. Earlier this month, 16 Cambodian clothing factories dismissed nearly 800 workers for taking part in a nationwide strike in September that involved 210,000 workers, or two-thirds of the country’s garment workforce.

As a result of Bangladesh’s low wages, the country is now the third largest garment exporter after China and Turkey, with 5,000 factories and three million workers. According to the charity ActionAid, the new $43 monthly wage in Bangladesh amounts to just 21 cents per hour—the lowest rate in the world. Like other administrations around the world, Prime Minister Hasina’s government and the Bangladeshi ruling class, which now depend on garments for 80 percent of the country’s exports, have turned to police violence to suppress workers’ demands for wage rises.

By W.A. Sunil & John Chan

16 December, 2010

WSWS.org

On 22 November a jury of international experts announced their verdict that compelling evidence shows corporate complicity in Israeli violations of international law. The verdict followed two full days of presentations in London at the second international session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine from 20 to 21 November.

The session examined the role of corporations in Israel’s violations of international law. It called experts and witnesses to present cases to the international panel of jurors. Although companies were invited to defend their actions, only Veolia Environnement, PFZW pension fund and security company G4S responded to the tribunal in writing.

The jurors included former French ambassador Stephane Hessel; Irish Nobel Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire; South African professor John Dugard; South African politician Ronald Kasrils; English lawyer Michael Mansfield; Spanish emeritus judge Jose Antonio Martin Pallin; former US congresswoman Cynthia McKinney; and UK barrister Lord Anthony Gifford.

According to the jurors, the corporations’ violations related to their supply of weapons and the construction and maintenance of illegal Israeli settlements and the Israel’s wall in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The jury called for the mobilization of civil society to end the involvement of companies in Israeli human rights violations (Public Statement of the Russell Tribunal [PDF]).

Seven corporations were named by the jury for being complicit in Israeli violations. They include:

The British-Danish firm G4S, which supplies equipment used at Israeli checkpoints in the occupied West Bank and Israeli prisons.

Elbit Systems, a leading Israeli company which collaborates closely with the Israeli military.

US-based Caterpillar, which supplies the Israeli military with modified D9 bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes.

Cement Roadstone Holdings, an Irish multinational corporation, which purchased 25 percent of the Israeli Mashav Initiative and Development Ltd. Israeli Mashav Initiative and Development Ltd., owns Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises Ltd., which is Israel’s sole cement producer, supplying 75-90 percent of all the cement in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Dexia, a Franco-Belgian corporation that finances Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank via its subsidiary Dexia Israel Public Finance Ltd.

Veolia Transport, a French corporation is involved in the construction of the Jerusalem light rail which connects Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank with annexed East Jerusalem. Veolia is due to operate the light rail and also operates bus services to illegal Israeli settlements.

Carmel Agrexco, an Israeli corporation that exports agricultural produce including oranges, olives, and avocados from the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

During the Tribunal, Dutch divestment activist Saskia Muller presented the case of the Dutch pension fund Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW). The fund holds investments in more than ten international companies involved in Israel’s violations of international law, and one Israeli supermarket chain which provides services to illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. In its six-page letter to the Russell Tribunal dated 12 November, the PFZW board wrote that it is “deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the consequential long time occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel. It is further concerned about ongoing violations of international law in this context, and about possible complicity in such violations by companies that are active in Israel and the occupied territories.”

Representatives of the US peace group Codepink presented the case against Ahava cosmetics to the Russell Tribunal jury. And while the jury was presenting its conclusions on 22 November, the entrance to the Ahava store in London was blocked by activists who chained themselves to a concrete-filled oil barrel. This was the fifth protest by activists against Ahava, which manufactures Dead Sea products in the illegal settlement of Mitzpe Shalem.

At the press conference, juror John Dugard, who recently served as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, stressed that when the anti-apartheid movement pressured corporations to disinvest from apartheid South Africa, it was still debated whether apartheid constituted a crime against humanity. Corporations therefore argued that doing business with South Africa was not illegal.

Dugard added that the situation is very different with respect to Israel: “We are dealing with a criminal enterprise on the part of Israel. Under criminal and international law and in many cases under national legal systems, there is an obligation on the part of states to redress such illegality, but if states do not take action, there is also responsibility on the part of corporations and civil society to redress these wrongs.”

Ronald Kasrils, former South African minister, highlighted how mobilization of popular support by the anti-apartheid movement helped to isolate South Africa and overthrow the apartheid regime. At that time, the western countries were the pillars of support for apartheid South Africa, as is the case with Israel today. Kasrils said that the mobilization was not “anti-people, it was anti-system.”

Kasrils added that in South Africa the “particular groundswell internationally would even get through to the minority white people in South Africa. As we see now this [boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS)] call getting through to public opinion in Israel, among Jews in Israel and around the world.” Kasrils emphasized that the importance of BDS can not be “underestimated” and underlined the important role of civil society in pressuring governments to end Israeli impunity and criminal activity.

Juror Michael Mansfield, President of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, stated that “the jury was horrified to note that the Israeli government is currently considering making protest and objection along these lines a criminal offense.” In its final statement, the jury called “on states to protect the rights of all those who initiate or take such lawful BDS actions.”

Meanwhile, the Palestinian BDS National committee (BNC) endorsed the outcome of the Russell Tribunal in London. In a statement the BNC commented that “the tribunal spoke with a strong, clear and moral voice” (“BNC endorses findings of London session of Russell Tribunal on Palestine …,” 30 November 2010).

The tribunal has provided not only important knowledge, but also authoritative encouragement to solidarity groups, social movements, trade unions, political parties and concerned citizens to utilize BDS to hold Israel and its supporters to account. The next Russell Tribunal on Palestine will be held in South Africa, and will consider the applicability of the crime of apartheid in Israel.

By Adri Nieuwhof

Adri Nieuwhof is a consultant and human rights advocate based in Switzerland. Nieuwhof gave a presentation at the Russell Tribunal as the lead expert on public contracts regulations and the French multinational, Veolia, and its business practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Chris Williams, author of Ecology and Socialism: Solutions to Capitalist Ecological Crisis, explains what’s at stake at the UN-sponsored climate change talks in Cancún.

“If Cancún delivers nothing, or not much, then the UN process is in danger.” So said Connie Hedegaard, the European commissioner for climate action, ahead of the UN-sponsored climate change summit taking place in Mexico through December 10.

The negotiations are known as COP-16, short for 16th Conference of the Parties. What does the “16” stand for? If you’re a freshman in college this year, you were probably alive, but still an infant, when the first international climate talks took place 16 years ago.

In other words, the world’s governments have been negotiating for more than half a generation. And what progress has there been in those intervening years?

Last century, on March 21, 1994, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) came into being; 194 countries signed on to it. Article 2 of the UNFCCC states that its ultimate objective, and that of related bodies, such as the International Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Conference of the Parties, is:

to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

In 1995, the IPCC released its Second Assessment Report, which stated in part:

The atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases, and among them, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), have grown significantly since pre-industrial times (about 1750 A.D.): CO2 from about 280 to almost 360 ppmv (parts per million by volume), CH4 from 700 to 1720 ppbv (parts per billion by volume) and N2O from about 275 to about 310 ppbv.

These trends can be attributed largely to human activities, mostly fossil-fuel use, land-use change and agriculture. Concentrations of other anthropogenic greenhouse gases have also increased. An increase of greenhouse gas concentrations leads on average to an additional warming of the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface. Many greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere–and affect climate–for a long time.

So we have known for a long time what has been going on and what the likely effects would be. Three things have happened over the intervening decade and a half: CO2 levels have now increased another 30ppm to 390ppm; the scientific consensus on the likely effects of this increase has sharpened, deepened and become even more worrying; and the politicians have done nothing about it even as global awareness, activism and concern with the issue has risen tremendously.

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THE IPCC issued its Fourth Assessment Report in 2007, the year that its work was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. The report stated, “There is high agreement and much evidence that with current climate change mitigation policies and related sustainable development practices, global GHG emissions will continue to grow over the next few decades.”

If anyone was in any doubt about where this extremely rapid increase in CO2 levels due to business as- usual might lead, they only need to look at this summer’s heat wave and fires in Russia or the extreme monsoons that have devastated large areas of Pakistan.

These are only the most reported and devastating of recent unusual weather patterns. In August, a cloudburst over the town of Leh in Ladakh, northern India, killed at least 150 people and left hundreds missing and homeless as the deluge washed away the mountainside and much of the town. Ladakh is a high altitude desert and lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, so naturally, people don’t build houses there to withstand torrential rain. Perhaps now they will have to.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, May, June and July each were the hottest on record. In New York, for June through August, an astonishing and record-breaking 34 days exceeded 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. This came despite a cooler-than-usual start to summer. There are many other examples of regions that are unseasonably wetter, drier or hotter–19 countries so far have set new temperature records for 2010.

As Jack Hedin, a farmer in Minnesota, wrote in an op-ed piece in the New York Times:

The news from this Midwestern farm is not good. The past four years of heavy rains and flash flooding here in southern Minnesota have left me worried about the future of agriculture in America’s grain belt. For some time, computer models of climate change have been predicting just these kinds of weather patterns, but seeing them unfold on our farm has been harrowing nonetheless…

Climate change, I believe, may eventually pose an existential threat to my way of life. A family farm like ours may simply not be able to adjust quickly enough to such unendingly volatile weather.

We can’t charge enough for our crops in good years to cover losses in the ever-more-frequent bad ones. We can’t continue to move to better, drier ground. No new field drainage scheme will help us as atmospheric carbon concentrations edge up to 400 parts per million; hardware and technology alone can’t solve problems of this magnitude.

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GIVEN THE overwhelming preponderance of scientific data pointing toward the growing likelihood of catastrophic climate change–as well as the fact that we are already seeing some of the effects–what is likely to happen at Cancún?

According to the New York Times:

After 16 years of annual climate treaty negotiations, negotiators heading for this meeting…are hoping not for progress, but merely to avoid going backward. Connie Hedegaard, the European Union’s minister for climate action said: “What we will be working toward is that we should not start backsliding.”

So, the answer is…nothing. In fact, most heads of state, unlike COP-15 in Copenhagen, aren’t even bothering to show up. It’s becoming ever more apparent that rational arguments based on sound science aren’t going to persuade politicians to act.

In particular, regarding the U.S., it is also becoming ever more apparent that rhetoric aside, the Democrats and President Obama are equally uninterested in forcing through real change.

Many people who hoped for something different are waking up to the fact that, to quote W.E.B. DuBois, “It is a hard thing to live haunted by the ghost of an untrue dream.” Even actually witnessing climate or environmental devastation–such as with the BP oil spill–doesn’t seem to provoke political leaders into action.

Therefore, as people who do want something to be done, we have to analyze why the response has been so pathetic, and what we can do to force a change in this state of affairs.

In the U.S., many environmental activists and liberals tend to attribute the failure to Obama’s misplaced but genuine attempts at consensus building, the intransigence of moderate Democrats, and the over-bearing power and influence of the corporations.

However, while all these reasons contain elements of truth, there is a more fundamental analysis that Marxists can provide. The underlying reason for the reactionary posture of U.S. politicians, regardless of party affiliation, against any and all meaningful action on climate change, and the creation of alternative energy systems, new infrastructure and millions of green jobs is structural.

The U.S. is in an impossible position: it is regressing economically in the face of new competition internationally, it is already behind in many areas of green technology, it has a chronically outdated transportation and housing infrastructure premised on never-ending cheap oil, and it is fighting two wars to maintain global hegemony. And this is taking place in the context of a global crisis of overproduction of goods.

Internationally, inter-imperial rivalry over diminishing resources in the context of a global economic recession has sharpened, as countries fight to maintain or extend the power of their own national set of corporations in hostile competition with all the others.

The Copenhagen conference could more aptly be described as a confrontation rather than a conference, as countries faced off across the diplomatic table. In the end, any possibility of an agreement was torpedoed by an unholy alliance of five heavy fossil-fuel users and carbon emitters led by the U.S. and including China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

This time around, in Cancún, the big governments reason that there’s no need to turn up because a deal on climate is so unlikely due to the depressed global economic situation and an incipient trade war. Showing up to a failing conference would just be bad PR. Forced austerity, not clean energy, is what’s on the table.

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HEADS OF state from Latin America who will likely attend, such as Evo Morales of Bolivia, are trying to force a change. In April, more than 30,000 activists gathered in Cochabamba, Bolivia, for the alternative Cochabamba Accords to Protect Mother Earth, which charted an alternative path to reducing carbon emissions, real sustainable social and ecological development, and the provision of development assistance to countries of the Global South most affected by climate change.

As reported on November 26 by Britain’s Guardian newspaper:

The first shots were fired in what are likely to be serious diplomatic clashes at the talks. In an interview with the Guardian, Bolivia’s ambassador to the UN accused rich countries of “holding humanity hostage” and undermining the UN. “[Their] deliberate attempts to sideline democracy and justice in the climate debate will be viewed as reckless and immoral by future generations,” he said. “I feel that Cancún will become a new Copenhagen if there is no shift in the next few days.”

In Cancún, the peasant and farmer organization Via Campesina–in echoes of Che Guevara’s call for “One, two, many Vietnams”–has issued a call for “thousands of Cancúns” across the world and an International Day of Action on December 7 to coincide with mass farmers protests in Cancún.

In the U.S., activists need to take inspiration from these protests and cohere around a set of politics that will help move the environmental and climate justice movement forward. Given the resistance to change on the part of the U.S. ruling class, which fears losing even more ground to its competitors, even modest reforms to national energy, transportation and climate policy are unlikely without a mass movement for social and ecological change.

Such a movement needs to be resolute in its independence and principles, and will have to incorporate, for the first time since the late 1960s, tens of thousands of working-class people. Five key points need to be argued:

— A strong, effective and reinvigorated environmental movement must campaign as much about social justice as it does about ecological justice. We cannot have one without the other.

— This is not about sacrifice; rather, it is about fighting for a higher standard of living and quality of life.

— The problem is the system itself. Therefore, the solution is structural and systemic, not individual, technical or market-based.

— To make real headway, the movement must maintain and make absolute its independence from the Democratic Party.

— We need to fight for intermediate, achievable goals while maintaining a vision of fundamental social change and a completely different, ecologically rational society based on cooperation, worker participation and real democracy.

On this basis, we can build a new and vibrant movement that can campaign for such things as a joint Labor and Climate Justice Conference to help formulate strategy and tactics or a national demonstration for the same.

We can’t wait in vain for President Obama or other politicians to do it for us. Ordinary people must step onto the stage of history to organize to force the change that we want to see and that is so urgently needed.