Democracy

Celebrations as Chile votes by huge majority to scrap Pinochet-era constitution

By Charis McGowan — The Guardian

By Charis McGowan* – The Guardian A plebiscite called in response to street protests in 2019 sees 78% of people back a new charter to replace one imposed by military dictator Chile has voted overwhelmingly in favor of rewriting the country’s constitution to replace guiding…

26 October 2020 · 3 min read

Civil rights

In the health field, the WTO has more power than the WHO

By Agora of the Inhabitants of the Earth The world upside down The aberration is obvious. On 16 October, the WTO (World Trade Organisation), an institution independent of the UN, rejected the proposal to suspend WTO rules on patents for medical tests, treatments and vaccines in…

26 Oct 2020 · 5 min read

Economy / Finance

The final Biden-Trump presidential debate: our panelists' verdict

Jill Filipovic, Art Cullen, Lloyd Green and Malaika Jabali (* ) – The Guardian Trump offered little vision and barely any policy, while Biden was solid. The president needed a win, and he didn’t get it Fri 23 Oct 2020 Jill Filipovic: ‘Trump has given up trying to articulate a…

23 Oct 2020 · 7 min read

Human Rights

Pope Francis, the anti-Trump of our age

By Ishaan Tharoor — The Washington Post

By Ishaan Tharoor* – The Washington Post Centuries ago, Christendom was accustomed to the periodic existence of “antipopes.” They were clerics who, whether through spiritual conviction or political machinations, challenged the designated pontiff with rival claims to…

23 Oct 2020 · 5 min read

authoritarianism

Donald Trump, Our Prophet of Deceit

By Charles H. Clavey — Boston Review

Clavey* -Boston Review The Frankfurt School on the appeal of authoritarianism—and how to counteract it. A number of recent books have put the methods of the social sciences in the service of understanding Trump, his movement, and his enablers, from Russell Muirhead and Nancy…

22 Oct 2020 · 23 min read

Civil Society

The UN Charter is the West’s best option

Michael von der Schulenburg* Although almost unnoticed today, 75 years ago, on 24 October 1945, the probably most important international treaty, the United Nations Charter, came into effect. Its aim was not only to end WWII, but to save, once and for all, succeeding generations…

22 Oct 2020 · 10 min read

History

The Police System That Terrorizes the Poor and Minorities Is Rooted in the Colonial Past

By Justin Podur — Globetrotter, Independent Media Institute

By Justin Podur* – Globetrotter, Independent Media Institute The Minneapolis City Council’s attempt to defund police may have fizzled out for the moment, but the problem of police violence across the United States is unresolved—and much of it stems from the…

21 Oct 2020 · 10 min read

Books

Richard Rorty’s 1998 Book Suggested Election 2016 Was Coming

By Jennifer Senior — The New York Times

By Jennifer Senior* – The New York Times ——————————- We reproduce below an analysis of The New York Times, from November 2016, after the election of Donald Trump, which we have recovered because he lucidly designs our time. Kind regards, Roberto Savio…

21 Oct 2020 · 8 min read

Civil rights

“A Blow Against Neoliberalism”: Socialist Wins Bolivian Election a Year After Coup

By Amy Goodman — Democracy Now!

By Amy Goodman* – Democracy Now! Former Bolivian President Evo Morales’s political party MAS has claimed victory in the country’s presidential election, with Morales’s handpicked successor Luis Arce securing over 50% of the vote, according to exit polls.

20 Oct 2020 · 20 min read

Elections

The Stability of Foreign Policy Amid Political Chaos

By George Friedman — Geopolitical Futures

By George Friedman* – Geopolitical Futures In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon stepped into the political and social chaos wrought by the Johnson administration and compounded it substantially. Hence, when I visited Europe during the late Nixon years, all of the talk was about…

20 Oct 2020 · 6 min read