There is only one solution to the twin problems of escalating health
care costs and the epidemic of the uninsured: a Medicare-for-All,
single payer system.
Unfortunately, the healthcare debate on Capitol Hill has evolved
without serious consideration of the Medicare-for-All single payer
health proposal. There are many reasons for this, but one is that many
who actually support Medicare-for-All have claimed that the proposal is
"not feasible."
At least three doctors will be risking arrest in civil disobedience actions during Mobilization for Healthcare for All's
third wave of actions this week, which are being held to demand an end
to insurance abuse and to demand real health care reform for all.
EAST JERUSALEM - Israeli authorities are increasingly targeting and intimidating non-violent
Palestinian grassroots activists involved in anti-occupation activities who are
drawing increased support from the international community.
Several weeks ago masked Israeli soldiers stormed the home of Ehab Jallad
from The Jerusalem Popular Committee for the Celebration of Jerusalem as
the Capital of Arab Culture for 2009.
One of the most cherished items in my possession is a postcard that was sent from Mississippi to the Upper West Side of Manhattan in June 1964.
“Dear Mom and Dad,” it says, “I have arrived safely in Meridian, Mississippi. This is a wonderful town and the weather is fine. I wish you were here. The people in this city are wonderful and our reception was very good. All my love, Andy.”
Personal details about thousands of people - said to include those only suspected of minor public order offences such as peaceful direct action and civil disobedience - are being compiled on a database run by the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU).
The data includes pictures of people taken demonstrations and other observations made by police on the scene, such as vehicle registration numbers. These enable cars to be tracked using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
Let's say you occasionally despair for the future of the planet. In
that case, the place you need to be this week is the website for 350.org.
Every few minutes, something new arrives at our headquarters, where
young people hunched over laptops do their best to keep up with the
pace. News that activists in Afghanistan—Afghanistan—have organized a
rally for our big day of action on October 24. They'll assemble on a
hillside 20 kilometers from Kabul to write a huge message in the sand:
"Let Us Live: 350."
Halloween is around the corner, and children will soon be dressing up and chanting “trick or treat,” their demand for candy backed up by the threat of a prank. Climate-change activists, from pranksters to presidents, are doing the same. This past Monday, the activist-artist group The Yes Men staged another of its hoaxes, with one member posing as an official from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, leading what appeared to be a legitimate press conference and stating the chamber’s complete reversal on its historically adamant opposition to climate-change legislation.
Autumn has arrived in the Northeast. The leaves are turning colors, the days are getting shorter, and the weather has a hint of the chill to come. It's a time of change in many ways. Our nation is grappling with the daunting challenges of health care and global warming. Another change is coming as well. It's called the good food revolution. By bringing locally grown, organic, nutritiously rich food to a table near you, the good food revolution can help us tackle these larger societal issues, and benefit us all.
Even two years ago, I was in complete despair about our chances of
fighting climate change. But something's changed. It's not the science,
which has gotten steadily worse. It's the first signs that the planet's
immune system--conscious citizens ready to make a difference--is
finally kicking in. Bloggers, in this metaphor, are key
antibodies--they recognize threats, and rally people to take the steps
needed.
Without even one cable news outlet promoting the event and even without Glenn Beck--even without corporate lobbyists sending in activists by the thousands, and corporate advertisers publicizing it--the National Equality March on the D.C. mall on October 11 drew one hell of a crowd.
