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U.S. CARD Act demonstrates the brankruptcy of Progressivism

Perhaps one of the greatest failures of progressives in the United States today is their insistence on our continued participation in elections and lobbying.

The idea that people without huge amounts of cash, namely, working class people, can compete successfully with Wall Street giants on capitol hill is simply absurd. Meaningful legislation, if it even manages to become a proposal, is always filled with loopholes or voted down before it has the chance to significantly effect our lives.

The CARD Act is the newest piece of well meaning progressive legislation to achieve precisely nothing.

The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) was signed on May 22nd of last year “…to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan, and for other purposes.” It went into effect this month.

Venezuela: 43 arrests on union march in Maracay

BREAKING NEWS (12/03/10, 4:45pm local time): 43 people have been arrested in a demonstration for labour and human rights and the return of collective contracts in the city of Maracay, Aragua state, Venezuela. Amongst the detained are three members of the human rights organisation, Provea, and an editor of the anarchist newspaper El Libertario.

Information is still scarce, but it appears that the demonstration - which had been organised by around 30 separate unions and was comprised of more than 200 people - was prevented from moving off by police, who attacked the assembled with tear gas.

Railway maintenance workers vote to strike, further action brewing in the industry

RMT members have voted strongly for strike action, in what stands to be the first national strike of rail workers in 16 years. Other workers including signallers and electrical supply controllers may also strike following their ballots in the coming weeks.

Railway maintenance workers have voted for strike action in an RMT-organised ballot, with the prospect of strikes over the Easter bank holiday - the most effective time to take action – still on the table.

State Repression in Iceland: Nine People Taken to Court With Serious Accusations

One of the accused and a policeman on the parliament balcony

The legal aftermaths of Iceland’s last winter revolt are now being determined. Nine individuals - including several anarchists - have been accused of breaking several laws, including one, which violation is supposed to be punished with a minimum one year’s jail sentence, maximum lifetime. The court case was originally set in February and heavily responded to by a lot of people, but was dismissed because of family relations between the state prosecutor and one of the parliament’s security guards. The filing of the case took place Thursday March 11th and will be continued Friday April 9th.

“Attacking” the Parliament

Battle Ground Athens: second general strike leads to pitched battles

More than 150,000 people took to the streets of Athens against the austerity measures in a mass protest marches that have led to extended battles in the greek capital.

Sussex students occupy in defiance of High Court injunction

Following a large demonstration against the suspension of the Sussex 6, hundreds of students have staged a snap occupation in defiance of management and the state, following the granting of a High Court injunction banning ‘occupational protest.’

The injunction is based on the testimony of John Duffy , who claimed students had taken members of staff during an occupation of Sussex House last week, a claim vehemently disputed by eye witnesses. Despite the heavy police presence, no charges have been brought for hostage taking or any other offences.

Anarchist killed by Greek police

In the midst of mass working class struggle against austerity measures, 35 year-old anarchist Lambros Foundas was murdered by police on the morning of 10 March in Athens.

The police claims that he was a “terrorist” and that he was shot while trying to steal a car in the suburb of Dafni, south Athens, and that he was carrying firearms.

Fountas was one of the over 500 anarchists arrested at the Polytechnic riots of 1995 in Athens.

For more information, see:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1141761

Death traps - work, home, fire and the poor in Bangladesh

slum fire in Bangladesh

An examination of the ever-present threat of fire in the lives of the working class after yet another textile factory fire kills 21 workers - while slum fires also have a devastating affect...

On Thursday 25th February 21 workers died in a fire at the Garib and Garib sweater factory in the southern district of Gazipur, burnt to death or choking on smoke. The fire started at 8.45pm, probably as an electrical short-circuit on the second floor of the seven-storey building, and quickly spread to other floors containing inflammable materials.

Movement for Living Wages, Community Space, Organizing Rights Grows at Queens Center Mall

The coalition fighting for living wages and community space at the Queens Center Mall confronted the mall owner, the Macerich Company, today demanding a meeting to begin discussions on how to transform the publicly subsidized poverty wage center into a responsible development that pays employees a living wage and benefits the community.

Why the Royal Mail Deal is Junk

Roy Mayall on why the new agreement between the CWU and Royal Mail is bad for workers and bad for customers.

According to the official communiques, both sides in the postal workers' dispute are delighted with the complex deal that has been ironed out over the past weeks. The CWU is calling it a 6.9% pay rise over three years; the management is hailing the agreement as opening the way to "transformation" of the business.

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