Democracy

Auto Workers Win Direct Democracy In Referendum

December 11, 2021 Jonah Furman, Labor Notes. Organize! Democracy, Elections, Labor Unions, UAW

The members of the United Auto Workers have voted overwhelmingly to move to a direct voting system for choosing their union leadership—“one member, one vote.” With all votes counted as of December 2, direct elections had the support of 63.6 percent of voters. It's a historic win for reformers in one of the nation’s most important unions, where members have pushed for this change for decades. The referendum is the product of a consent decree between the UAW and the U.S. Department of Justice, after a years-long series of prosecutions of top union officials on corruption charges ranging from embezzling union funds for personal use to accepting bribes from an employer, FCA (formerly Chrysler, now Stellantis), in exchange for accepting contract terms more favorable for the company.

US Shouldn’t Be Invited To Summit For Democracy, Let Alone Be Its Host

December 9, 2021 Alexander Rubinstein, Mintpress News. Educate! Democracy, Summit, US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism

This week, the United States is convening a virtual “Summit for Democracy,” the first of its kind in what the State Department hopes to make an annual event. It’s no surprise that Washington has declined to invite its two biggest geopolitical foes, Russia and China. The two countries banded together to publish an opinion article in The National Interest, correctly characterizing the circus of a summit as a “product of [Washington’s] Cold-War mentality” aimed at stoking “ideological confrontation and a rift in the world.”

Nicaragua’s Evidence-Based Democracy Threatens US Oppression

December 7, 2021 Lauren Smith, Covert Action Magazine. Educate! Democracy, Elections, Nicaragua, US Imperialism

Despite Washington’s best effort to derail Nicaragua’s electoral process through hybrid warfare, strong voter turnout resulted in a decisive victory by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), and the reelection of President Daniel Ortega with 75.92% of the votes cast. Nicaragua’s non-partisan, independent Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) reported on Monday, November 8th that 65.23% of 4.4 million eligible voters (16 years and older) participated in Sunday’s election. Supporters attribute the FSLN’s success to its ability to ensure peace and achieve socioeconomic & political objectives that strengthen the wellbeing of the people of Nicaragua. This markedly contrasts the widespread neglect and corruption endemic under Nicaragua’s U.S. supported neoliberal period from 1990-2007.

Next Steps In Recovering Democracy In Honduras After Historic Left Victory

December 7, 2021 Peoples Dispatch. Resistance Report Democracy, Elections, Honduras, Left Politics

Following Xiomara Castro’s victory in the Honduran elections, Bertha Zúniga Cáceres, Coordinator, COPINH, spoke to Peoples Dispatch about what this means for people’s movements in the country. She talks about the government’s plans in its first 100 days, what movements like COPINH think are the next steps for rebuilding democracy, and more.

‘Summit For Democracy’ – The Apex Of Hypocrisy

December 5, 2021 Dee Knight, Popular Resistance. Educate! Democracy, Great Power Conflict, Joe Biden, US Imperialism

President Biden’s December 9-10 “Summit for Democracy” has already stirred up a storm. The White House says the summit will have “three principal themes: defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights” – clearly targeting Washington’s chosen “autocratic states,” China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. The government of Taiwan is among the 100-plus invitees, prompting suspicions that a key goal is de facto recognition of the island as a sovereign state. This continues the systematic gutting of the 1972 Shanghai Communiqué, signed by Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, in which the United States acknowledged the One-China policy and agreed to cut back military installations on Taiwan.

Why We Should Oppose The Democracy Summit

December 3, 2021 David Swanson, Let's Try Democracy. Educate! Democracy, Joe Biden, US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism

The exclusion of certain countries from the U.S. “democracy summit” is not a side issue. It is the very purpose of the summit. And excluded countries have not been excluded for failing to meet the standards of behavior of those that were invited or the one doing the inviting. Invitees didn’t even have to be countries, as even a U.S. backed failed coup leader from Venezuela has been invited. So have representatives of Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, DRC, Zambia, Angola, Malaysia, Kenya, and — critically — pawns in the game: Taiwan and Ukraine. What game? The weapons sales game. Which is the whole point. Look at the U.S. State Department website on the Democracy Summit. Right at the top: “‘Democracy doesn’t happen by accident.

Seven Day March In Defense Of Democracy Concludes In Bolivia

December 1, 2021 People's Dispatch. Resistance Report Bolivia, Democracy, Socialism, US coup

March for the Homeland reached the Bolivian city of La Paz on November 29 after covering a distance of more than 180km over seven days. Over a million people had joined the march by the time it reached La Paz. The demonstration was organized in defense of democracy, in support of President Luis Arce’s government, and in rejection of the recent destabilization attempts promoted by the far-right opposition sectors.

The US Puts A Democratic Veneer On The Military Coup In Sudan

November 29, 2021 Margaret Flowers, Clearing the FOG. Podcast Democracy, Imperialism, Military coup, Sudan

Since achieving independence in 1956, Sudan has had a number of military coup governments and popular revolutions that overthrew them. Most recently, the Sudanese people ousted the thirty year long dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir at the end of 2018 only to replace him with another military-led government and a civilian figure head. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ahmed Kaballo, a British-Sudanese journalist and producer who just released his two-part documentary called "Sudan's Unfinished Revolution," which you can find here and here. Kaballo describes the history of the struggle in Sudan, the dire situation facing Sudan right now and the powers behind the current government. He exposes the lies being told in the corporate media about the fight for democracy in Sudan.

Bolivia: Massive Six Day March To Defend Democracy

November 28, 2021 Popular Resistance. Resist! Bolivia, Democracy, Socialism, US Imperialism

Bolivia - On Monday, November 29, the massive "March for the Country" led by social movements and indigenous peoples will culminate in the capital, La Paz, for a large rally in defense of democracy. Just over a year ago, the Bolivian people overthrew a violent US-backed coup regime at the ballot box with the election of President Luis Arce. The Bolivian people have continued to fight off attempts by the US government to undermine their restored government. To raise awareness of the attack on democracy and to show the great support for the current government within the country, tens of thousands of people have been marching for the past five days. The total length of the march is 180 kilometers. Here is a series of tweets that tell the story of the march from Kawsachun News and others who are there:

The Organization Of American States Is Not Credible

November 18, 2021 David Adler and Guillaume Long, The Guardian. Create! Democracy, Latin America, OAS, US Imperialism

On 20 October, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, traveled to Ecuador to set out a vision for democracy in the Americas. Over the past five years, the hemisphere has suffered an assault on its democratic institutions, as political leaders from Donald Trump to Jair Bolsonaro have adopted a new authoritarian playbook: lies, violence, repression, and more lies. Two-thirds of US citizens now believe that democracy is under threat, while a majority of Brazilians fear a military dictatorship will return to the country. “We find ourselves in a moment of democratic reckoning,” announced Blinken. But the Biden administration continues to put the US on the wrong side of this reckoning. Consider Blinken’s recent trip.

Nicaragua Has A Public Relations Problem

November 13, 2021 Roger D. Harris, Popular Resistance. Educate! Democracy, Media, Nicaragua, US Regime Change

Managua, Nicaragua - US President Joe Biden hectored Nicaragua about their November 7 elections accusing them of “a pantomime election that was neither free nor fair, and most certainly not democratic.” Three days earlier, the US lavished a $650mil arms deal on Saudi Arabia, a monarchy where they don’t even pretend to have elections for higher office. Clearly more than democracy is at issue with the US offensive against Nicaragua. At issue is what Biden described as “the arbitrary imprisonment of nearly 40 opposition figures since May, including seven potential presidential candidates.” An objective investigation reveals: (1) the motivation for the arrests had nothing to do with the election and (2) the effects of the arrests had no impact on the election.

Limiting Corporate Powers To Sue Governments Over Extractives Policies

November 2, 2021 Manuel Perez-Rocha, Counterpunch. Educate! climate crisis, COP26, Democracy, ISDS

Next week international negotiators are meeting in Glasgow, Scotland to develop solutions to the climate change threat. But one major obstacle to global sustainability will be largely absent from the discussions: the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system. This system gives transnational corporations the power to sue governments over actions — including policies to address climate change — that reduce the value of their foreign investments. Allowing corporations to continue to wield this power could undermine whatever agreements might be reached in Glasgow. How does this system work? Clauses in more than 2,600 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) allow foreign investors to bypass domestic courts and sue sovereign states in international tribunals for millions — and even billions — of dollars.

Can The United Auto Workers Be Democratized?

October 25, 2021 Sarah Jaffe And Michelle Chen , Dissent Magazine. Organize! Democracy, Labor Unions, UAW, Worker Rights and Jobs

For decades, the United Auto Workers (UAW) has been controlled by a tight-knit group of insiders known for its opacity and corrupt tendencies, leading many rank-and-file members to criticize the leadership for its arrogance, lack of accountability, and failure to address the needs of a workforce that is increasingly precarious and alienated. All that might start to change in the coming weeks as UAW members vote on a historic referendum to change the way it elects its central leadership: members can decide whether to replace the current system of indirect elections through a small, exclusive group of delegates, with direct elections, known as “one member, one vote.” That might seem like a pretty basic change, but pro-reform members say that this is the first step toward breaking the monopoly on power held by the current leadership, and could help this storied union become more progressive and address endemic corruption.

A Glimpse Of China’s ‘Whole-Process Democracy’

October 24, 2021 CGTN, Friends of Socialist China. Educate! China, Democracy, Governance, Socialism

The notion of Chinese democracy is not the same as that in the West. The political system in China is more about consensus building within a greater voice rather than the protracted bargaining to arrive at decisions common in the West. The country’s application of democratic principles follows an approach Chinese President Xi Jinping has termed “whole-process people’s democracy.” The concept was put forward about two years ago, during Xi’s visit to a civic center in Shanghai. Based on people’s congress system, the “whole-process people’s democracy” enables the Chinese people to broadly and continuously participate in the day-to-day political activities at all levels, including democratic elections, political consultation, decision-making and oversight. The story of Chinese lawmaker Liu Li gives a glimpse into how China’s whole-process democracy operates.

‘March Of Millions’ In Sudan Revives Spirit Of December Revolution

October 23, 2021 Pavan Kulkarni, People's Dispatch. Resist! Democracy, Military coup, Sudan, Wars and Militarism

Demanding a full transfer of state power from military to civilian authority, millions of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets in a show of force in cities and towns across Sudan on Thursday, October 21. “The rallies and marches went on for kilometers long,” said Osman Saeed Abu Kumbal, a member of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) who took part in the protest in Omdurman, the twin city of capital Khartoum. Some protesters in Omdurman were injured when the riot police intermittently fired rubber bullets and even live ammunition as the rally marched towards the parliament building, which has remained unused for years as there is no functioning legislature in the country. Originally, a single demonstration had been planned for the entire Khartoum state – which consists of Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman.

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