In light of the intense repression carried out against protests at the Republican National Convention, we are reprinting material that Terri Smith, of Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management, presented at the Fifth Annual Governor’s Homeland Security Conference, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines, Iowa.

Government Pension Privatization Causes Disasters in Britain and Argentina

Commentary

Commentary

The Case of Omar Pilgrim

The Union County, NJ, case of Omar Pilgrim is a flagrant example of the racist abuses of the United States criminal ‘justice’ system. In March 2005 Judge John Triarsi gave Omar, an African-American, a prison sentence of eight years on a first offense in a matter involving $6.75. He must serve six years before he is eligible for parole.

It's Oscar season and Hollywood is lined up to honor the industry's “best.” Unfortunately, as in previous years, controversial movies like The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington, are left out of the Best Picture category.

Commentary

No End in Sight for Working People

In the six months since the financial crisis exploded with the collapse of New York investment bank Lehman Brothers, the world economy has been gripped by the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. U.S. and European banks have admitted a trillion dollars in losses, while the banking system of Iceland totally collapsed. Almost all of the major economies of the world, with the exception of China, have started to contract, with millions of workers losing their jobs and businesses going bankrupt right and left. Hardest hit for now are the new capitalist economies of eastern Europe, who are being slammed by their dependence on borrowing from foreign bankers, falling exports and plunging currencies.

When the House of Representatives bowed to popular anger and defeated the Bush administration’s $700 billion bailout bill on Sept. 29, 2008, Wall Street was dealt a stunning defeat. The next day, the Senate took the same bill and loaded it up with $100 billion dollars of tax breaks (including one for makers of wooden arrows). The Senate passed the bill the next day, which went on to pass in the House on Oct. 3.

2009 began with an important reminder for young African-American males: Your life cannot be taken for granted.