Nepal and Madagascar: The Uprisings Must Go Further
In September, hundreds of thousands of mostly young protesters marched in the streets of Nepal, demanding an end to their corrupt government that oversaw poverty and suffering for the majority while a corrupt political caste and capitalist ruling class skimmed off the wealth of society for themselves. Within weeks, their protest had brought down the […]
Record Harvests, Rising Hunger: Brazil’s Agro-Industrial Boom Based on Exploitation and Exports
A recent report by Brasil de Fato highlights a shocking contradiction at the heart of Brazil’s agricultural economy. The country is on track to achieve a record harvest this year, with nearly 330 million tons of crops expected. Yet food prices continue to rise, and inflation is hitting working-class families hardest. This contradiction is no […]
When the Criminals Decide
A recent attack on a BART passenger can be explained by the lack of money being spent to help those who need it.
Health Care in the U.S. — A Nurse’s View
I’m a nurse, I work in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve been a nurse for about 15 years now and when I first got into the medical field, I thought I’d be taking care of people maybe at the end of a long natural life span when they’re very old, or maybe some very […]
Criminalizing the Homeless: California Politicians’ War on the Poor
Instead of addressing the root causes of homelessness, California politicians are clearing homeless encampments so they can pretend that the problem doesn’t exist.
Capitalism Pushes Workers and Patients to the Brink
This article is reprinted from the Speak Out Now healthcare newsletter at Kaiser and Highland Hospitals in Oakland, CA. It takes personal strength and dedication to work in a hospital, caring for people who are suffering through what are often the worst days of their lives. In a normal shift, a nurse might comfort a […]
Speak Out Now National Newsletter: August 19, 2024
Download .pdf leaflet We Cannot Count on Harris and the Democrats The Democratic National Convention (DNC) historically is the time when the party’s presidential candidate would be officially selected. But a virtual roll-call has already been done. So the selection of Harris and Walz at the convention is a formality. Keynote speakers include Biden, the […]
Child Poverty Spikes Again – Surprised?
In news that drew statements of surprise from liberal news outlets, a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau announced last week that child poverty had more than doubled between 2021 to 2022, going from a rate of 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022. That means that at least 12 of every 100 children […]
Deadly Johannesburg Fire Was a Predictable Tragedy
On August 31, a fast-moving blaze spread through a formerly abandoned five-story building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. Within minutes, dozens of people were trapped in and above the flames. Some managed to escape the inferno with only burns and broken bones. But at the end of the blaze, at least 74 had died. This […]
NO to the Guilty Verdict in the Baltimore Squeegee Case!
The trial over the shooting of a motorist by a teenage squeegee worker in Baltimore has come to an end. A year after the shooting the jury reached the verdict that the teenager, tried as an adult, was guilty of voluntary manslaughter, the use of a firearm in a crime, and being a minor in […]
Empty Homes Yet Unhoused People – Another Sickness of the System
A recent report provides us with yet another example of the inhumanity of the capitalist political-economic system that shapes our world. San Francisco recently released data for 2021 that found that 61,473 homes sat empty and unused while at least 4,000 people sleep on the city’s streets every night. That means that for every unhoused […]
States Hoard $5.2 Billion in Assistance Meant for People in Need
An investigation by Propublica published in Dec. 2021 reported that over $5.2 billion in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is being hoarded by some states and not being distributed to people in need. At the same time the states withheld these funds, childhood poverty went from 14.4% to 16.1% and from 9.4% to 10.4% […]
Cyclone Amphan: Not a “Natural” Disaster
Super Cyclone Amphan devastated parts of Bangladesh and India last week.
Left Without Plumbing: Society’s Priorities Exposed
In the U.S. there are 470,000 dwellings with inadequate plumbing. Nearly a million homes lack complete and functioning kitchens. More than 4 million
COVID-19 in Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic has been slow to reach most of Africa compared to Europe and the United States. But that is changing.
COVID-19 Isn’t Racist, but the System Is!
Why are people of color getting and dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than white people?
The Rich Get Richer – The Poor Get Prison
The worst criminals in our society are the super rich. Bankers and CEOs cause horrible pain and suffering to millions of people around the world, but they are rarely punished for their crimes against humanity. Poor and working people, however, are incarcerated at ever increasing numbers, even though the crimes they commit usually stem from […]
Too Poor to Live Here
We are living in a period of unmatched wealth inequality in the U.S. The 400 richest Americans now have more wealth than the bottom 150 million of us. And the vast majority of all the economic gains in the last 20 years have gone to the richest one percent of society. Banks, corporations, and wealthy […]
The Violence of Poverty
We should all have the right to live in communities where we can feel safe without the threat of violence but unfortunately many of us face crime and violence in the streets. It shouldn’t be a surprise that in poorer neighborhoods, high levels of unemployment bring higher crime rates and more violence. The violence which […]