The perils of withdrawal

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Grocery strikers in Koreatown

ANSWER LA brought about 30 people (plus food and coffee) to support strikers at a Ralph’s in Koreatown Tuesday tonight. Prior to that, at our regular Tuesday volunteer meetings, several of the strikers spoke.

They are fighting for survival. For example, currently if a worker needs chemotherapy, they keep their job. If management wins, a worker getting chemo could lose their job - and their medical benefits. Management also wants to stop pensions for some of the workers, like the boxers. These are such mean-spirited “proposals” that it’s clear these greedheads simply want to break the union.

So the workers, many of whom have never been on strike are out on the picket lines. The public appears to be on their side too. We at ANSWER sent out a press release about our joining the strikers and KFWB Newsradio was there, and Channel 7 gave it good coverage.

This was also the first day of the transit strike. Buses, rail, and subways stopped. The freeways approached gridlock. And this strike, like the grocery strike, could go on for weeks.

Textamerica now has a camblog about the strike, and I’ve posted photos there, and to my camblog too! 

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Bolivia’s right wing government blinks, is now about to fall

Bolivia’s embattled government has appealed for calm as thousands of miners, peasants and farmers march toward La Paz to join a popular revolt as the death toll in clashes with troops hit 53.

A few days back the government was forced to back down on a plan to export natural gas to the US after tremendous demonstrations shut down the capital city. In other words, they blinked. The opposition, sensing victory, has increased the protests and demands. In just a few months, the government has gone from strutting macho and being Dubya’s lap dog to so weakened it is issuing statements like this

“We call (on the protesters) to stop being belligerent and not take part in violent confrontations,” presidential spokesman Mauricio Antezana appealed to the marchers.

Not exactly ruling with a fist of iron any more, are they? Tyrants often fall when the people come together as a unified force.

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Someone sends Turkey a message about their troops coming to Iraq

Baghdad. A suicide attacker exploded a car bomb Tuesday outside the embassy of Turkey, which has recently offered to send peacekeeping troops to Iraq.

Turkey, at least in public, is saying the bomb has nothing to do with them sending troops,which seems deeply clueless to me.

“We don’t think this is a terrorist action against the authorisation granted by parliament,” he <The Turkey PM> told reporters after an unscheduled meeting with General Hilmi Ozkok, chief of general staff of the armed forces.

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Supreme Court clears way for medical pot

The U.S. Supreme Court handed a major victory Tuesday to the nine states that allow the medical use of marijuana, refusing to let the federal government punish doctors for recommending pot to their ill patients.

I’m sure Ashcroft, twisted being that he is, will waste much taxpayer money and resources trying to find a way around this ruling. Remember, he already put Tommy Chong in prison for selling bongs…

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Technology is getting a lit-tle bit too personal, you ask me

Underwear ‘can detect heart attack and call ambulance’

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Why is this a good idea?

Foetus with three parents created

A controversial IVF technique could see babies being born with three parents, scientists have suggested.

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