The Revolution Continues blog is news, views, opinion and other expressions of hope from a leftist point-of-view. (We are not affiliated with any candidate, political party or organization. All are welcome.)
At the end of the year, most bloggers/columnists compile a round-up of worldwide events that stood out to them as making a significant impact on human society. This year the detrimental events came at us all so fast and furious, one right after another, that there’s almost no way to rank them in order of horridness because they were all so… well, horrid. Where to start?
I tried to find a common thread among the happenings which sums up what the year 2025 was all about. An idea grabbed me as I read one astute observer’s comment on the recent arrest of activist Greta Thunberg. Greta was arrested in London for holding a sign pleading for the release of the Palestine Action hunger strikers. This comment has become the theme of this year's round-up: Truth has become hate speech.
In the year 2025, this theme was present in most earth-shattering events. It can be summed up in a formula reminiscent of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity: Truth = Hate Speech. (Or possibly Hate Speech squared.) And just as revolutionary as Einstein’s breakthrough in physics, this Truth = Hate Speech axiom opens up a whole new way of understanding how our lords and masters (a.k.a. the billionaires/oligarchy and their henchpersons/political puppets) want to manipulate and use us from here on out—that is, if we let them.
Let’s start with Greta’s and thousands of other British protesters’ example...
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The following is a transcript of a podcast I stumbled upon after waking up from a horrible nightmare. Read at your own risk. --C. A. Matthews*
Hi! It’s me, your favorite social media influencer of all time, Ima Queen, here with the news you really shouldn’t know. I mean it—you really should not know any of these details if you want to remain my friend or make friends with my well-connected friends in Tel Aviv. Got it? Good.
First off, we have a quick rundown from a recent lecture given by a first-class traitor of Israel, Miko Peled. You really shouldn’t listen to that man because he says so many stupid things. For instance:
“I grew up in a colony.” While Peled was growing up as the son of a IDF general in Jerusalem he says he learned that the “Arabs” in Israel were an inherently backwards people because they didn’t have electricity and running water and live in a European-styled city like he did. Only much later did he come to realize the reality of why Palestinians lived the way they did. He says it’s because Palestinians are being oppressed. (As if!)
(...)
Our second example is a young woman you definitely should not listen to if you know what’s good for you. You may remember her as an adorable teenager sitting in front of the Swedish Parliament “Striking for the Climate” or some other such nonsense. Now she’s all grown up and has attempted not one but two illegal invasions of Israeli territorial waters. How criminal can you get!
(...)
This last item is one that you definitely should not listen to, although actually it’s a book. If you ever find an audio version of it, do not listen to it! If you find a printed or electronic copy, get rid of it at once!
*To read more of this satire piece about who you shouldn't listen to (if you know what's good for you), please copy or click on the following link:
There you'll see related article and video links, all the graphics, and
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This
article is the 542nd blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began
in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading,
sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years.
After several late nights watching the livestreams from the various boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla, cringing as the activists were pummeled with skunk water before being kidnapped by the Israeli Navy and taken to prison to be beaten and called “terrorists,” I’m in the mood for screaming:
SHUT IT DOWN!
The very last of the first flotilla boats was boarded by the Israelis by very early Friday morning Eastern time. But the next wave of boats to carry humanitarian aid to Gaza, a flotilla called “Thousand Madleens to Gaza”, had already launched, and are on their way. (Learn more about them at https://www.thousandmadleens.org/) There’s no stopping a good idea and good people who want to help others live a good life.
And keeping the Israeli Navy busy hunting for the small boats of the flotilla in the Mediterranean has actually helped the starving in a measurable way. Gazan fishermen were able to slip their boats out into the sea and fish without being shot at by the IOF! Even if the Israelis threw the humanitarian aid into the bottom of the sea, the flotilla really did break the blockade after all.
Greta and the others did what they intended to and weren’t persuaded to stay home and sit on their backsides. They worked hard and suffered much to—
SHUT IT DOWN!
Palestinian supporters in Europe have been marching in record numbers protesting their countries’ lack of help for the victims of Israel’s ethnic cleansing. In Amsterdam alone a quarter million were in the streets. In Italy over a million turned out. Workers and students demonstrated after the largest unions called for a one-day general strike. Hundreds of trains were cancelled or delayed, some flights were cancelled, and many schools were closed.
These same sorts of actions should be happening everywhere. In North America, we’re slow on the uptake. No major shut downs yet. No general strike. A meme says, “The problem with American protests is that we schedule protests one by one instead of showing up every night until the change happens.”
Word! We should show up every night until we—
SHUT IT DOWN!
To read the rest of the rants and see original recent protest photos, please copy or click on the following link:
There you'll see related article and video links, all the graphics, and
be able to leave comments. You can become a free or paid subscriber and
receive weekly posts in your email box, along with occasional special
articles just for paid subscribers, too.
This
article is the 540th blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began
in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading,
sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years.
I wrote the following essay a couple of weeks before the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict came in. These were the contest specs:
Every year for Thanksgiving, the Wall Street Journal features a passage from a pilgrim detailing what colonists perceived when they arrived in the “New World.” The passage is full of disdain and racism towards indigenous people, and petition starter Randy, an indigenous activist, thinks it’s time to stop publishing this story.
But what should one of the nation’s most widely-read newspapers publish on Thanksgiving? How can we as a nation stop telling the false story behind the holiday and instead tell a story of our nation that honors indigenous people? We want to read something which positions the descendants of the U.S.’ original inhabitants and settlers as modern day accomplices in the fight for a more just nation...
So, in spite of the fight for a fair and just nation taking a bit of a blow from the Kenosha, Wisconsin trial, here's what I came up from the contest prompt. I really hope channels of communication stay open wide enough so we can continue to work through our conflicts and truly become thankful for each other.
Let Us Be Thankful For Each Other
by C.A. Matthews
If
lockdowns and self-isolation have taught us anything, it's this: People need
people. Real flesh and blood people,
not just online people. We need a variety of people in our lives actually,
because it can get awfully tiresome seeing the same four walls and the same few
faces for weeks on end. Variety is the
spice of life is how the old saying goes. So, let us enjoy meeting a variety
of folks this holiday season along with hanging out with those most familiar to
us.
One thing that Americans should be thankful for is
that we have each other--and we're definitely not lacking in variety. We have a
lovely diversity of Native peoples whose ancestors gifted those peoples who
came to this continent later with their extensive knowledge of the flora and
fauna. In return, these latecomers deprived the Native gift-givers of their
lands, languages, and cultures. To make things even worse, the latecomers have
up until recently made spurious claims that they are somehow the heroes of the story of how our peoples
came together.
These outrageous wrongs should be addressed. Reparations
should be made to the children of both our Native peoples as well as the
children of those whose ancestors were brought to America in chains and forced
to labor as slaves. Americans should make amends to all we have denied civil
rights to because of their race, creed, or country of origin.
Let's not kid ourselves. Americans are not perfect. Those
Americans who don't appreciate our diversity of peoples are to be pitied, not
lauded. They should be thankful that the majority have shown tolerance of their
intolerance. We've been far too tolerant of this evil for far too long. On a
holiday dedicated to thankfulness, let us practice forgiveness as well. First,
we must beg forgiveness from all peoples we have wronged. Second, we must
forgive ourselves for not acting sooner to end the harms of systemic racism.
As we gather around the Thanksgiving table to enjoy
time-honored favorite dishes and conversation with friend and stranger alike,
let us give thanks for each other. Sure, things could be better--much better--between us and our
neighbors, but all is not lost. We still have each other. It's the one thing
that in spite of our checkered past and our uncertain future we can count
on--each other. And while there are open channels of communication, there is a
possibility of healing.
Combining the strength of our different viewpoints,
we can learn how to help each other and save our hurting world. There's no need
to rely on only one viewpoint, only on one people's culture, overlooking all others'.
Diversity is our strength. Variety is
the spice that makes our homemade pumpkin pie recipes sing!
Americans, let us remember our past and vow not to
repeat the worst parts of it. Let's put our self-centered ways behind us. Let
us be there for our fellow Americans today and every day. This and every
Thanksgiving, let us truly be thankful for each other.
Travyon Martin was an unarmed 17-year-old kid. He was killed carrying a bag of skittles. The right-wing called him a threat.
Kyle Rittenhouse was 17 years old and armed. He shot and killed 2 people with an AR-15. The right-wing calls him a hero. pic.twitter.com/JursSJFT7j
Most of our Afghan neighbors are arriving with humanitarian parole, which only temporarily allows
people fleeing danger to remain in the U.S. These Afghans will need to
find another pathway to safety once their parole expires.
To
ensure that Afghans find real, lasting safety in the U.S., Congress
must pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow Afghan
humanitarian parolees to seek legal permanent residence in the United
States.
Call on your Senators and Representative to urge them to pass the Afghan
Adjustment Act! This is one of the most important things you can do to
ensure Afghans have an opportunity to build a life in the United States.
We are asking for broad, bipartisan support—please ask your friends, family, congregations, and communities to join us!
Thank you for all you’ve done to build our movement for people, planet,
and peace over profit! Our work together has set the progressive agenda
on issue after issue, from an emergency Green New Deal and Medicare for
All to free public higher education, democracy reforms like
Ranked-Choice Voting and much more.
Now, in the face of accelerating climate collapse, crushing inequality,
endless war and the epic failure of public health — we need independent
politics more than ever to advance these transformative solutions our
lives depend on.
Currently, we are fighting a decision by the Federal Election Commission
(FEC) that strikes another blow against open, fair elections by
seriously limiting our ability to use federal public matching funds to
gain ballot access. Specifically, the FEC is demanding that our
2016 campaign repay over $175,000 in funds we earned under the federal
matching funds program over five years ago.
The FEC’s demand grows out of their refusal, after the fact, to
recognize our use of matching funds to complete ballot drives during the
2016 primary campaign. Since our 2016 campaign account is all but
closed, the FEC is attempting to hold me, as the candidate, personally liable for repaying this massive, unjust bill from my personal funds.
If
the FEC ruling is allowed to stand, grassroots candidates running
independently of the big money corporate parties will simply run out of
money before overcoming onerous ballot access hurdles around the
country.
To make matters worse, the precedent of receiving a ruinous bill from
the government years after the election would be an obvious deterrent to
future grassroots candidates who rely on matching funds to challenge
power without selling out to corporate political machines. In many
states this would also make it far more difficult to run in local
“down-ballot” races where Greens and other independents have had the
most success.
After fighting for over a year within the FEC bureaucracy, we and our
legal team are eager to challenge this injustice in court. But to move
forward, we must urgently raise at least $20,000 to cover the latest
round of legal costs and our barebones operating expenses. And, in case
justice does not prevail, we must prepare to pay down the penalties.
Incredibly, the FEC’s rules prohibit me from contributing critically
needed funds to my own defense because it would exceed the maximum I’m
allowed to donate to my own campaign! That means I am essentially
dependent on your generosity for defending myself and the matching funds
program.
To make this fight winnable, please donate by visiting jillstein.net or
make out a check to “Jill Stein for President (2016)”. Every donation,
no matter the size, is greatly appreciated! (Maximum donation is $2,700
for the primary election period, which is how the FEC classifies our
current expenses.) Send checks to James Lane, Treasurer, 269 12th
Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215. For FEC compliance, please write in the
memo: "2016, debt". Include address, occupation, and employer.
(Additional details below.)
Polls show unprecedented hunger for a new party, disgust with the
political establishment, and strong support for our visionary proposals.
That’s why this battle for public funding is so critical — to protect
our right to a politics that’s independent of the corporate money
machine and to advance the solutions we so urgently need.
Thank you so much for your support at this critical moment, as
the future of humanity and the planet are truly in our hands!
All my best,
Jill Stein
Green Party nominee for president 2012, 2016
Surprise! Nearly 100 years since it was first
introduced, the Equal Rights Amendment, which reads, “Equality of
rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any state on account of sex,” was finally ratified by a
quorum of states. Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment
in January 2020.
The House of Representatives had recently
passed a law removing the time limitation on ratification of the
amendment, and the bill is still pending in the Senate. But during the
Trump administration, former Attorney General Bill Barr improperly
weighed in on the process. The Constitution gives absolutely no
authority to the Executive Branch when it comes to the Amendment process
— but the Trump Administration was determined to pull out all the stops
to stop equality under the law.
The Equal Rights Amendment has satisfied all
Constitutional requirements, but that has not stopped the enemies of
equality to prevent it from moving forward. The Trump administration
purposely used questions about the timing of ratification to kill the
amendment. But the current Justice Department under President Joe Biden
has the power to remove these roadblocks.
The ERA will help people of all genders
achieve equality under the law, and women in particular, have waited
long enough for the highest legal protections against discrimination in
the land. It’s time for Attorney General Merrick Garland to act to
protect this process.
The oil and gas industry has known that we’re destroying the planet for a lot longer than you might believe according to new reporting from DeSmog Blog. This week Lee Camp blows open Big Oil’s big secret. They’ve been covering up the fact that their industry, left unchecked, would lead to serious climate change since at least 1959. Now we all know what oil executives knew more than 50 years ago. But because of their significant efforts to cover the truth up humanity is facing a dire crisis. Big Oil did it all for profit and they’re hoping that with the insane wealth they generated, partially through their lies, that they’ll be able to skip out on the worst impacts of a warming planet. It’s a bet that the general public never had a say in.
There is no Planet B. This is all we got!
COP-Out 26
by C.A. Matthews
[The
leaders of the UNFCCC ] gladly welcome those who caused the crisis. COP26 has
done nothing but pretend and greenwash. --Mitzi Jonelle Tan, member of Youth
Advocates for Climate Action from the Philippines
Never fear, children! Benevolent Big Oil executives will be here to take
care of us all in the coming age of frequent famines, floods, and fires. No, really. Stop crying...
That's the take-away I got from the news blurbs coming out of COP26, this year's big UN Climate Emergency gathering. The
fossil fuel industry had far more representatives at the Glasgow summit than
the environmental groups and organizations had--at least 503 were connected in some manner to the petroleum industry.
Obviously, oil men's opinions
matter more than those of silly environmentalists. Treehugger statistics that (some) journalists quote only add to the public's worries about the Earth's ever-increasing temperatures and rapidly rising sea levels. We'd all feel better if we ignored the science and kept driving our big gas-guzzling vehicles to upscale steak houses. Never mind that 99% of the planet's population will suffer because of the greenhouse gases coming out of the Northern Hemisphere. Big oceans separate us--big oceans full of plastic water bottle islands the size of France, that is.
The
fossil fuel industry has spent decades denying and delaying real action
on the climate crisis, which is why this is such a huge problem. Their influence is one of the biggest reasons why 25 years of UN climate talks have not led to real cuts in global emissions. -- Murray Worthy, Global Witness
So, what kind of actions can we expect from the
big name signatories who attended COP26? The shutting down of carbon-dumping coal-fired
power plants? The building of more windmill and solar farms to take their place? The
outlawing of petroleum powered engines worldwide? Looking at past environmental
summits, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high. The wealthiest countries'
representatives always give the nicest speeches, full of pleasant platitudes
which promise the moon, but they rarely deliver. As long as rich nations can
get away with burning fossil fuels at the expense of the rest of the planet's
health, they will.
Over the past 25 years, the
richest 10% of the global population has been responsible for more than half of
all carbon emissions... Rank injustice and inequality on this scale is a
cancer. If we don’t act now, this century may be our last.--Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General
[The world’s
rich] consume and consume and consume with no thought. --Patricia
Espinosa, UN Executive Secretary, UNFCCC
Even more telling, studies show how the top 1% wealthiest, a.k.a.
"the billionaires," have caused and are causing more damage to our
climate than billions of economically disadvantaged human beings, especially indigenous peoples. Yes, a ballroom of billionaires
pollute more than a good portion of the planet's population. But did the COP26 summit
address the damage to the climate these extreme polluters create and come up with
solutions to stop them?
Why not ask the Big Oil execs, since they're a part of
the top 1%. They do seem to be calling all the shots.
The greenwashing of environmental damages that the rich, the
billionaires, the Big Oil execs and the fossil fuel industry cause is beyond
deplorable. It's immoral. It should be criminal, and these criminals should be
held accountable for their actions. But the odds of that happening in the year
2021 are slim to none.
Because until all human beings are seen as equals in the eyes of the law,
we will be at the mercy of Big Oil and the billionaires and their politician puppets. The rich and powerful don't
seem to care about the Climate Emergency. They're not worried about their mansions being washed off the map, probably because they can
afford tickets on Jeff Bezos' rocket. When things get bad, they'll just fly into space and live on an Elysium wheel, twirling many miles above the dying carcass of the Earth.
But all is not lost. Listen to climate activist Greta Thunberg discuss what she believes is happening and what we should do next in this podcast from The Juice Media:
UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C is on "life support", and the COP26 summit would probably not see governments make the pledges needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by enough.https://t.co/IrKFZDKfxp
From the front lines of the nonviolent struggle to stop the Line 3
tar sands pipeline to the COP 26 global climate talks in Glasgow,
Indigenous leaders and their allies are making one thing clear: In the
struggle for a living climate, Indigenous voices cannot and will not be
ignored.
At the COP 26 talks, Indigenous leaders from around the world led a
march of 150,000 people in the streets of Glasgow to demand world
leaders take real action to keep fossil fuels in the ground, not hide
behind false solutions.
A panel at the COP about Indigenous resistance to Line 3
highlighted the human rights abuses that took place in Northern
Minnesota to force through the hyper-polluting pipeline -- the
equivalent of 50 coal power plants.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, hundreds of water protectors are facing
criminal charges for standing in defense of the water, the climate, and
the treaty rights of the Anishnaabeg people. They stood against the
pipeline with their bodies, and were met with police forces - directly
funded by Enbridge - and their surveillance, harassments, physical
torture ("pain compliance"), and excessive charges, including felonies.
Water protectors and their supporters are demanding that Minnesota
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Governor Walz work with county
prosecutors to drop the charges against the water protectors who have
resisted the Line 3 pipeline.
Indigenous people are responsible for protecting 80% of the world’s
biodiversity. However, projects like Line 3 demonstrate the extent to
which Indigenous rights have been continuously ignored and violated by
26 years of COP climate policy.
Our message is clear -- it’s time to back promises with action. It’s time to drop the charges
against those who stood against a project that never should have been
permitted and against a police force that never should have been bought
with Enbridge’s money to begin with.
In a near-future dystopian world, hope blossoms where mutual aid and democracy begins...
Zonta’s world is turned upside down when Jake arrives at the commune to investigate the disappearance of agents of the Authority. Can she persuade him to switch sides before the Protectors (antifascist fighters) take action?
