RESUMEN DE NOTICIAS 04/06/12

Entrevista a Jorge Altamira
"El proceso europeo desmiente a todos los que decían ‘crisis hay siempre pero al final gana la derecha’"

Mario Hernández
Rebelión


Mario Hernandez (MH): Jorge Altamira nació en Buenos Aires en 1942. En 1964, funda la organización Política Obrera. Se traslada a Brasil en 1978 y retorna en 1982. Participa activamente de la legalización de su organización, con el nombre de Partido Obrero. En 1989, como candidato a presidente de la Nación, populariza la frase: “no paguemos la deuda usuraria, que el Citibank vaya a laburar”. En el año 2000 fue electo Legislador de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, cargo que desempeñó hasta el año 2003. En su mandato, impulsó iniciativas legislativas, entre ellas, la que estableció la jornada de seis horas para los trabajadores del subte, vetada por Ibarra y finalmente impuesta por los obreros de Metrovías a través de una huelga. También impulsó proyectos de expropiación de varias fábricas recuperadas, como Brukman y Grissinópoli; leyes de urbanización de las villas de la Ciudad; una ley de “salida al derrumbe sanitario” y un proyecto de ley de salario mínimo igual al costo de la canasta familiar. Fue artífice de la aprobación de la entrega gratuita de la vacuna contra la hepatitis A a los menores de 12 años.

Con la consigna “fuera De la Rua-Cavallo”, Altamira participa activamente del proceso político que culmina en la rebelión popular de diciembre de 2001. Dirige el semanario “Prensa Obrera” y la revista “En Defensa del Marxismo”. Es autor de varios libros, entre ellos, El Argentinazo. El presente como historia (2002). Su último libro es El Ascenso de la Izquierda. En el marco de la bancarrota capitalista.

Seguramente me olvidé de varias cosas.

Jorge Altamira (JA): Lo que me impresiona no es lo que te has olvidado sino lo que has recordado. No recodaba alguna de las leyes que mencionaste. La que más me impactó fue la de la vacuna contra la hepatitis A. Fue una batalla que duró 7 horas contra los 2 bloques mayoritarios. La gente tiene la imagen de un dirigente del Partido Obrero (PO) solo pensando en las grandes luchas y no en una vacuna. Yo reivindico la pelea por lo llamado pequeño pero que para el pueblo es vital. A partir de la aplicación generalizada de esta vacuna a los menores de 12 años no hay hepatitis en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. La batalla por su promulgación fue importante porque todos los legisladores estaban de acuerdo, nunca hubiera llegado al recinto si en la comisiones, peronistas, radicales y en aquella época la Alianza, no hubieran estado a favor. Otra cosa, el proyecto no era mío. De modo que descontaba que salía por unanimidad, cuando percibo el poco entusiasmo que ponía el miembro informante que era el autor del proyecto y el aún menor entusiasmo del bloque de la Alianza. Ahí pensé que había algo raro. Cuando comienzan los primeros discursos me di cuenta que alguien había arreglado algo para que no se apruebe, pero como ya lo había sido en las comisiones, la salida era que volviera a las mismas. Me acuerdo que hervía por dentro, tenía mucha bronca esa tarde-noche ya que el debate terminó a la madrugada. Fue feroz, pero sentí que no salía de la Legislatura sin la ley. Me lo tomé como algo absolutamente personal y pensándolo bien fue porque tenía que ver con los chicos. Siempre fue un tema caro para mí todo lo que tiene que ver con la niñez. Lo peleé a muerte, mientras Ibarra monitoreaba desde la Jefatura de Gobierno haciendo lo posible para que no fuera aprobada. Me acusaron de ser agente de los monopolios farmacéuticos porque yo les garantizaba el mercado para la vacuna y una dosis costaba U$S 50. Era una fortuna. Entonces les propuse que bajaran el precio, que llamaran a la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) que tenía otros costos y obligaran al laboratorio a cobrar menos. La culpa de que cobraran U$S 50 no era mía sino de ellos que gobernaban.

Para que vean lo corrupta que es la política en Argentina. Gané por unanimidad pero en realidad perdí porque Ibarra les dijo a sus legisladores como no pueden con él, únanse. Entonces la aprobaron por unanimidad, esto es para los que piensan que si un partido tiene un solo diputado no puede hacer nada. Esta es la demostración contraria. ¿Por qué Ibarra finalmente dio su consentimiento para que los bloques la aprobaran? Porque no pensaba reglamentarla y así no entraría en vigencia en la práctica. Efectivamente no lo hizo por muchísimo tiempo, la dejó morir. Te das cuenta que la división de poderes en Argentina es para joder al pueblo. El Parlamento te aprueba una ley y el Ejecutivo no te la reglamenta. También usan el veto. Cristina Kirchner lo hizo con la Ley de glaciares que también fue aprobada por unanimidad.
http://rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=150716

La lucha mundial de clases
La geografía de la protesta

Immanuel Wallerstein
La Jornada


Cuando son buenos los tiempos, y la economía-mundo se expande en términos de nueva plusvalía producida, la lucha de clases se acalla. Nunca desaparece, pero en tanto exista un bajo nivel de desempleo y los ingresos reales de los estratos más bajos suban, aunque sólo sea en pequeñas cantidades, los arreglos sociales son la orden del día.

Pero cuando se estanca la economía-mundo y el desempleo real se expande considerablemente, esto significa que el pastel total se encoge. La cuestión entonces resulta ser quién cargará el peso del encogimiento –dentro de cada país y entre países. La lucha de clases se torna aguda y tarde o temprano conduce a un conflicto abierto en las calles. Esto es lo que ha estado ocurriendo en el sistema-mundo desde la década de 1970 y del modo más dramático desde 2007. Hasta ahora, el estrato más alto (el uno por ciento) se ha aferrado a su tajada, de hecho la ha incrementado. Esto necesariamente significa que la tajada del 99 por ciento se ha encogido.
http://rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=150722

06/04/2012 03:42 PM
The World from Berlin
'The Egyptian Revolution Is At Risk'

Thousands of Egyptians protested the verdict against ousted leader Hosni Mubarak and senior security officials over the weekend, amid growing fears that the revolution is at risk. German editorialists say on Monday that protestors are justified in their anger and must continue fighting for democracy.

In the first trial of a leader ousted during the Arab Spring uprisings, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Interior Minister Habib el-Adly were both sentenced to life in prison on Saturday. But senior security officials were acquitted on lack of evidence and Mubarak's sons were found innocent of corruption charges, fueling the anger of thousands of protesters who took to the streets across Egypt on Sunday.

Critics argued that Mubarak, 84, deserved a death sentence following the killing of some 850 protesters during Egypt's uprising. The release of his security officials meanwhile was interpreted as a gradual reversal of protesters' hard-won freedoms.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/german-media-questions-verdict-against-former-egyptian-president-mubarak-a-836837.html
Sexo (virtual), mentiras y guerra: el caso Scott Ritter (I DE II)
De inspector a activista
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2012/06/03/sem-naief.html


When Defending Earth Cost 25 Cents
By ETHAN GILSDORF
Published: June 3, 2012
LACONIA, N.H. — You insert a token. With a joystick and a button you blast away at robots, spaceships and meteors advancing from all sides. Eventually your last man dies. Game over.
Expletives are uttered. The next player has seen all your moves. For good measure Pat Benatar taunts, “Hit me with your best shot.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/arts/video-games/14th-annual-international-classic-video-game-tournament.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120604

Astronomers around the UK prepare to see a rare celestial display – the transit of Venus

Stargazers will hope the clouds part tomorrow at 5am to allow them to see the planet cross the Sun

Rob Hastings
Tuesday, 5 June 2012

While most Britons will be dragging their weary bodies back into work tomorrow morning, Mandy Bailey will be excitedly rising from her bed hours before dawn like a child at Christmas to haul a telescope up a hill.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/astronomers-around-the-uk-prepare-to-see-a-rare-celestial-display--the-transit-of-venus-7815153.html


Germany baulks at Spain's plan for for bailout of banks

Angela Merkel at odds with Mariano Rajoy as Madrid looks to secure lifeline for its lenders

Tony Paterson, Alasdair Fotheringham
Tuesday, 5 June 2012

The travails of the Spanish banking system have opened up a rift at the heart of Europe, with growing resistance in Berlin to Madrid's attempts to secure a lifeline for its beleaguered lenders.

The Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is believed to be arguing for a direct rescue for the country's troubled banks without appealing for a national bailout. The latter would burden Spain with the kind of strict budgetary conditions that have provoked a popular backlash in Greece.

Spanish media yesterday reported that the country's Economy Minister Luis De Guindos was engaged in intense negotiations with his German counterpart, Wolfgang Schäuble, about the viability of a fast-track intervention system that would allow Spain to avoid a bailout.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-baulks-at-spains-plan-for-for-bailout-of-banks-7815165.html


Christine Lagarde’s fairytale world
Manuel Barcia

    By Manuel Barcia
    Notebook - A selection of Independent views -
    Monday, 4 June 2012 at 11:13 am

A few days ago the Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, had the audacity to suggest that instead of resisting the neo-liberal austerity measures prescribed by her organization, in agreement with the EU and the European Central Bank, Greek citizens should focus on paying their taxes. Lagarde did not stop there. She later went on to add that she had more sympathy for ‘little kids from a school in a little village in Niger who get teaching two hours a day, sharing one chair for three of them, and who are very keen to get an education’ than for the tax-avoiding Greeks.

Now, it takes some nerve for someone like Lagarde to make such an outlandish statement. In my eyes, there is so much wrong about her view of the world and suggestions to improve it, that perhaps in a short piece like this one can only begin to unravel the mysterious and deluded inner world where I feel the Head of the IMF lives.
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/06/04/christine-lagardes-fairytale-world/

How a Bunch of Corporate-Backed Buffoons Took Over U.S. Climate Policy
By Bill McKibben, TomDispatch.com
Posted on June 3, 2012, Printed on June 4, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/story/155709/how_a_bunch_of_corporate-backed_buffoons_took_over_u.s._climate_policy

To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com here. 

It’s been a tough few weeks for the forces of climate-change denial.

First came the giant billboard with Unabomber Ted Kacynzki’s face plastered across it: “I Still Believe in Global Warming. Do You?” Sponsored by the Heartland Institute, the nerve-center of climate-change denial, it was supposed to draw attention to the fact that “the most prominent advocates of global warming aren’t scientists. They are murderers, tyrants, and madmen.” Instead it drew attention to the fact that these guys had over-reached, and with predictable consequences.
http://www.alternet.org/story/155709/how_a_bunch_of_corporate-backed_buffoons_took_over_u.s._climate_policy/

With the Filmmakers of 'Default'
By Emily Wilson, AlterNet
Posted on May 30, 2012, Printed on June 4, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/story/155640/the_human_face_of_student_debt%3A_a_conversation_with_the_filmmakers_of_%27default%27

If you want to experience the real impact of student loan debt on human lives, look no further than Default: The Student Loan Documentary. Though this powerful 27-minute documentary includes interviews with experts like Anya Kamenetz, author of Generation Debt, and Alan Collinge, the founder of StudentLoanJustice.org, the bulk of this story is told by everyday borrowers, some of them turned activists in an effort to change the dysfunctional student lending system that now holds them captive.

And captive they are. Unlike other types of debt (like gambling debts, for instance), student loan debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, leaving many former students chained for life to loans they have little hope of paying off. Default offers a rare inside look at these emotional stories, detailing how loans can balloon into multiples of what students originally borrow to go to college and the troubling impact of that debt over time. One man in the film chokes up as he shares his decision not to ask his girlfriend to marry him because he doesn’t want her to have to share the burden of his debt. Another interviewee bursts into tears when she explains why she works with the United States Students Association: so that others won’t have to suffer as she did after leaving school with health problems, tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
http://www.alternet.org/story/155640/the_human_face_of_student_debt%3A_a_conversation_with_the_filmmakers_of_%27default%27/

12-Year-Old Girl Explains What Most Economists Can't About Money and Debt
By Ellen Brown, AlterNet
Posted on June 3, 2012, Printed on June 4, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/story/155700/12-year-old_girl_explains_what_most_economists_can%27t_about_money_and_debt

The youtube video of 12 year old Victoria Grant speaking at the Public Banking in America conference last month has gone viral, topping a million views on various websites.

Monetary reform—the contention that governments, not banks, should create and lend a nation’s money—has rarely even made the news, so this is a first.  Either the times they are a-changin’, or Victoria managed to frame the message in a way that was so simple and clear that even a child could understand it.
http://www.alternet.org/story/155700/12-year-old_girl_explains_what_most_economists_can%27t_about_money_and_debt/

The Transparently Secretive Chamber of Commerce
Monday, 04 June 2012 14:06 By Robert Weissman, Public Citizen | Op-Ed
Well, the Big Business guys are transparent about one thing: They can't stand the idea of the public holding them to account for their attempts to buy elections and influence policy, or even that they be prevented from corrupting the government contracting process through campaign spending.

The latest: They are so terrified even of having their political spending disclosed that they are pushing in Congress legislation that would prohibit the government from requiring contractors to disclose their campaign-related spending.

Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, is carrying their water, with the Orwellian "Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act," a bill that recently passed the Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs and may well become law unless citizens move quickly to help stop this abomination.

The Collins initiative is in response to an excellent initiative floated by the Obama administration, but which the White House failed to implement. The simple idea was to require government contractors to disclose their campaign-related spending, including the kind of secret corporate campaign expenditures enabled by the Citizens United decision.
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/9579-the-transparently-secretive-chamber-of-commerce

Noam Chomsky | Somebody Else's Atrocities
Sunday, 03 June 2012 08:12 By Noam Chomsky, Truthout | News Analysis
In his penetrating study "Ideal Illusions: How the U.S. Government Co-Opted Human Rights," international affairs scholar James Peck observes, "In the history of human rights, the worst atrocities are always committed by somebody else, never us" – whoever "us" is.

Almost any moment in history yields innumerable illustrations. Let's keep to the past few weeks.

On May 10, the Summer Olympics were inaugurated at the Greek birthplace of the ancient games. A few days before, virtually unnoticed, the government of Vietnam addressed a letter to the International Olympic Committee expressing the "profound concerns of the Government and people of Viet Nam about the decision of IOC to accept the Dow Chemical Company as a global partner sponsoring the Olympic Movement."

Dow provided the chemicals that Washington used from 1961 onward to destroy crops and forests in South Vietnam, drenching the country with Agent Orange.
http://truth-out.org/news/item/9555-noam-chomsky-somebody-elses-atrocities

Protests Erupt in Egypt After Mixed Verdicts for Mubarak, Aides

Protests have erupted across Egypt following the sentencing of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other former regime officials. On Saturday, an Egyptian court gave Mubarak and his former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, life in prison for failing to stop the killing of unarmed demonstrators during the protests that ended Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule. However, the court dismissed corruption charges against Mubarak and his sons, Alaa and Gamal, on technical grounds. The court also acquitted six former police chiefs for their roles during the uprising when 840 protesters were killed and more than 6,000 injured. No one was found guilty of actually ordering the killing of protesters. The verdicts sparked demonstrations across the country, with tens of thousands rallying in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in other cities.
U.S. Drone Strikes Kill 27 in Pakistan

At least 27 people have been killed in three consecutive days of U.S. drone strikes inside Pakistan. More than half of the victims — 15 people — were killed earlier today when U.S. missiles hit a village in North Waziristan. The attacks bring to at least seven the number of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan over the past two weeks. U.S. and Pakistani officials say militants were targeted, but it is unclear if any civilians were killed.
At Least 163 Dead in Nigerian Plane Crash

A plane crash in the Nigerian city of Lagos has killed all 153 people on board, as well as at least 10 people on the ground. The plane crashed into a building in a densely populated neighborhood and exploded into flames. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are found in the wreckage.
U.S. Hirings Lag as Official Unemployment Hits 8.2%

The ailing U.S. economy received more grim news on Friday with the release of figures showing just 69,000 jobs were added during May – the fewest total in a year. The official unemployment rate also increased to 8.2 percent, up from 8.1 percent in April. Speaking in Minnesota, President Obama called on Republican lawmakers to approve funding for public sector jobs.

    President Obama: "The American people expect their leaders to work hard no matter what year it is. The economy still isn’t where it needs to be. There are steps that could make a difference right now, steps that can also serve as a buffer in case the situation in Europe gets any worse. So right now, Congress should pass a bill to help states prevent more layoffs, so we can put thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers back on the job."

Wisconsin Gears for Recall Vote Amid Record Spending

Wisconsin voters are preparing to head to the polls for Tuesday’s historic recall election targeting Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Two new polls show Walker with a slim lead of between 3 to 6 percent over his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The recall effort was launched over Walker’s campaign to strip public sector unions of their collective bargaining rights and reduce their benefits. The election is turning out to be the most expensive in Wisconsin’s history, with more than $63 million spent. Walker has raised more than 65 percent of his $30.5 million war chest from out-of-state donors.
Florida Election Supervisors Suspend Voter Purge

All 67 of Florida’s election supervisors have suspended a controversial effort to remove thousands of registered voters from the rolls. Florida launched the effort last month using an outdated driver’s license database to ostensibly identify non-citizens registered to vote. But large numbers of U.S. citizens have been caught up in the purge, primarily Latino, Democratic and independent-minded voters. On Thursday, the Department of Justice stepped in to demand Florida cease its voter purge, saying the process had not been cleared under the Voting Rights Act. Although Florida Gov. Rick Scott failed to respond, the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections announced on Friday it would halt the effort in response to the Justice Department’s orders.
Denying Responsibility, Assad Calls Houla Massacre "Abominable"

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has rejected responsibility for the recent massacre of 108 people in Houla and blamed outside forces for the ongoing violence inside his country. In a lengthy address to Syrian lawmakers on Sunday, Assad called the Houla killings "abominable" and said not even monsters could have carried them out. Assad also cast the crisis in Syria as a foreign conspiracy, calling it "an external war carried out by internal elements." Assad’s comments come as international envoy Kofi Annan continues to warn of an all-out civil war in Syria amid renewed calls for the implementation of his ceasefire plan. Speaking at a news conference in Stockholm, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States wants Russia to stop backing the Assad regime.

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "We all have to intensify our efforts to achieve a political transition, and Russia has to be at the table helping that to occur. The Syrian people want and deserve change, and that should, insofar as possible, come about through peaceful means, and it must be a change that represents the rights and dignity of all Syrians. Assad’s departure does not have to be a precondition, but it should be an outcome, so that the people of Syria have a chance to express themselves."

U.N. Human Rights Council Condemns Syria for Houla Massacre, Orders Probe

On Friday, the U.N. Human Rights Council voted overwhelmingly to condemn the Syrian government for the Houla massacre and ordered an international probe. Russia voted along with China and Cuba in opposition.
BBC Mistakenly Runs 2003 Iraq War Photo with Houla Story

In other Syria news, the BBC has apologized after mistakenly running a nine-year-old photograph of body bags in Iraq next to a story on the recent massacre of more than 100 people in the Syrian village of Houla. The photographer of the original picture criticized the BBC for publishing the photograph without properly checking its veracity.
18 Killed in Baghdad Car Bombing

At least 18 people have been killed in a car bombing in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The attack targeted a key office for Iraq’s Shiite Muslims. More than 50 people were wounded.
Pentagon to Shift Naval Fleet to Asia

The Pentagon has announced a new phase in its increased militarization of the Asia-Pacific region. On Saturday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the United States will shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020. Panetta says the fleet will include "Six aircraft carriers, a majority of [U.S.] cruisers, destroyers, littoral combat ships, and submarines ... to project power and operate in the Asia-Pacific." Speaking at a summit in Singapore, Panetta rejected speculation the move is an effort to intimidate China.

    Leon Panetta: "Many in the region and across the world are closely watching the United States-China relationship. Some view the increased emphasis by the United States in the Asia-Pacific region as some kind of challenge to China. I reject that view entirely. Our effort to renew and intensify our involvement in Asia is fully compatible, fully compatible, with the development and growth of China."

Zimmerman Returns to Jail After Bond Revoked

George Zimmerman, the shooter of the unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, has returned to a Florida jail after the judge overseeing his trial revoked bail. Zimmerman was ordered back behind bars on Friday when Judge Kenneth Lester ruled Zimmerman had misled the court on the state of his finances and of his passport. Zimmerman surrendered to police on Sunday. Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family, said the ruling added new damage to Zimmerman’s credibility.

    Benjamin Crump: "Remember, it is only George Zimmerman’s testimony that says Trayvon Martin attacked him. All the other objective evidence suggests that George Zimmerman pursued and confronted Trayvon Martin. Therefore, that’s why this is such an important ruling today. The credibility is the issue, and we think it is the most important ruling so far in this entire case."

Warren Wins Democratic Primary in Massachusetts

Harvard University law professor and consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren has wrapped up the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts to challenge Republican Sen. Scott Brown. Warren defeated a primary challenger on Saturday by an overwhelming margin for the chance to face off against Brown this November. Warren most recently served in the Obama administration, where she helped launch the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
New Mexico Struggles to Contain Wildfire

Firefighters in New Mexico say they are beginning to make progress in a record-breaking wildfire that is nearly three weeks old. The Whitewater-Baldy Complex fire has now burned more than 241,000 acres in the Gila National Forest. Officials say the fire is now 17 percent contained with gains reported by the hour.
18 Killed in Drug-Related Violence in Mexico

New drug-related violence in Mexico claimed the lives of at least 18 people over the weekend. At least seven people were killed in the beach town of Acapulco on Saturday, followed by another 11 deaths in a shooting at a drug rehabilitation center in the northwestern city of Torreón on Sunday.
Quebec Protests Continue as Talks Collapse

Massive protests continued in Quebec over the weekend following the breakdown of talks between government officials and student leaders. The two sides remain at an impasse over a proposed tuition increase that has prompted a major student strike. After the latest round of negotiations collapsed, student leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said the student strike has grown into a movement for social change.

    Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois: "The objective was to send a message to Mr. Charest that at this moment it’s not only a student strike, it’s also a popular struggle. We see a lot of people going in the streets every night in Montreal, and now all over Quebec."

As the strike grows, organizers of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal have canceled the auto event’s opening day, citing "security" concerns.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/4/headlines


"Inside Job" Director Charles Ferguson: Where Are the Criminal Prosecutions for Financial Crisis?