I'm having difficulty sending messages again. Perhaps it's better that way.
There's Andrew Cockburn's story about pentagon spending, which is
horrifying. I tried to send it twice. Maybe the Gods of the internet thought
it would be better for everyone's mental health, not to read it. There's a
story about the AMA which has voted to allow hospital staffs to have guns in
mental wards in order to protect themselves from potentially dangerous
patients. And then on Truthdig, there was an interview with Michael Hudson
who described why people might want to leave the US and explained that
there's nowhere for them to go, partly because Americans only know how to
speak english. He managed to omit the fact that other countries are also
turning to Neo Liberalism. He mentioned that Obama plans to get the TPP
passed after the election and that Hillary is planning to appoint Victoria
Newland as secretary of state. That is horrible. Victoria Newland was very
involved in fomenting the coup in Ukraine. Perhaps I won't be able to send
this message either and you'll have a peaceful Sunday.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Jarvis [mailto:carjar82@xxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Sunday, June 19, 2016 11:10 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Miriam Vieni
Subject: Re: [blind-democracy] Students, workers denounce lashing of miners
in Iran
Only the names have been changed, to protect the guilty.
Oppression is rampant around the world. How much longer will we continue to
do our Master's bidding, sending drones and murder when support of the
working classes is so desperately needed? When we look past the people's
names, and the variety of oppressive governments, the people producing the
world's wealth are being treated the same.
Back when I was still green around the gills, I believed that all we needed
to do was to go into the nations of the world and promote labor unions.
Silly me! I also once believed that education would bring world peace! It
took me time to figure out that most "education" was designed to promote and
advance the existing Ruling Class. And as for organizing the Workers of the
World? Not something that any right thinking despot would want happening on
His watch.
Carl Jarvis
On 6/19/16, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
http://themilitant.com/2016/8024/802457.htmlthe country.
The Militant (logo)
Vol. 80/No. 24 June 20, 2016
Students, workers denounce lashing of miners in Iran
BY NAOMI CRAINE
The Iran Labor News Agency reported May 25 that 17 workers at the Agh
Darreh gold mine in Iran's West Azerbaijan province had been found
guilty by a local court of "preventing people from doing business by
disturbing the peace." They were punished with between 30 and 100
lashes, and some fined the equivalent of $165.
Courts have imposed such beatings on workers before, but this time it
was publicized and sparked protests nationally that included student
organizations and labor figures.
The charges stemmed from a December 2014 protest by miners against the
company's refusal to renew their contracts, Farmarz Tofighi told the
semi-official Fars News Agency May 27. "According to the charter of
the International Labor Organization, which Iran is a signatory to,
workers have a right to protest and march," said Tofighi, who was
identified as a worker activist.
On May 28 the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company
issued a statement that condemned "lashings and fines imposed on
protesting workers demanding their rights." The organization is well
known around the country for its militant actions in defense of
workers rights.
After the lashings got national publicity, Labor Minister Ali Rabiee
summarily fired the ministry's director in West Azerbaijan. Hassan
Sadeghi, a prominent labor figure, told Iran Labor News this could be
seen as "low level politicking," to deflect blame from the ministry.
Alireza Mahjoob, a deputy in the Majles (parliament) who is considered
a labor supporter, said he will move to have Rabiee and the interior
minister summoned to the Majles for questioning.
Labor News reported June 1 that in an open letter to Rabiee, Hosein
Habibi, the secretary of the Coordinating Council of Islamic Shoras
[Councils], called on the Judiciary Authority to apologize to the Agh
Darreh miners.
On June 7 the same news agency published the names of 52 student
organizations across the country that issued a joint statement in
solidarity with the miners and demanded the government recognize
workers rights.
Another lashing case was reported in late May. More than 30 college
students, men and women, were arrested for attending a graduation
party in Qazvin, 90 miles northwest of Tehran. The Judiciary Authority
asserted that the women were dancing "half naked." Within 24 hours
each student was sentenced and subjected to 99 lashes.
At a press conference in Tehran June 1, Judiciary Authority
spokesperson Hojjatol Islam Mohseni Ajei defended the sentencing, and
insinuated that "foreign embassies" may be involved in such parties around
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