Month: January, 2015
Cuban Doctor Returns to Fight Ebola in Africa
| January 15, 2015 | 7:50 pm | Africa, Cuba, Ebola, Health Care, International | Comments closed

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 15 (acn) Cuban doctor Felix Baez, who overcame the Ebola virus, which he got in Sierra Leone, returned to that Western African nation to continue fighting the disease along his comrades with the Henry Reeve international medical brigade.

Cubadebate website published a series of photos of the doctor along his comrades in Sierra Leone announcing his return.

An internal medicine specialist, Baez announced in December 2014 that he would return to the African nation to finish the job he started, once he fully recovered from the disease.

The 43-year-old doctor returned to Cuba after having been released from the Geneva-based Cantonal University Hospital, where he received treatment against Ebola.

In response to the World Health Organization call to fight Ebola in Africa, Cuba sent three brigades to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to fight the virus.

According to the World Health Organization over 8 thousand 800 people have died from the Ebola virus in Africa.

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LAST MEMBERS OF CUBAN FIVE RETURNING TO CUBA:

Woot!! Bernie Sanders Just Screwed over the Republicans
| January 15, 2015 | 7:44 pm | Analysis, Bernie Sanders, Climate Change, National | Comments closed

Wed Jan 14, 2015 at 12:39 AM PST

by GwenneddFollow for Gwennedd

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/14/1357635/-Woot-Bernie-Sanders-Just-Screwed-over-the-Republicans?detail=email

It seems Senator Sanders knows how to mess royally with the Republicans.

He’s introduced an amendment to the legislation that would pass the Keystone XL Pipeline. The amendment reads thusly:

“It is the sense of Congress that Congress is in agreement with the opinion of virtually the entire worldwide scientific community that—(1) climate change is real;

(2) climate change is caused by human activities;

(3) climate change has already caused devastating problems in the United States and around the world;

(4) a brief window of opportunity exists before the United States and the entire planet suffer irreparable harm; and

(5) it is imperative that the United States transform its energy system away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy as rapidly as possible.”

How does this screw the Republicans? If they refuse to pass the bill with the amendment, they burn all those constituents who view the pipeline as a jobs and money maker, all over ideology. If they pass it…they burn their entire anti-environmental stand.

The amendment is being debated as you read this.

Catch 22 anyone! What a brilliant man Bernie is!!!!!

http://www.addictinginfo.org/…

Permanent voters list will suppress voter participation
| January 15, 2015 | 7:32 pm | Analysis, Communist Party Canada, political struggle | Comments closed
Communist Party of Canada – Manitoba
387 Selkirk Ave. Winnipeg MB R2W 2M3
(204) 586-7824 – cpc-mb@changetheworldmb.ca


January 15, 2015


Communist Party calls for elections to be a paid holiday

Premier Selinger’s proposal yesterday for a permanent voters list to replace the “costly” enumeration process is flawed and anti-democratic. The Premier is reported to believe that a permanent voters list will “increase voter turnout,” but facts contradict this belief.

Elections are the most important of all government spending, touching on core issues of democracy and governance. It is alarming that suddenly the two main parties in the Legislature are reportedly “eager” and “willing” to discuss or implement this proposal.

A permanent list is more likely to be inaccurate for the poor, students and discriminated groups, tilting elections in favour of the wealthy and those who face no discrimination.

The Premier needs to explain why turnout actually declined in the 2008 federal election, the first that used the National Register of Electors, to 59 per cent, the lowest in history. Studies show enumeration is better than a permanent voters list in terms of both accuracy and costs.

Inaccurate permanent lists are part of a pattern of voter suppression in North America which includes the effective disenfranchisement of about 500,000 people in Canada because of last year’s so-called Fair Elections Act.

A far better way to boost turnout is to make the provincial election a paid holiday. This would demonstrate the esteem Manitoban’s have in the electoral process.

Failure to make it a paid holiday and instead to create a permanent voters list will show how much the large parties truly value the full meaning of democracy. A full pubic discussion, with hearings across the province, are needed before “costly” enumeration is axed.

More paid holidays would also be a job-creating measure.*

Information: Darrell Rankin, Leader, Communist Party of Canada – Manitoba (204) 586-7824

* * * * * *
*Considering there are 250 work-days in a year, profits may decline by 1/250, or .4% because of lost production. Increased hiring to make up for this loss and to maintain market-share would boost hiring and payroll income, growing the domestic market and compensating profits in the long-run. More paid holidays (eg, International Women’s Day or International Workers’ Day) have the same economic effect as a shorter work week or reducing the pension age. The experience of Britain’s Ten-and-a-half Hours Bill (1848) and the 40 hour work week supports this contention. – DR

Response to “Bernie Sanders: Passing Keystone XL Means A ‘Significantly Less Habitable’ Planet”
| January 14, 2015 | 9:32 pm | Analysis, Bernie Sanders, Climate Change, National | Comments closed
By A. Shaw
Climate change is like a medical problem.
Both are scientific matters.
Assume you had a medical problem and a team of the best doctors gave you their unaminous opinion about your problem.
Assume further that a team of politicians and businessmen gave you  their unaminous opinion about your medical problem.
The doctors’ opinion contradicts the politicians-businessmen’s opinion.
Which opinion would you accept?
Bernie Sanders: Passing Keystone XL Means A ‘Significantly Less Habitable’ Planet
| January 14, 2015 | 9:30 pm | Analysis, Bernie Sanders, Climate Change, National | Comments closed
Source:Huffington Post
As the Senate prepares to vote on whether climate change is real as part of the proposed Keystone Pipeline bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) strongly believes “it’s a good idea” for President Barack Obama to veto the bill.
“Unless we get our act together, the planet that we’re going to be leaving to our kids and grandchildren will be significantly less habitable than the planet we have right now,” Sanders said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday.
“I think it’s a good idea for the president, Congress, and the American people to listen to the overwhelming amount of scientists who tell us loudly and clearly that climate change is one of the great planetary crises that we face,” Sanders said. He insisted that we must face the “devastating problems” caused by climate change and the need to “transform our energy system away from fossil fuel.”
Last week during the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Sanders offered a formal measure to the bill that would put Congress on record as affirming that “climate change is real” and is “caused by human activities.”
Sanders has voiced his opposition to Keystone XL as the Senate has faced multiple votes on the pipeline. In November, Sanders told CNN, “The idea that we would give a green light for the transportation of 800,000 barrels of some of the dirtiest oils all over the world makes no sense to me.”
Response to “Bernie Wrecks Republican Plans By Offering Climate Change Amendment To Keystone “
| January 14, 2015 | 8:54 pm | Action, Analysis, Bernie Sanders, Climate Change, National | Comments closed
January 13, 2015 | 8:39 pm |
By A. Shaw
This Climate Change Amendment is a many-sided thing.
Each side is a contradiction, a unity as well as a struggle of opposites.
The principal contradiction seems to be a struggle between science of weather and business of weather.
Scientists say the emissions from fossil fuels currently threaten the world.
Capitalists say fossil fuels yield profit and create jobs.
Closely related to the principal contradiction is the non-principal contradiction, concerning whether scientists or capitalists command the mass of the USA people on matters of science.
Climate change is a matter of science.
The mass of the USA people passionately or, more correctly, insanely loves their bourgeoisie.
The mass of the USA people accepts the findings of scientists about the reality and dangers of climate change.
Enslaved by an insane love for the bourgeoisie, the USA people stand on the sidelines as scientists and capitalists fight each other over climate change.
When, if ever, will the mass of the USA people get over this vile and perverse love for the bourgeoisie?
Bernie Sanders Wrecks Republican Plans By Offering Climate Change Amendment To Keystone XL
| January 14, 2015 | 8:51 pm | Bernie Sanders, Climate Change, National | Comments closed
more from Jason Easley

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/13/bernie-sanders-wrecks-republican-plans-offering-climate-change-amendment-keystone-xl.html
Tuesday, January, 13th, 2015, 2:24 pm

bernie sanders budget committee

Senate Democrats and Independents are pushing back hard on Keystone XL. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders has kicked off the Democratic counter by filing a climate change amendment to the bill authorizing the construction of the pipeline.

The Sanders amendment takes direct aim at Republican climate change deniers:

It is the sense of Congress that Congress is in agreement with the opinion of virtually the entire worldwide scientific community that—

(1) climate change is real;

(2) climate change is caused by human activities;

(3) climate change has already caused devastating problems in the United States and around the world;

Sen. Sanders said, “The American people need to know whether Congress is listening to the overwhelming majority of scientists when it comes to climate change. On this issue, the scientists have been virtually unanimous in saying that climate change is real, it is caused by human action, it is already causing devastating problems which will only get worse in the future and that we need to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel. Do members of Congress believe the scientists or not?”

Republicans will never admit that climate change is real and caused by human activities, but the Senate Democratic caucus is using the Republican obsession with Keystone XL to advance their agenda that is based on scientific facts. Democrats are going to be proposing a series of amendments to the Keystone XL bill that are designed to turn the Republican gift to the oil companies into a real jobs bill.

These amendments are also a test of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s promise to run a more open Senate that will allow votes on amendments. Republicans are beholden to the special interests who are pushing climate changing denying propaganda, so it is doubtful that the Sanders climate change amendment will pass, but these amendments are important because they will force Republicans to debate and discuss issues that they don’t want to talk about.

Sen. Sanders (I-VT) and the Democratic caucus are already upsetting the plans of the Republican Senate majority. Republicans were under the impression that they were going to be able to pass legislation by rolling over Democrats. This has not happened. Congressional Democrats and the Independents who caucus with them have united with the president against the Republican plans.

The bill authorizing Keystone XL will eventually pass the Senate. It will be vetoed by President Obama, and Senate and House Democrats will make sure that his veto is sustained. Debates on climate change and presidential vetoes are examples of the new reality that is slapping Republicans in the face.

Bernie Sanders Wrecks Republican Plans By Offering Climate Change Amendment To Keystone XL was written by Jason Easley for PoliticusUSA.
© PoliticusUSA, Tue, Jan 13th, 2015