1. ” Ill. judge won’t toss torture suit naming Rumsfeld
A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss a civil lawsuit accusing former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld of responsibility for the alleged torture by U.S. forces of two Americans who worked for an Iraqi contracting firm.
U.S. District Judge Wayne R. Andersen’s ruling did not say the two contractors had proven their claims, including that they were tortured after reporting alleged illegal activities by their company. But it did say they had alleged enough specific mistreatment to warrant hearing evidence of exactly what happened.
Andersen said his decision “represents a recognition that federal officials may not strip citizens of well settled constitutional protections against mistreatment simply because they are located in a tumultuous foreign setting.”
http://wire.antiwar.com/2010/03/05/ill-judge-wont-toss-torture-suit-naming-rumsfeld/
2. “Greece’s Austerity Plan: Devastating Social Consequences
What the Greek government presents as a solution to the crisis is no more than the hijacking of the Greek people, who are being made to shoulder the cost of the irresponsible acts of the financial players who aggravated this crisis.
This austerity plan aims at saving some €4.8 billion at the expense of the Greek population, for the purpose of repaying creditors. The money saved will also be used to pay the fees of Goldman Sachs, a bank which we now know helped the government conceal part of its debt. Among the measures to be taken:
• a freeze on recruitment and reduction of civil servants’ salaries (heavily reduced 13th and 14th months, reduced bonuses, coming after a 10 % decrease in salaries decided in January);
• a freeze on retirement pensions;
• VAT increase from 19% to 21%, despite the fact that this is an unfair tax that hits poorer people harder;
• dramatic cuts in social budgets, including the Social Security budget.
Such measures are not the solution but part of the problem.”
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=17970
3. It’s a sad day when labor unions take the side of the government AGAINST their own members:
“Labor Unrest Spreads across Europe: Strike wave hits Europe as workers oppose austerity measures
Last week was marked by two significant developments. A strike wave hit Europe as workers in a series of countries began to demonstrate their opposition to the austerity measures demanded by the European Union and the banks.
In all countries, the trade unions responded by isolating and suppressing the workers’ actions and closing ranks with their respective governments and the European financial elite. The central concern of the unions was to prevent the working people of Europe from uniting in a common struggle against their common enemy—the European bourgeoisie and its agents in the national governments and the European Union.
…
Under conditions of the globalisation of capitalist production, the trade unions, which are wedded to a nationalist perspective, are incapable of defending even the most basic interests of the working class. They have been transformed into direct agencies of the corporate-financial elite and the state.”
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=17964
