Let's Shut Down the Authoritarian Machine

Wednesday, June 19, 2019 [| Time is running out -- can you help? |]( [Let's Shut Down the Authoritarian Machine]( Henry A. Giroux, Truthout To fight the emergence of apocalyptic nationalism and racist authoritarianism in the U.S. and the world, we must first build a strong anti-capitalist movement capable of uniting a vast array of social movements under the banner of a radical socialist democracy. Successful resistance to the authoritarian machine calls for a new narrative, language and politics willing to link struggles for political and economic change with struggles for equality and justice. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Trump's Re-election Campaign Launches on a Loud Fascist Note]( William Rivers Pitt, Truthout Millions of innocent people went to bed on Tuesday night fearing the sound of boots outside their door. Children wondered if they would wind up in cages like the ones they've seen on TV, and families feared losing loved ones after gambling their future on the dissipating promise of a better life in this nation of immigrants. This is fascism, Trump-style, and his re-election campaign, launched Tuesday night in Orlando, is steeped in fascist overtones. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Mitch McConnell Dismisses Representation for D.C. and Puerto Rico as "Socialism"]( Igor Derysh, Salon Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia are home to nearly 4 million Americans who have no voting representation in Congress. For over a decade, the GOP has officially supported Puerto Rico's right to be admitted to the Union as a sovereign state. However, Mitch McConnell is now contradicting his own party's stance -- in line with Trump's personally motivated opposition to Puerto Rico's potential statehood. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Trump Wants a Third Term. Could the Unimaginable Happen Here?]( Spencer Sunshine, Truthout Trump recently suggested that his supporters might demand that he stay longer than two terms in office or that he should get an extra two years as a consolation prize for the Russia investigation -- displaying once again his contempt for democracy and open sympathy for authoritarianism. Given how often the U.S.'s "strong" democratic ideals have failed in the past, it's worth asking how we might respond, should the unimaginable come to pass. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Our reporters are working tirelessly to bring you the latest news -- from the human rights crisis at the southern border to the melting glaciers of Alaska and beyond. But we still need to raise $47,000 to continue this work, and we have just eight days left to do it. If you value what we publish, can you take a few seconds to chip in? [Donate Now →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [It's Bad Journalism to Take Cops at Their Word]( Matt McLoughlin, Truthout Despite all the police shootings and incidents of police violence, mainstream news outlets are failing to fact-check police statements. A recent egregious example was the media's reproduction of Chicago Police Chief Eddie Johnson's unsubstantiated claim that bail reform was to blame for the uptick in shootings earlier this month. Such uncritical parroting of police narratives only serves to enable the scourges of police violence, racism and mass incarceration. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [U.N. Report: "Inconceivable" Saudi Crown Prince Not Involved in Khashoggi Murder]( Jake Johnson, Common Dreams In a thorough and damning report on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United Nations found that he was "the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing" that was likely orchestrated by top officials in the Saudi government, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The report details evidence that Khashoggi's execution required significant government coordination and resources. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Trump's Bureau of Land Management Is Being Sued Again Over Climate Impacts]( Kendra Chamberlain, DeSmogBlog The Bureau of Land Management is being sued over climate change-related violations of the National Environmental Policy Act. While the Trump administration has unabashedly made scaling back environmental regulations a key doctrine, the courts have emerged as a critical battleground for efforts to halt regulatory changes that prioritize the fossil fuel industry over the public interest. To date, no regulatory rollbacks related to climate change brought before the courts have won. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook Sparks Outrage After Announcing Plans for Digital Currency]( Amy Goodman and Juan González, Democracy Now! In a move that could reshape the world's financial system, Facebook has unveiled plans to launch a new global digital currency called Libra. The plan has already come under fierce criticism from financial regulators and lawmakers concerned that Libra would be a risky new cryptocurrency out of a Swiss bank account without oversight. After secretly working on the cryptocurrency for more than a year, Facebook will launch Libra next year in partnership with other large companies including Visa, Mastercard, PayPal and Uber. [Watch the Video and Read the Transcript →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Over 500,000 Women Participate in Switzerland Women’s Strike]( Staff, Bewegung für den Sozialismus Zürich On June 14, over half a million people -- in a country of 8 million -- went on strike for women's rights for the second time since 1991. Despite general political and economic stability in the country, the political left succeeded in organizing one of the most successful mass mobilizations in Swiss history. Feminist collectives say last week's strike is not the end, but the starting signal for a broader movement in Switzerland and beyond. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In Case You Missed It --------------------------------------------------------------- [New Federal Bill Would Make It Easier to Join a Union]( Michael Arria, Truthout The Trump administration late Monday announced the deployment of 1,000 more troops to the Middle East following attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. claims that Iran carried out the attacks, but many nations have expressed deep skepticism and called for a thorough investigation. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Legal Victory Strengthens LGBT Activists as Threat From Bolsonaro Looms]( Jaimee A. Swift, Truthout On June 13, the Brazilian Supreme Court officially made homophobia and transphobia a crime after two more justices joined the six who had originally voted in favor of outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Amid the heightened fear, uncertainty and violence LGBT people have been experiencing under the racist, homophobic and misogynistic President Jair Bolsonaro, this landmark legal victory offers hope, say activists. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- We still need 94 people to start a sustaining, monthly donation to Truthout. Will you be one? Just choose "monthly" on our 30-second form. [Donate Now →]( Connect With Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Donate]( Truthout is a reader-supported, nonprofit organization; donations are tax-deductible. Truthout is a proud member of the Newspaper Guild/CWA, Local 36047. Please add messenger@truthout.org to ensure you receive our messages. [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](