Divergences, Revue libertaire internationale en ligne

The Yellow Vests of France: Six Months of Struggle

Richard Greeman

Article published on 17 May 2019

I am writing you from Montpellier, France, where I am a participant-observer in the Yellow Vest movement, which is still going strong after six months, despite a dearth of information in the international media.

But why should you take the time to learn more about the Yellow Vests? The answer is that France has for more than two centuries been the classic model for social innovation, and this unique, original social movement has enormous international significance. The Yellow Vests have already succeeded in shattering the capitalist myth of “representative democracy” in the age of neo-liberalism. Their uprising has unmasked the lies and violence of republican government, as well as the duplicity of representative institutions like political parties, bureaucratic unions and the (...)

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Aujourd’hui

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Richard Greeman

Yellow Vests and Red Unions Strike Together

Richard Greeman

Article published on 18 February 2019

As Macron Prepares New Repressive Measures

https://www.laprogressive.com/red-unions-strike/

On Tues, Feb. 5, as the Macron government pushed harsh repressive laws against demonstrators through the National Assembly, the Yellow Vests joined with France’s unions for the first time in a day-long, nation-wide “General Strike.”

At the very moment when in Paris the lower house was voting to implement Macron’s proposed laws designed to suppress public demonstrations (a legal right protected in both the French Constitution and the U.N. Human Rights Declaration) tens of thousands of their constituents were out in the streets all over the country demonstrating and striking against Macron’s authoritarian, neo-liberal government. The demonstrators’ demands ranged from better salaries and retirement benefits, restoration of public services, equitable tax codes, an end to police brutality, and (...)

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Richard Greeman

Exposes Inequality and Hollowness of French Regime

Self-organized Yellow Vest Protest Movement

Richard Greeman

Article published on 3 December 2018

Ignored by Macron, distorted by the media, courted by the Right, snubbed by the Left, the self-organized mass movement known as the Yellow Vests is seriously challenging the political and economic order in France.

In Paris, on the morning of Saturday Dec. 1, as thousands of self-organized Yellow Vest protestors attempted to gather to express their grievances on the Champs-Elysées at a planned, peaceful demonstration, French CRS riot police in Paris attacked them savagely with tear-gas, flash-bombs and water-canons. By the end of the day, cars were burning near the Arc of Triumph, and all of Paris was in chaos as groups of would-be peaceful marchers, joined by the usual casseurs (‘smashers’) spread throughout the capital, expressing their anger at the system and calling for the (...)

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Richard Greeman

French Labor’s Historical Defeat; U.S. Teachers’ Surprising Victories

Richard Greeman

Article published on 6 September 2018

As the French get ready for the “rentrée” – the annual back-to-school/back-to-work day following the August vacation – social peace appears to reign in the land. The long-expected militant strikes and struggles against the neo-liberal counter-reforms introduced by President Macron early last Spring have failed to materialize. Surprisingly, the Macron government successfully force-marched its anti-labor, anti-welfare, pro-business agenda through parliament with little effective resistance by the unions and Left parties. Meanwhile, in the U.S., a wave of spontaneous teachers’ strikes spread from W. Va. to other conservative ‘Red’ states, winning significant victories and surprising the media and the labor leadership. The contrast is surprising.

In France, resistance to the arrogant, deeply unpopular Macron started off with a bang in March with student strikes and big demonstrations on the 50th anniversary of the 1968 student-worker rebellion, which, retrospectively, was seen positively here even in the mainstream media. Yet, unlike 1968 or even 2006, when spontaneous strikes and popular demonstrations forced the government to withdraw its program, the resistance, orchestrated by the unions, never got off the ground. Au contraire, the self-confident Macron, perceived as “the president of the rich,” continued fast-tracking a full menu of cuts in education, public services, retirement and worker benefits, all by executive decree (to be later rubber stamped by the legislature).

Yet despite their publicized calls for (...)

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Welcome

Article published on 23 December 2014

Contextualizing the Threat of Radical Islam (Richard Greeman) 2 - 3 - 4

On the discussion concerning co-operation amongst revolutionaries in the Middle East (Devrim Valerian)

Israël-Palestine. Peace would neutralize Iran threat (A.B. Yehoshua)

Ajami, the Film: Surmounting Anger and Pain (Asma Agbarieh-Zahalka)

Nuclear Power. Local Democracy Dumped!

Venezuela. The crisis: understanding the causes, assigning blame and suggesting solutions (El Libertario)

China. "labour famine:" Hype and reality

China. "Good news" for workers cannot hide harsh reality

Sex Workers Targeted in New Orleans (Jordan Flaherty)

The winter of 2009-2010 will not be remembered as one of rising expectations. Most people are expecting the worse, in spite of forced assurances made by world “leaders” (...)

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Current Events / Actualités

Assaf Adiv

The Lesson of the Flotilla Bloodbath: End the Occupation

Position paper of WAC-MAAN about the deaths on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

Article published on 23 December 2014

Position paper of WAC-MAAN about the deaths on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

The Lesson of the Flotilla Bloodbath: End the Occupation

WAC-MAAN, which organizes within its ranks both Jewish and Arab workers, strongly condemns the Israeli raid on the Freedom for Gaza flotilla, which has resulted in nine dead and dozens of wounded.

Israel’s attempt to divert the argument away from its blockade on Gaza, and over to the resistance that its troops encountered while attacking the flotilla, is futile and grotesque. As if soldiers sent to prevent civilians from breaking an unjust siege can be compared with 1.5 million Palestinians caught in a three-year humanitarian catastrophe!

WAC holds that Israel’s stubbornness, and its refusal to pay the price of peace—namely, an end to the occupation and (...)

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Welcome

Nr 20. May 2010. Contents.

Article published on 23 December 2014

“We are dinosaurs!” End of an American Illusion: from “middle class” to working poor ? (Bert)

Tax Day Protest in Washington DC (Curtis Price)

Hoosier Robot Killers. Afghanistan Pakistan Private Military Contractors (Fran Quigley/Jeff Cox)

China. China. Apple Finds Child Labor Violations At Suppliers (Thomas Claburn/China Labour Bulletin)

China. The Hard Road: Seeking justice for victims of pneumoconiosis in China (China Labour Bulletin)

In the Name of Zionism (Uri Avnery)

Noxious Comparisons. The Holocaust in Israeli Political Discourse (Yacov Ben Efrat)

Israel. When Art Breaks Walls. The Bread and Roses Exhibit of 2010 (Roni Ben Efrat)

Venezuela. The myth of "Eco-socialism of the XXI Century" (Maria Pilar Garcia Guadilla)

Venezuela. Preventing the State’s infiltration of social (...)

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Current Events / Actualités

Dave Zirin, "The People’s Howard Zinn"

Agence Global. Released: 28 January 2010

Article published on 21 September 2013

Howard Zinn, my hero, teacher, and friend died of a heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 87. With his death, we lose a man who did nothing less than rewrite the narrative of the United States. We lose a historian who also made history.

Anyone who believes that the United States is immune to radical politics never attended a lecture by Howard Zinn. The rooms would be packed to the rafters, as entire families, black, white and brown, would arrive to hear their own history made humorous as well as heroic. "What matters is not who’s sitting in the White House. What matters is who’s sitting in!" he would say with a mischievous grin. After this casual suggestion of civil disobedience, the crowd would burst into laughter and applause.

Only Howard could pull that off because he was entirely authentic. When he spoke against poverty it was from the perspective of someone who had to work in the shipyards during the Great Depression. When he spoke against war, it was from the perspective of someone who flew as a bombardier during World War II, and was forever changed by the experience. When he spoke against racism it was from the perspective of someone who taught at Spelman College during the civil rights movement and was arrested sitting in with his students.

And of course, when he spoke about history, it was from the perspective of having written A People’s History of the United States, a book that has sold more than two million copies and changed the lives of countless people. Count me among them. When I was 17 and picked up a dog-eared copy of Zinn’s book, I thought history was about learning that the Magna Carta was signed in 1215. I couldn’t tell you what the Magna Carta was, but I knew it was signed in 1215. Howard took this history of great men in powdered wigs and turned it on its pompous head.

In Howard’s book, the central actors were the runaway slaves, the labor radicals, the masses and the misfits. It was history writ by Robin Hood, speaking to a desire that many share: to actually make history instead of being history’s victim. (...)

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2012

N° 31. Juillet 2012

English

Article published on 8 July 2012

The Anti-Empire Report, William Blum

50 Shades of Populism, David Macaray

Stinking Hot Plutocratic Mess, Paul Street

Quebec’s ’Truncheon Law’ Richochets as Student Strike Spreads, Martin Lukacs

Mexico’s Return to “Perfect Dictatorship”, Michael Wilson

You are all suspects now. What are you going to do about it ?, John Pilger

The Longest War, Kathy Kelly

Whose Egypt ?, Deepak Tripathi

Thoughts for Independent Algeria’s 50th Birthday, David Porter

Thoughts on a joint but unequal Palestinian-Israeli struggle, Noa Shaindlinger

Israeli Mustard, Uri Avnery

The present stands no chance against the past, Robert Fisk

Freedom for Nabil Al-Raee and Zakaria Zubeidi in Palestine, Freedom Theatre of Jenin

Yemeni photographer Boushra Almutawakel and the Egyptian writer Nawal al Saadawi (...)

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2012

N° 31. Juillet 2012

English

Anonymous ART of Revolution

America. At Home. Abroad

Article published on 8 July 2012

Archives

2012

N° 31. Juillet 2012

English

Article published on 8 July 2012

« We don’t need no though control. » Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)

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