Like Maria Said Paz: 2024-01-21

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Melanie Safka- Women of Rock Oral History Project Podcast S2E4Part1

I'm both surprised and not surprised by the media reaction.

She's not a bit player on a sitcom who drugged herself to death so apparently we won't get even one day of decant coverage.

Factor in that she was a woman and you begin to understand why the media is so silent -- except for making time to mock her -- like a piece in THE NEW YORK TIMES did today. How, ha ha, did "Brand New Key" ever hit number one!!! HA HA HA HA1!!!

Tell me when they disrespected a male artist like that?

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Thursday, January 25, 2024. An unarmed man threatening no one is shot dead by Israeli forces and its caught on tape, the Israeli government continues destroying buildings of cultural significance in Gaza, UAW wants both a cease-fire and Joe Biden re-election, and much more.

Starting with THE NEWSHOUR (PBS).

Geoff Bennett:

The war in Gaza has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians. That's according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Our colleagues at Independent Television News have sent us evidence of one more death, an apparently unarmed man walking with a group of men under a white flag with their hands up. ITN's cameraman in Gaza documented the killing.
The reporter is John Irvine in Israel. And a caution, This story includes images of violence.
John Irvine:

This is the edge of the supposedly safe area called Al-Mawasi that the Israelis have been encouraging Gaza civilians to flee to.
These makeshift homes have been vacated because the war is getting closer. The billowing smoke was evidence of the new Israeli offensive in Khan Yunis that has been forcing more families to evacuate and seek safety elsewhere.
Hazem Ahmad, Displaced Palestinian (through interpreter):

No place safely in Gaza. Everywhere you are going, you will find the Israeli army. They are shoot us at home, any building, in the street, everywhere you are. They will give you a chance sometimes just for five minutes sometimes, do not give you any chance to take your clothes, to take your children, to take your family, and to get out of the building.
This is our life in Gaza. It's very difficult.
John Irvine:

These pictures were filmed by a cameraman working for ITV News in Gaza. As he moved forwards towards the combat zone, he noticed this group of men doing their utmost to appear nonthreatening, trying to proceed with care. They wanted to reach two other family members and get them out of harm's way.
Ramzi Abu Sahloul , Displaced Gazan (through interpreter): I have my mother and brother in there with around 50 or 70 displaced people in another house. The Israelis came to us and told us to evacuate, but they didn't let my brother out. We want to go and try to get them, God willing.
John Irvine:

The interview complete, our cameraman walked away. And then this happened.
(Gunshot)
John Irvine:

The interviewee had been shot and fatally wounded. You can see them place their flag on his chest. As he was carried away, the white flag was turning red.
"Carry him. They have killed him," yells this youth. Then,suddenly, more gunfire.
(Gunshots)
John Irvine:

They scream at a child, telling him to find cover.
By this stage, the man's wife, his widow, has heard what happened. And as she rushes to the scene, she meets the party carrying away the body on a makeshift stretcher. When they're satisfied they're a safe distance away, they stop, and the mourning starts.
Geoff Bennett:

We asked the Israel Defense Forces to respond to the story today.
A spokesman said — quote — "We're not aware of the event, and it's still under examination." An Israeli defense official later told "PBS NewsHour" that an Israeli analysis of the audio found that two weapons fired shots. They say one was an automatic that fired three bullets, and the rate of fire does not correspond to any rifle used by the Israeli military. The official added they are investigating further.

AP covers the murder here.

When not slaughtering people, the Israeli government is destroying culture, schools, hospitals and other structures in Gaza. At THE NATION, Kate Wagner reports:

If you look at images of Gaza now, instead of cities where thousands of people lived, all you’ll see is rubble. The remnants of homes and apartment buildings lie strewn about, mangled beyond recognition. Shops, hospitals, schools, universities, religious buildings, whether ancient or new (it makes little difference now)—all have been reduced to unsalvageable heaps of rock and steel, some bombed beyond recognition, legible now only in the memories of those who knew them. There is a word for when buildings and cities are destroyed as part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing: “urbicide.” It is a tactic used to make sure there is nothing left to return to, nothing that can be cherished or latched on to. Its goal is a total colonization of the landscape that erases whatever used to be.

“Gaza was actually a sizable city under the Byzantines and, before them, the Romans, and was a [political] center…for the Mamluk Empire in the 13th through 15th centuries. And that’s when it probably reached its highest level of administrative power,” Nasser Rabbat, the director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, tells me. “Gaza was the place where the [Mamluk] army would congregate on the way to their campaigns in northern Syria, in the Euphrates region, or in Anatolia against its host of enemies.”

The Great Omari Mosque reflected this history. It had been damaged and rebuilt many times over the centuries: attacked by the Mongols in the 13th century, battered by an earthquake a few decades later, restored and expanded in the Ottoman era, and partially destroyed by British bombs in World War I, only to be restored once more. Now it’s been effectively obliterated; only some walls and one minaret remain. This is—make no mistake—a deliberate element of the Israeli campaign to erase all traces of Palestinian life.

After news of its destruction was reported, multiple tweets went viral comparing the widespread outcry over the 2019 fire that claimed part of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris with the relative silence over the loss of the historic mosque. There’s undoubtedly something to this, and it’s symptomatic of Islamophobia and the ignorance of Islamic culture in the West more broadly. Yet there’s a deeper point to be made about architectural loss as it relates to war. Notre-Dame, after all, is a unique case: It is widely famous in mass popular culture (very few buildings have a Disney movie made about them), and the fire was a simple accident, not a deliberate act of demolition.

On Monday, 21 Israeli soldiers died in an explosion two Gaza buildings that they had filled with explosives with the plan to take the buildings down. Jeremy Scahill (INTERCEPT) reports:

While the IDF statement was unclear about the exact cause of the explosion inside the buildings, the Qassam Brigades said its operatives “targeted” the structure, leading to the “explosion of the [IDF’s] ammunition and engineering equipment,” “completely blowing [it] up.”

Such controlled demolitions have become an increasingly common tactic used by Israeli forces in Gaza. The Israeli military has justified its destruction of civilian housing and other infrastructure by claiming it houses Hamas facilities or leaders or to gain access to subterranean tunnels. In Monday’s incident, however, Hagari said the buildings were marked for demolition because they were situated in an area of Gaza that Israel unilaterally declaredOpens in a new tab a “buffer zone” between Gaza and Israel. He said the purpose was to protect an Israeli kibbutz located a half mile from Gaza against possible future attacks.

This appears to be the first time the Israeli military has publicly admitted that its systematic destruction of whole areasOpens in a new tab of eastern Gaza are not entirely aimed at destroying tunnels or other Hamas infrastructure, but at depopulating more areas of Gaza in the name of security for nearby Israeli settlements. “The IDF systematically demolishes Palestinian buildings that enable surveillance and firing capabilities toward Israel, leading to the destruction of hundreds of buildings to date,” the IDF said in a statementOpens in a new tab.

Controlled demolitions against the property within an occupied territory are generally prohibited under international humanitarian lawOpens in a new tab unless they are “imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.”

But IDF soldiers have posted multiple videosOpens in a new tab on TikTok and other social media sites of themselves gleefully hitting the trigger button sparking massive controlled explosions in Palestinian neighborhoods, as well as educational, cultural, and government institutions. In a TikTok videoOpens in a new tab showing a military bulldozer knocking down houses in Khan Younis, an Israeli soldier jokes that he and his colleagues are setting up a real estate company. “This field is definitely worth investing in,” he says. “For those who have money, this is the time to invest. Make an offer.”

On January 17, Israeli forces blew upOpens in a new tab Al-Isra University, reportedly rigging it with more than 300 mines before conducting a triggering strike that leveled the entire campus. “The explosion occurred 70 days after the Israeli military transformed the school into barracks and, later, into a temporary detention facility,” according to the humanitarian organization Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters he had seen the video of the demolition of the privately owned school, but refused to comment on the legality or justification for the operation.

“It looks like a controlled demolition,” said Associated Press correspondent Matt Lee during the briefingOpens in a new tab. “It looks like what we do here in this country, when we’re taking down an old hotel or a stadium. And you have nothing to say? You have nothing to say about this?”

Gaza remains under assault. In fact, it's day 110 of the assault in the wave that began in October. Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion. The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction. But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets: How to justify it? Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence." CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund." ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them." NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza." The slaughter continues. It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service. Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide." The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher. Friday, United Nations Women noted, "Since 7 October 2023, more than 24,620 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, 70 per cent of whom were women or children. More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse." NBC NEWS notes, "More than 25,700 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. More than 63,300 have been injured , and thousands more are missing and presumed dead." AP has noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing." And the area itself? Isabele Debre (AP) reveals, "Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells." Kieron Monks (I NEWS) reports, "More than 40 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new study of satellite imagery by US researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the City University of New York. The UN gave a figure of 45 per cent of housing destroyed or damaged across the strip in less than six weeks. The rate of destruction is among the highest of any conflict since the Second World War." Max Butterworth (NBC NEWS) adds, "Satellite images captured by Maxar Technologies on Sunday reveal three of the main hospitals in Gaza from above, surrounded by the rubble of destroyed buildings after weeks of intense bombing in the region by Israeli forces."

Amy Goodman (DEMOCRACY NOW!) noted yesterday:

At the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Secretary-General António Guterres: “The entire population of Gaza is enduring destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

Guterres went on to criticize statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders opposing a two-state solution.

Secretary-General António Guterres: “Last week’s clear and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest level of the Israeli government is unacceptable. … This refusal and the denial of the right to statehood to the Palestinian people will indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.”

Guterres’s comments came as The Wall Street Journal reports a group of five Arab countries have proposed a plan to end the war in Gaza and create a pathway toward a Palestinian state. As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia would also recognize the state of Israel.

The continued call for a cease-fire comes as the Israeli government repeatedly attempts to thwart any cease-fire. Bethan McKernan (GUARDIAN) reports:

Qatar has harshly criticised Israel’s prime minister, accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately obstructing ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with Hamas for personal political gain.

Doha’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, said on Wednesday night that his government was “appalled” by leaked remarks allegedly made by Netanyahu in which he criticised the country’s mediation efforts over the war in Gaza, adding that the Israeli leader’s comments were “irresponsible and destructive” but “not surprising”.

“If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritising saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages,” Ansari wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Let's move over to unions. The UAW (United Auto Workers) and the SEIU (Service Employees International Union ) have both endorsed a cease fire. Yesterday, the UAW made another endorsement.

UAW is one of the largest unions in the United States. Here's the UAW's press release on the endorsement of Joe:

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, January 24^th, with hundreds of UAW members, leaders, and activists gathered at the union’s national Community Action Program (CAP) conference, the UAW announced its endorsement of Joe Biden for President of the United States.

Addressing the assembled members, UAW President Shawn Fain spoke to the issues facing the working class, and the strategic choice ahead in the 2024 presidential election.

“This November, we can stand up and elect someone who wants to stand with us and support our cause. Or we can elect someone who will divide us and fight us every step of the way,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “That’s what this choice is about. The question is, who do we want in that office to give us the best shot of winning? Of organizing. Of negotiating strong contracts. Of uniting the working class and winning our fair share once again, as our union has done so many times in our nation’s history. We need to know who’s going to sit in the most powerful seat in the world and help us win as a united working class.”

“Today I’m proud to announce that UAW is endorsing Joe Biden for President of the United States. And I am honored to invite Joe Biden to come address our great union, and join us in our fight for economic and social justice for the UAW and for the whole working class. UAW family, let’s stand up and welcome the man who stood up for us. Please welcome the current President of the United States, the man we will re-elect, Joe Biden!”

For President Fain’s full remarks as prepared, see below:

To view the full recorded and livestreamed proceedings of the UAW CAP Conference, go to UAW’s YouTube page. Media is encouraged to use these materials in coverage, with credit to UAW.

UAW PRESIDENT SHAWN FAIN'S PREPARED REMARKS

Good afternoon, UAW family,

As we near the end of our CAP Conference, I first want to thank you all.

This has been an inspiring few days of strategy, discussion, and planning for the fights ahead. Let’s give a hand to all of our CAP Reps for everything you do for this union and for this movement.

I want to recognize our fantastic CAP staff who have worked so hard to make this event a success.

I want to recognize our International Executive Board for your leadership and your participation here this week.

And most of all I want to recognize our members across the country, in every sector, who are the ONLY reason we’re here, and who are the TRUE LEADERS of our movement.

When I became the president of this great union, just 10 months ago, I promised that we would do things differently.

I promised that we would return to our roots, pursue economic and social justice, and that we would FIGHT LIKE HELL, not just for UAW members, but for the ENTIRE working class.

That’s exactly what we’ve done, and that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do.

With that said, we know there are many outside of this room who DOUBTED our movement, DOUBTED our strength, and DOUBTED our resolve.

When we went on strike against the Big 3, you’ll remember that many of the talking heads DISMISSED our demands as UNREALISTIC.

They said workers could never win back COLA. BUT WE DID.

They said we couldn’t bring back a plant that was scheduled to close. But we did.

They said, we’d NEVER be able to make EV jobs good jobs, NEVER get it under our master agreements. But we did.

They said there is NO WAY we could end wage tiers. But we did, winning life-changing raises for thousands of members.

They said we couldn’t bargain for our retirees. But we did.

Together, WE MOVED MOUNTAINS.

Not since the sit down strikes of the 1930s has there been a union victory on this scale.

We were underestimated then, and I’m sure we’ll be underestimated NOW by the corporate class and their political allies.

But the people who matter are with us.

75% of the American people stood with us during the strike.

And workers everywhere are standing with us now.

They STAND UP because they know what it’s like to work paycheck to paycheck.

And they STAND UP because we stick to the facts and tell the truth.

During the strike, we shared the FACT that the companies had made a quarter of a trillion dollars in profit in the past decade.

We shared the FACT that the CEOs had given themselves 40% wage increases over four years. And we shared the FACT that workers had fallen further and further behind.

And finally, and perhaps most importantly, the American people stand with us because they understand that our movement is fighting for every last working class American.

That is our guiding light.

EVERYTHING we do as a union must be about taking back our power as the working class.

That’s what being UAW really means.

It means being strategic, clear, and aggressive in our mission to win for workers everywhere.

Working class people are hurting. For decades, we’ve been ignored at best, and trampled on at worst.

But we are the vast majority of society.

We have the NUMBERS, and we have the VOTES.

When we stand UNITED, we put FEAR in the hearts of the billionaire class.

But they keep us weak by dividing us.

It’s an old trick the billionaires play, but it’s effective. Time and time again, the wealthy divide the masses as the rich walk away with the loot!

They try to divide us by gender.

They try to divide us by nationality.

They try to divide us by race.

They act like how you live your life, or where you were born, or what color your skin is, is a threat to the person on the worksite next to you.

They talk about WHO you love, where you’re from, or how you look.

So they don’t have to talk about who you work for, WHERE the profits go, and WHO benefits.

THAT’S what unites us.

And THAT UNITY is where our power comes from.

What we learned in the Stand Up Strike is if we unite on our issues, if we fight like hell, if we focus on things that matter to the American people, WE WIN.

Our Stand Up Strike wasn’t just about one contract.

It was about the fight for a LIVING WAGE.

It was about a SECURE RETIREMENT.

It was about HEALTH CARE.

It was about taking our TIME back and taking our LIVES back.

Wages. Retirement. Health Care. Time.

These are the issues that UNITE the working class.

These are the issues that are life or death for the American people.

We’ve got to start looking to the future and making sure that working people – not just the wealthy – are going to be secure.

Advances in technology shouldn’t lead to plant closings or leave remaining workers working harder than before.

We should be the masters of technology – not let it master us.

Or force us to work even more for less money.

Management – and behind them, the billionaire class – seeks to control our LIVES. They seek to control our TIME. They seek to control our GOVERNMENT. They seek to control our SOCIETY.

You all are here because given the choice between union solidarity and management domination, you have chosen UNION. You have chosen SOLIDARITY.

In 2024, we face a major choice as a society.

I know some people want to ignore this election; they don’t want to have anything to do with politics.

Other people want to argue endlessly about the latest headline or scandal or stupid quote.

Elections aren’t about picking your best friend for the job, or the CANDIDATE who makes you feel good.

Elections are about POWER.

We’ve spent this week talking about our political priorities and where we’re going as a union.

And we’ve shown in our Stand Up Strike that we know how to win against the boss.

But there’s a bigger boss out there. It’s the billionaire class and their backers here in Washington, DC.

That’s what we’re up against.

So, we’re gonna fight like hell for retirement security for the whole working class.

We’re gonna organize and mobilize and make our voices heard.

This November, we can STAND UP and elect someone who wants to stand with us and support our cause.

Or we can elect someone who will divide us and fight us every step of the way.

That’s what this choice is about. The question is, who do we want in that office to give us the best shot of winning?

Of organizing. Of negotiating strong contracts. Of uniting the working class and winning our fair share once again, as our union has done so many times in our nation’s history.

Today, I want to talk about the choice we likely face in the Presidential Election this year.

And I don’t want to talk about who you like, who you don’t like, the latest headline, or the Democrats or Republicans.

I want to talk about the TRACK RECORD.

I want to talk about THE FACTS.

Our Stand Up Strike captured the imagination of this country.

Because we told the TRUTH about corporate greed.

We said what needed to be said.

And we talked about the FACTS that matter to working class people everywhere, in the UAW and beyond.

So, when we talk about this election, let’s take a look at the candidates’ own words and actions.

In 2008, the auto industry faced a historic crisis. We were on the edge of total collapse, with entire communities devastated, hundreds of thousands of autoworkers’ families left out on the street.

It was our members who sacrificed everything to save the auto industry.

[SLIDE 1]: In that moment, Donald Trump said, quote, “I think that the unions are really, really hurting very badly what’s going on with the auto industry.”

[SLIDE 2]: Joe Biden, having helped save the auto industry, said the nation BET on American autoworkers and won.

[SLIDE 3]: In 2015, when he was first running for President, Trump went even further. He said the concessions we took in the bailout weren’t enough.

He wanted to “rotate” the auto industry out of Michigan so union autoworkers would BEG for our jobs back.

He wanted to put the race to the bottom on steroids to SCREW the American autoworker.

[SLIDE 4]: Also in 2015, we won our first election of a group of skilled trades workers at Volkswagen, where we’re still organizing today.

Volkswagen DEFIED the law and REFUSED to bargain. They dragged it out as long as they could, because they knew Trump’s National Labor Relations Board would UNDO our victory. That set us back a decade.

[SLIDE 5]: President Biden, on the other hand, has made changes at the National Labor Relations Board that have opened new opportunities for organizing.

He has vocally supported workers organizing, and said, at a UAW event: “Join, organize, picket, protest. You have a right to form a union, and you cannot be stopped. You cannot be intimidated.”

It matters who runs the National Labor Relations Board, if we are going to grow our union and organize the unorganized.

But it’s not just about organizing. Let’s talk about plant closures.

[SLIDE 6]: In 2019, at the height of profits, GM closed Lordstown Assembly Plant. GM is to blame, but Trump stood by and let it happen. Worse, he joined in the BEATING after telling Lordstown workers “don’t sell your houses.”

Trump attacked brother David Green, who was then the president of Local 1112, and is now serving as our Region 2B Director. He said our union dues were to blame for the plant closure, when we know that was all about CORPORATE GREED.

[SLIDE 7]: In 2023, the Belvidere Assembly plant was slated for closure by Stellantis.

So, we fought like hell to do the unthinkable: Save Belvidere. And with the power of the Stand Up Strike, we did it.

But we also had the President of the United States by our side every step of the way. Instead of talking trash about our union, Joe Biden stood with us and supported us in our historic victory to save Belvidere and save an entire community.

And let’s talk about making history.

Rarely as a union do you get so clear a choice between two candidates.

In 2019, our members held the line at GM on a national strike for 40 days. Trump was the sitting president.

[SLIDE 8 – BLANK]: Here’s a picture of what Trump said and what actions he took to help the American autoworker, striking at GM when he was president.

NOTHING.

[SLIDE 9]: Now here’s a picture of what Trump did to help the American autoworker in 2023 during our historic Stand Up Strike, when he was running for president.

He went to a non-union plant, invited BY THE BOSS, and TRASHED OUR UNION.

[SLIDE 10]: Here’s what Joe Biden did during our Stand Up Strike.

He heard the call and SHOWED UP.

He joined us in solidarity on the picket line, the first time in our nation’s history a sitting president has ever done that.

He said on live national TV, that the Big Three, and I quote, “should go further to ensure RECORD CORPORATE PROFITS mean RECORD CONTRACTS for the UAW.”

[[END SLIDES]]

So that’s the choice we face.

It’s not about who you like.

It’s not about your party.

It’s not about anything but our BEST SHOT AT TAKING BACK POWER for the working class.

Donald Trump is a SCAB.

Donald Trump is a BILLIONAIRE, and that’s who he represents.

If Donald Trump ever worked in an auto plant, he wouldn’t be a UAW member. He’d be a company man, trying to squeeze the American autoworker.

Donald Trump stands AGAINST everything the UAW stands FOR.

When you go back to our core issues – Wages. Retirement. Health Care. Time.

That’s what this election is about.

Who will stand with us?

And who will stand in our way?

Those are the questions that will win or lose this election.

Those are the questions that will determine the future of our country, and the fate of the working class.

When I first came into office, we made some headlines by saying that our endorsements would be EARNED.

We’ve said we’d stand with whoever stood with us in our contract fight.

Not because somebody was nice to us, and we want to be nice to them.

But because we need to know who’s going to PUT UP and who’s going to SHUT UP.

We need to know who’s going to STAND UP with us.

Joe Biden BET on the American worker and Trump BLAMED the American worker.

We need to know who’s going to sit in the most powerful seat in the world, and help us win as a UNITED working class.

So, if our endorsements must be earned, Joe Biden has earned it.

Today I’m proud to announce that UAW is endorsing Joe Biden for President of the United States.

And I am honored to invite Joe Biden to come address our great union, and join us in our fight for economic and social justice for the UAW and for the whole working class.

UAW family, let’s STAND UP and welcome the man who STOOD UP for us. Please welcome the current President of the United States, the man we will re-elect, Joe Biden!

# # #

JF:sr:opeiu494afl-cio

Contact Information

Jonah Furman
Director, UAW Communications
847-903-2376
jfurman@uaw.net

Feldman Strategies, team@feldmanstrategies.com

The call for a cease-fire and the endorsement of Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election has led to differing opinions on the endorsement since Joe has refused -- thus far -- to call for a cease-fire. POD SAVE AMERICA offers this take.

Ivonne Ortiz (IN THESE TIMES) reports:

A group of those UAW members protested the union’s decision on Wednesday, demanding that the UAW withhold the endorsement until Biden reversed course on Gaza and called for an end to the violence.

Other national unions including the AFL-CIO announced endorsements of the incumbent as early as last summer. It was about this time that Fain met with Biden to ask for his support for auto workers during their contract negotiations and address the union’s concerns regarding the auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

During the UAW’s historic Stand-Up Strike against the Big Three automakers that followed in the fall, Biden said that “record profits [should] mean record contracts” and showed up to the union’s picket line outside a General Motors plant in Belleville, Michigan. In November, the UAW secured historic contracts with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis that resulted in increased wages, an end to the despised system of tiers, and ensured production facilities would have capacity to manufacture EVs.

In announcing the endorsement on Wednesday, Fain emphasized the importance of Biden’s support for labor, stressing that Biden’s appointees to the National Labor Relations Board had been crucial to the labor movement. Meanwhile, Fain mocked Trump as a “scab” who gained a reputation for “attacking unions.”

At WSWS, Jerry White offers:

The United Auto Workers, as expected, has endorsed the reelection campaign of Democratic President Joe Biden. With its endorsement, the UAW bureaucracy is backing a war criminal who is overseeing Israel’s genocide in Gaza and a rapid expansion of American imperialism’s wars of global conquest.

Just minutes into his acceptance speech, Biden was interrupted by chants of “Ceasefire now” from the floor of the UAW political action conference in Washington D.C. While Biden stood silent and bewildered, the assembled UAW bureaucrats repeatedly shouted “UAW! UAW!” to drown out the protesters.

In his introduction of Biden, Fain predictably did not say a word about the US-backed slaughter of more than 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, even though the UAW has adopted a pro forma resolution calling on the president to demand a ceasefire.

Instead, the UAW president employed his standard left-sounding rhetoric to portray Biden—a corporate shill for his entire political career—as a champion of the working class who was ready to battle the “billionaire class and their backers here in Washington D.C.”

During the UAW’s online presentation of the event, there was a steady stream of critical posts by workers denouncing “Genocide Joe,” condemning Biden’s outlawing of the railroad workers’ strike in 2022, and exposing the fraudulent claims by Biden and Fain that the sellout agreements in the auto industry last year were “historic” victories.

Lastly, singer-songwriter Melanie has passed away. "Peace Will Come (According To Plan)" is one of her greatest songs.

All community sites noted Melanie's passing in posts last night. I do want to point out two specific ones, Trina's "Melanie: Queen of the Music festivals" which is very in depth and Jess did "Thank you to Melanie (Jess)" at Isaiah's site -- a rare solo post from Jess but he was a huge fan of Melanie and of the song above. The following sites updated:

When are they going to arrest Kari Lake?

That's Melanie performing one of her finest songs -- "Peace Will Come (According To Plan)" -- with Miley Cyrus. Melanie passed away yesterday and she was an amazing artist. Please read Trina's "Melanie: Queen of the Music festivals."

When are they going to arrest Kari Lake? We do know blackmail is a crime? If you blackmail me for money, that's a crime. If I hold a position and you blackmail me to quit, that's a crime. Remember that. Natalie Venegas (NEWSWEEK) reports:

Arrizona Republican Party Chair Jeff DeWit resigned on Wednesday after former Arizona gubernatorial hopeful and current U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake threatened to release "damaging" audio recording, DeWit alleged.

In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, DeWit said his decision to step down followed Lake's threat to release "damaging" audio involving the Republican.

"This morning I was determined to fight for my position. However, a few hours ago I received an ultimatum from Lake's team: resign today or face the release of a new more damaging recording. I am truly unsure of its contents, but considering our numerous past open conversations as friends, I have decided not to take the risk. I am resigning as Lake requested in the hope that she will honor her commitment to cease her attacks," DeWit said.

Read that again if you need to. I'll wait.

DeWitt is stating that Lake blackmailed him. That is a crime. I believe this is time for her to be charged. Blackmail is not illegal.

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson flame out in New Hampshire, a man who murdered an Iraqi didn't face real consequences and apparently became an insurrectionist as a result, the assault on Gaza continues, the Pope issues a message of how war is not answer, Anne Hathaway joins the work stoppage and much more.

Let's start with New Hampshire. On the GOP side, Donald Trump won. He got 54.6% of the vote to Nikki Haley's 43.4% -- that's with 95% of the vote counted while on the Democratic side Joe Biden won with 56.4% of the vote. I'm not interested in including Marianne Williamson's segment on DEMOCRACY NOW! yesterday in this snapshot for two reasons. She has not been consistent on Palestine and she was allowed to make comments about how she has always . . . No. I'm not posting it here because that's not true. There's also the issue of New Hampshire going out of order. I remember 2008. I remember how it was Diane Rehm and only Diane calling out the nonsense that said primaries in two states did not matter because they went out of order. Barack lost those states and his media campaign and his media outlets -- that did include DEMOCRACY NOW! -- acted as though Florida and Michigan had created mortal sins. Diane was right, of course those primaries would be counted at the national convention. But by the media refusing to do so in real time they gifted it to Barack. Which was the point. So a 'history' given on DEMOCRACY NOW! yesterday about states going out of order that doesn't even mention 2008? I'm not interested.

I'm glad that Marianne has a better stance now on the slaughter taking place in Gaza and we've noted three or four videos of her in the last three days. But I'm not including in the snapshot something that I know is not true.

Results? I didn't think Nikki would get that large of a percentage against Donald. It would be interesting to see what happened if she remained in the race until Super Tuesday. On the Democratic side? Those voting for Joe had to write him in. On the ballot were Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson who both spent a great deal of time in New Hampshire. Dean got an anemic 20.1%. Time to go, Dean. Marianne got 4.1% which would indicate she should drop out and attempt to run on The Green Party ticket (they'll vote on their nominee at their convention this summer) because 4.1% -- if she could pull that off nationally -- would be greater than any Green Party presidential nominee has ever gotten. (Ralph Nader's 2000 run remains the largest percentage of voters with 2.74%). Dean Phillips made no impression at all. What's sadder is that Marianne didn't. Phillips is conservative Democrat. Marianne was an honest lefty. New Hampshire rejected both.

Staying with the US, Graig Graziosi (INDEPENDENT) reported yesterday:

A Louisiana man who was arrested for allegedly attacking police officers during the January 6 Capitol riot was previously convicted of manslaughter for killing a bound Iraqi civilian during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Edward Richmond Jr, 40, has been charged with felony civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers, according to the Department of Justice.

He was also charged with several misdemeanours, including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence inside a restricted building or grounds, and violent entry and disorderly conduct.

Richmond was arrested in Baton Rouge on Monday, reported WAFB.

A decade ago, Richmond faced charges that could have put him away for life, according to Politico’s Kyle Cheney.

In 2004, the then 20-year-old was convicted for shooting a handcuffed Iraqi civilian in the back of the head. His initial charges of unpremeditated murder would have landed him in prison for life, but the panel reduced his charge to voluntary manslaughter, according to the Associated Press.

Richmond was ultimately demoted to private, dishonourably discharged from the US Army, forced to forfeit all of his pay and allowances, and sentenced to three years in prison.

That's why we call it military 'justice' and not military justice. He should have been imprisoned for life. He lied and the military let him get away with lying. They wanted to let him get away. The only reason there was some punishment for the gang-rape of Abeer and her murder and the murder of three members of her family was probably because those War Crimes resulted in a revenge attack being carried out on other US soldiers. (Those US soldiers attacked were not part of the War Crimes, to be clear.) If that had not happened, I truly question whether the military would have punished those soldiers at all. And let's remember that it was a civilian court that delivered the harshest punishment (to Steven D. Green) and that the military court went much easier on the other gang-rapists.

Muhamad Husain Kadir.

That's the name of the man Richmond shot dead, in the back of the head, while he was handcuffed. Muhamad Husain Kadir life mattered. The US military's refusal to seek the appropriate punishment resulted in Richmond returning to the US and trying to take down the government. He should have been in prison.

On Iraq, AFP reports:

Iraqi no-frills carrier Fly Baghdad has condemned Washington's imposition of sanctions, saying the US Treasury provided no proof of its allegation the airline had assisted Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

In a statement on Monday, the US slapped sanctions on Fly Baghdad and its CEO, Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani, accusing them of "providing assistance to the Quds Force", the foreign operations arm of the Revolutionary Guards, "by delivering material and personnel throughout the region" including weapons.

Responding in a statement late Monday, the airline said the US decision was "based on misleading and unreal information that cannot stand up to the law".

Fly Baghdad demanded that the US Treasury provide evidence that could "convict the company or its management".

The US government attacked the Iraqi military. I'm not interested in quoting from garbage. Reports of the US attacking "Iraq militias linked to Iran"? Garbage. For seven years now, those militias have been legally part of the Iraqi military. That was signed into law over seven years ago. I get it, I do. If I were X at a certain network I wouldn't want to link them to the Iraqi military out of fear that some people would link me to my former reporting partner who of course got busted for kiddie porn and is no longer walking the streets. I get why you wouldn't like links. I do. But the reality is this was an attack on the Iraqi military. Iraq has been very clear that it is a violation of their national sovereignty. When US outlets refuse to report correctly, Americans have no idea what's really going on or why the Iraqi people and the Iraqi government are outraged and feel disrespected.

THE GUARDIAN notes comments by the Pope:

Pope Francis has issued a new plea against all wars as he evoked the horror of the mass killing of Jews and other victims of the Nazis ahead of Saturday’s Holocaust Memorial Day, reports Reuters.

“The memory and condemnation of that horrible extermination of millions of people … may help everybody to not forget that the logic of hatred and violence can never be justified,” he said during his Wednesday weekly audience at the Vatican.

“Let us not get tired of praying for peace, for conflicts to end, for weapons to stop, for relief for exhausted populations,” Francis added. He mentioned the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the bombing of civilians in “martyred Ukraine”.

He repeated his assertion that “war is always a defeat” in which “the only winners, so to speak, are weapons manufacturers”.

As the slaughter continues, THE WASHINGTON POST notes, "Doctors Without Borders says thousands of people are unable to evacuate from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis despite an Israeli order to leave, as heavy bombing and fighting approach the facility’s surroundings. It is one of two remaining hospitals in southern Gaza able to treat critically wounded patients, the medical group said. Fighting has intensified in the city in recent days, and Israel says its troops have encircled it." THE GUARDIAN notes:

People fleeing the vicinity of Nasser hospital in Khan Younis have been shot at by Israeli tanks as well as attack drones, says Al Jazeera journalist Hani Mahmoud reporting from Rafah, southern Gaza.

“Entire families are being surrounded by Israeli military tanks and armoured vehicles. They are ordered to evacuate from their homes and to get outside. Women are separated from the men with their hands on top of their heads,” writes Mahmoud. He adds that civil defence crews “are trying to collect the bodies and identify the dead”.

Al Jazeera is one of the few news organisations with a functioning bureau in Gaza

Mahmoud also reports that there has been a “surge” in aerial attacks and artillery shelling in the western part of Khan Younis, while the compound of al-Aqsa University, where thousands of people have been sheltering, is “effectively under military siege”.

“No one can get out of that area,” writes Mahmoud. “Anyone who tries to leave risks losing their life as there is constant shelling and attacks by land and by air.”

You might think those doing the bidding of the Israeli government would feel some shame. That doesn't appear to be an emotion rampant in the Israeli military. I'd wonder if they were divorced from the world were it not for the fact that they have their mobile devices and keep posting on social media.

Yara Hawari (ALJAZEERA) reports:

Since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza in October, Israeli soldiers have been posting what can only be described as snuff videos on social media platforms. In the videos, soldiers can be seen – often gleefully – committing war crimes against Palestinians.

In one video, an Israeli soldier dressed in a dinosaur costume loads artillery shells into a tank and dances as the shells are fired in the direction of Gaza. In another video, a soldier is filmed dedicating an explosion to his two-year-old daughter for her birthday. Seconds later, a Palestinian residential building behind him is blown up. Other videos show Israeli soldiers setting alight Palestinian food supplies during a starvation campaign and mocking stripped, rounded-up and blindfolded Palestinian civilians.

There has been shock and outrage over the videos on social media platforms by Palestinians and their allies with many noting that the videos should be used as evidence in the case against the Israeli regime for genocide before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Indeed, this latest aggression on Gaza has been one of the most visually documented atrocities in history. And genocidal intent has never been so blatantly expressed by both soldiers and political leaders.

Even those who support the Israeli regime seem to be shocked at the brazenness with which Israeli soldiers are sharing these videos. British broadcaster Piers Morgan, for example, asked on X, formerly Twitter: “Why do Israeli soldiers keep filming themselves doing this kind of crass, insensitive thing? Why don’t their commanders stop them? Makes them look callous when so many children in Gaza are being killed.” For Morgan, it seems, the problem is not what the soldiers are doing but rather that they are filming themselves doing it.

People less informed on the context might find it strange that these soldiers are implicating themselves in such horrific crimes without a second thought. But those with deeper knowledge of the Zionist settler colonial project in Palestine know that decades of impunity not only for the Israeli regime but also for Israeli individuals guilty of war crimes has led us to this point.

Andre Damon (WSWS) notes:

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Israel intends to fully demolish all buildings in a 1,000-meter “buffer zone” along Gaza’s border with Israel, citing Israeli officials.

The move, which is a war crime under international law, would significantly reduce the size of the Gaza Strip.

The plan came to light after 24 Israeli soldiers were killed Monday as they were laying explosives in a building in the area to be demolished. As the soldiers were laying the explosives, they were attacked by Hamas fighters, leading the explosives to go off during the firefight.

The Times reported that “Israel wants to demolish many of the Palestinian buildings close to the border in order to create what they describe as a ‘security zone,’ according to the three officials.”

The Times also reported that “Two of the officials said that Israel’s goal was to create a buffer of up to roughly six-tenths of a mile along the entire length of Israel’s roughly 36-mile border with Gaza. At its narrowest point, the territory is less than four miles wide.”

In a news conference, Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that Israel was seeking to “create the security conditions for the return of the residents of the south to their homes.”

The vast majority of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed since Israel launched its assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 25,000 Gazans and left over 7,000 missing.

Let's note this segment on the arts and the power of the arts from yesterday's DEMOCRACY NOW!

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

We turn now to the acclaimed Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. In November, he had an exhibit in London canceled after he wrote a social media post where he criticized the United States for its longtime financial support of Israel. Ai Weiwei has previously expressed support for Palestinians. He made a 2016 documentary, that includes Gaza in the global refugee crisis, called Human Flow.

Ai Weiwei is one of the world’s most acclaimed artists. In 2011, he was arrested at the Beijing airport, held for 81 days without charge. He’s been living in exile since 2015. He’s joining us here in New York City ahead of his event tonight at Town Hall that’s part of PEN America’s PEN Out Loud series, when he’ll discuss his new graphic memoir, Zodiac.

Ai Weiwei, welcome back to Democracy Now! Let’s start with that canceled London exhibit. What happened?

AI WEIWEI: Well, after I post, you know, a single line on Twitter, I never noticed people really become so sensitive or so crazy about my posts. Basically, post described the situation about the Israelis’ relations with U.S., and which is very, very — you know, it’s very subjective. It’s not from my point of view, but it’s really general facts.

So, then, you know, the galleries— actually, not one gallery, but galleries in Paris and in London — they got very worried. And I still don’t know exactly the reason why they have to worry about an artist’s single line, you know, but, rather, they said they want to avoid this kind of argument, and they’re trying to protect my interest, so they postponed my shows — not one, but altogether four shows.

So, I guess that proved what I’m saying on Twitter is correct, because there is all over the world, you know, this strong censorship about different voices towards these kind of conflicts, and the conflict continues getting so massive and also seems it’s not going to stop. So, by doing that, yes, many of my shows have been canceled, so…

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Were you surprised by the reaction, given that you’ve been — not only are you one of the most celebrated artists from China in the West, but also you’ve been a vocal supporter of the Palestinians for years?

AI WEIWEI: I am surprised. I think we are — should live in a more free society and which carry a lot of different opinions and voice. But to have this kind of devastating case in dealing with the art community, not only art community, but also films or literature, I think it shows a really very bad and a backwards in terms of freedom of expression, human rights and, you know, all those issues.

AMY GOODMAN: You know, there are not many Chinese artists as celebrated and embraced by the West as you are, Ai Weiwei. Were you surprised by the swift retaliation against your position, which is really critiquing the West, in London, Britain and the U.S., when it comes to supporting the Israeli government, when it comes to the assault on Gaza?

AI WEIWEI: I think maybe I was celebrated for the wrong reason. But still, as the artist, I have to fight for the human dignity and also basic human rights, freedom of speech. And that’s why I’m here, so…

AMY GOODMAN: Can I ask about your graphic novel, Ai Weiwei? Talk about Zodiac and the message you’re conveying in this graphic memoir.

AI WEIWEI: Well, thanks for asking that. I came to New York to be part of this graphic novel — how do you say? — the promotion. And the novel take us about two, three years, with two other persons involved. And so, we made the drawing and the storyline, and, you know, it’s very — I think it’s pretty unique and also charming in telling my personal stories in relating to Chinese classic stories, but also in relating to current events both in China and in the West. So, it’s very detailed and, you know, very visual narratives about the stories.

AMY GOODMAN: Ai Weiwei, your message to the world right now? You are a dissident when it comes to China. You cannot live inside China. You’re in exile. And now, when you come and are embraced by the West, you find yourself canceled again and again. Your thoughts?

AI WEIWEI: Well, I think we are living in a very crucial time globally. We have to rethink about our values or what we are really defending for. It’s not only a challenge for individual artists, but also for the states. And we are gradually losing the ground of democracy or personal freedom, or even we are still facing crisis — economic crisis, immigration crisis. Also, we are possibly at the edge of the World War III. You know, this is not an exaggeration. It can happen. And I’m afraid this is the facts. But that would calling for every individual to defend the humanity and human rights.

AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you so much for being with us, Ai Weiwei, world-renowned Chinese artist and activist, has a new graphic memoir called Zodiac. He’ll be speaking tonight at Town Hall in New York.

Still on the arts, we're also going to note this from Marc Malkin (VARIETY):

Anne Hathaway walked out of a Vanity Fair photo shoot Tuesday morning in support of the Condé Nast Union walk out.

Nearly 400 union members who work at Condé Nast are currently holding a 24-hour work stoppage to protest negotiation practices they claim are unlawful.

Hathaway was unaware of the work stoppage when she arrived at the New York City photo shoot. She was still in hair and makeup when her team was notified by a staffer from SAG-AFTRA to advise Hathaway to support the work stoppage.

“They hadn’t even started taking photos yet,” a source tells Variety. “Once Anne was made aware of what was going on, she just got up from hair and makeup and left.”

The following sites updated: